👍 Yes (56%) – "We need to separate the problems. First issue is housing affordability issue which could be solved by allowing much more housing to be built with relaxed regulations to make it affordable. The second problem is a mental health issue that should be funded first not last like we have been doing. Adams NYC plan is a good start."
- "You can't "solve the problem". Just like the "1%", the middle class and the poor, homeless are a class of people, and that class will likely always exist. With over 300 million people in our country, there is no system, process or legislation that will ever ensure 100% of people acquire and keep some sort of home. A more productive path might be accepting homelessness as part of reality and finding other ways to take care of these folks who may not be able to take care of themselves: mobile meal delivery, free distributed healthcare and sanitation, etc."
- "There are many jobs available with no requirements that could help people get back on their feet. If a homeless person is determined to be mentally ill they should be treated at hospitals, and for homeless people that are not mentally ill they should get back on their feet. America is the land of opportunity to better yourself. That is why homelessness should be a misdemeanor which could eventually lead to an arrest if they are still homeless after 6 months."
- "Giving the homeless the care they need in facilities designed for this purpose is the humanitarian thing to do. I remember when these kinds of facilities existed. Then in the 1980’s the politicians decided to stop providing this care. Homelessness has been a big issue ever since. It’s cruel to ignore people who are so mentally ill they can’t find a home."
👎 No (19%) – "Give people homes. It’s financially cheaper to give away homes than it is to start and maintain all these programs. Besides costing less, it’s proven to be more effective at breaking the cycle of homelessness than other programs."
- "Being involuntarily taken to a mental health facility could do more harm than good. While it is helping to get the people off the street and into a safer environment, they will be discharged at some point and with very few resources. It's very likely that the cycle will continue because homelessness is an epidemic."
🤷♀️ Unsure/other (25%) – "I don’t know that there will ever be a full solution. However, before we can try to put a sizable dent in the issue, we need to figure out the root cause of the majority of homelessness."
- "I agree that a lot of homeless do require additional mental health care. However, since this power can easily be abused, I don't think it should be put in the hands of law enforcement with a history of such abuses."