Housing is First

“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.”

It costs less to house people.

https://thebetter.news/interview-juha-kahila-housing-first-finnland/

I sometimes volunteer at a rehabilitation center, and a young person* I know came in the other day - call her Shirley. She struggles with psychosis, but the last few months she had been doing quite well. Now she looked awful. She was hungry, red-eyed, and just slept the whole day.

I asked her what happened and she said she had lost her sec 8 voucher somehow, and her landlord had kicked her out. She was now sleeping in a tent - she and her boyfriend. Luckily it stayed above freezing this last month, but not by much.

She had gone to court (with the help of staff) but had been waiting for several weeks. Our courts are not fast when it matters.

We all think we are SO important and special because we smell good, wear clean clothes, and comb our hair.

Go out camping for a week. Better yet, have all your stuff thrown out, THEN go camping for a week - sleeping in your one set of clothes. With little food. THEN try to do a job interview. See how special you feel. 😆

"Housing is first" makes a lot of sense to me.


*American citizen. Can't believe I have to add that... 🙄

@spruce112358 said
“In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counselling with no preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.”

It costs less to house people.

https://thebetter.news/interview-juha-kahila-housing-first-finnland/

I ...[text shortened]... is first" makes a lot of sense to me.


*American citizen. Can't believe I have to add that... 🙄