Utah Houses Their Homeless…Hello New York

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After Decades of New York Mayors trying to house the homeless all we have to show for it is a dramatic increase in the number of homeless. Whereas the past administration thought that by warehousing  apartments within the New York City Housing Authority, they were somehow going to reduce the homeless population Utah actually gave apartments to the homeless. And surprise they actually did reduce the homeless population in their State by 78%. They are on track to actually eliminating homelessness by 2015.

I can only say that if Utah can find away to do it. So can we.  The following article is worth reading and is an eye opener.

It maybe that a lack of rental apartments may not be our problem. Our problem may be a willingness to actually solve the problem of homelessness

Utah Is on Track to End Homelessness by 2015 With This One Simple Idea

Give them an apartment first, ask questions later.

Utah has reduced its rate of chronic homelessness by 78 percent over the past eight years, moving 2000 people off the street and putting the state on track to eradicate homelessness altogether by 2015. How’d they do it?

The state is giving away apartments, no strings attached. In 2005, Utah calculated the annual cost of E.R. visits and jail stays for an average homeless person was $16,670, while the cost of providing an apartment and social worker would be $11,000. Each participant works with a caseworker to become self-sufficient, but if they fail, they still get to keep their apartment.

Other states are eager to emulate Utah’s results. Wyoming has seen its homeless population more than double in the past three years, and it only provides shelter for 26 percent of them, the lowest rate in the country. City officials in Casper, Wyoming, now plan to launch a pilot program using the methods of Utah’s Housing First program. There’s no telling how far the idea might go.

Source Nation Swell

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