“What people usually don't realize when they come across a homeless person is that person is costing taxpayers a lot of money,” said Sam Tsemberis, executive director of the Pathways Housing First Institute.
In 2019, New York City spent a record $3 billion to help its homeless population. California is also expected to break its record, allocating $4.8 billion to the same issue over the next two years.
Despite the budget increase, overall homelessness in the United States is down only 10 percent from 2007. It's even worse for some subgroups, like individual homelessness, which doesn't decreased by only 1% during the same period.
“Right now, we're moving in the wrong direction,” said Anthony Love, acting executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “The homeless situation is quite precarious, and slight increases are taking place across the board. »
For decades, the United States has relied on a “housing first” approach to homelessness, in which permanent housing is provided to homeless people without prerequisites such as sobriety or employment.
“Without the coach to guide me toward housing, I wouldn't be where I am right now,” said Shannon McGhee, who moved into her supportive housing in 2020 after being unhoused for four years. “Being able to have my home first, I know I have control over my environment. Now what happens here depends on what I'm creating.
However, some critics of the Housing First approach say it has not yielded enough real results to be considered a success.
“When the public learns that this particular policy is going to end homelessness, they expect to see fewer homeless people,” said Stephen Eide, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. “I don’t think we’ve seen that in Housing First.”
» Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
» Subscribe to CNBC Classic: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic
About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award-winning original documentaries and reality series, CNBC has you covered. Discover special previews of your favorite shows, exclusive videos and much more.
Connect with CNBC News online
Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
#CNBC
Why the United States can't solve homelessness
Please take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it useful.
