What Works Best to End Homelessness?

Updated (view update, below):

Photo: An old homelessness awareness vigil poster (of mine):

Housing removes "less" from homeless

In 2013, after four (4) years of being permanently housed since my last go around that had lasted twelve (12) lengthy and grueling years of living unhoused (aka homeless), I penned a commentary piece within which I posed the question within the title of it asking what works best to end homelessness (via vtdigger), here, and stated:

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I have been extremely supportive of “housing first” models and most especially Pathways Vermont, which serves this small rural state well. The fact is, it works.

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Nothing has changed my mind concerning these matters. It is still what I believe. 

Permanent, affordable, safe and decent housing works where most other methods fall short or fail.

In fact, the housing first model is still considered the best approach to ending homelessness (via Urban Institute, Housing Matters; February 14, 2024), here:

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To end homelessness, policymakers at all levels should invest in evidence-backed solutions, such as permanent supportive housing.

Research done by the Urban Institute and other experts shows why Housing First interventions are still the best way to help people exit homelessness.

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Update: Read a related news report (via Vermont Public), here. Housing First Vermont policy brief (via ACLU Vermont), here.

Recently, however, an editorial published within the Hardwick Gazette took issue with Vermont Governor Scott's approach and plan to address the need for more housing as well as ending homelessness (January 23, 2024), here:

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In his speech, Scott continued, “If we make commonsense improvements, we can give young families the decent, affordable homes they need. We can offer seniors a chance to enjoy retirement, without the burden of a large home they can’t afford. And we can put homeless Vermonters in real homes, not over-priced hotel rooms we can’t afford."

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The editorial continued, ... 

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Homelessness during a Vermont winter is not solved by creating affordable housing. It’s solved by creating warm and safe spaces where people can go immediately, no questions asked.

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 Creating affordable housing won’t end homelessness. Ending homelessness, if it’s even possible, won’t create affordable housing. Both are issues we can’t wait for the State of Vermont to solve for us. Let’s come together as communities to find solutions that work for us, right here, right now.

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Although I certainly agree that communities should come together to find solutions to these and related matters; from my point of view, however, the editorial clearly misses the mark as well as misses the point concerning what truly ends homelessness best.

Once again, that is permanent, affordable, safe and decent housing, not short-term homeless shelters.

Yet, yes, there is a need to create more housing within all areas of the state in order to get there. No argument there.

In the meantime, it would appear that maintaining and utilizing the state's hotel/motel program is imperative and certainly better than dumping people back on the streets and in the woods with nowhere else to go.

Yet, we can and definitely should do better, because, in my opinion, along with the heavy reliance upon usage of homeless shelters across the state (where these exist), the motel housing program certainly falls short as well.

That is my viewpoint, what is yours?

If you feel strongly enough about it, consider penning a letter to the editor (LTE) or commentary (op-ed) about it and submit it for publication to one or more statewide or local newspapers (via Vermont Advocacy Resource Toolkit), here.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

-- Margaret Mead

In case you missed it, read previous blog posts of mine concerning these and related matters, here, here, here, and here.