Efforts to Solve California ’s Homeless Crisis Will Fall Short Without Housing Reforms

Michael D. TannerLate last month, Lester Holt ofNBC News interviewed Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti about the city ’s growing homeless population.In response, Garcetti pointed to the city ’s increased level of spending on efforts to house the homeless, including $5.6 million for a 39 ‐​unit tiny home project.When Holt pressed him on $144,000 per unit price tag for the project, an extremely high amount for tiny homes and higher than the median home price in most US counties, Garcetti defended himself by saying, “Everybody can point to the cost of building things, I point to the cost of not building things. ”Mayor Garcetti is right when he suggests that the costs – both moral and economic – of not addressing homelessness are unacceptable, but, with due respect to Mayor Garcetti, he vastly oversimplifies the choices when he suggests that those of us who advocate for more judicious use of taxpayer money seek to obstruct solutions altogether.Garcetti is ignoring the regulatory hurdles and inefficient management that blocks too much affordable housing for Angelenos. Simply throwing money at the crisis, without addressing the underlying issues, benefits neither taxpayers nor the homeless.While many elected officials and media observers portray homelessness as a function of mental health or substance use issues, the reality is that for most people experiencing homelessness, inability to afford housing costsplayed a part in their becoming homeless....
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs