Article: New Orleans Has Achieved a 12 Percent Reduction in Its Unsheltered Population

“A new city office focused on homeless services has given a boost to programs to help the unhoused in New Orleans.”

“The city is making progress on its goal of moving more people off the streets and into permanent housing. "Without investing in this approach, we’re no better off than putting them in the garbage," says one top city official.”

Although this article is about New Orleans homelessness and whose numbers of homeless is far from what larger cities experience, I can’t help but feel that a similar strategy can/should be considered by other states. I’m sure that some if not most have a strategy in place, but it’s obviously not working. Jailing these people, in my opinion, is not the answer.  A new strategy and logistics need to be considered by the states and include HUD to develop the best way to handle this situation.

I have been saying for decades that many abandoned buildings have the potential to be renovated and used as housing with reasonable rents attached to them.

We, as a community, need to be more determined and persistent in having our local government put aside the political repercussions and do what is morally right.

You can read the article from Governing here.