Report says housing homeless is cheaper

It would cost taxpayers less to provide public housing for Los Angeles' vast homeless population than to let them wander the streets as transients, according to a report released today by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

[no responsibility]

LA County enacted Laura's Law which provides assisted outpatient therapy to those mentally ill under certain conditions. It is time to start truly using this law. It reduces hospitalization and homelessness. Laura's Law was patterned after Kendra's Law in NY, which has been proven to reduce hospitalizations and homelessness. Just think how much money we could save in the long run.

[Bleeding hearts]

The Homewalk earned $500,000.00 with 4000 people contributing. Almost enough to house 5 homeless for a year. They're gonna have to have a few more walks!

[ross]

nooooooo moreee taxes please !

[Interested Taxpayer]

Over 50k per year for each homeless person? How does that break down? Why would it cost more to house a homeless person for a year than many families actually earn before taxes? Although 50k to house a homeless person (plus related services, whatever that means) is better than 90k for a transient, something is still wrong with this picture.

[Coach]

Luke 6:20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God".

What part of this statement do you religious persons who are against this proposal don't understand?

[Haddit]

What I do know is that if you give a loved one money, he will spend it on drugs. Give them food only.

[Taxed out of existence]

Interested Taxpayer wrote:

Over 50k per year for each homeless person? How does that break down? Why would it cost more to house a homeless person for a year than many families actually earn before taxes? Although 50k to house a homeless person (plus related services, whatever that means) is better than 90k for a transient, something is still wrong with this picture.

It only costs $30,000 per year to keep them in prison. Maybe we could save $20K per each. Ya think?

[JeffP]

somewhere else... "Welcome To Los Angeles"

sheet let's go to sunny Cal, we've got'a free stay en'everthin com'on junior les'go...

[Nimby]

Not in my Backyard!

[sndpppr]

How much does United Way make on the deal? How much of each dollar is spent where it is supposed to go? United Way has a poor track reacors on spending after Katrina

[Bureaucratic Mess]

Too many homeless are drawn to LA for the weather and we pay for it. The federal government MUST provide more assistance to LA for homelessness and for dealing with illegal immigrants, who are also disproportionately drawn to LA.

Put them in cheap tent cities with PO boxes so that they have addresses and soup kitchens. We either do too much for the poor or too little. Find that middle balance that provides them safe shelter and two meals per day (that's all they need), and an address so that they can find employment. Get county mental healthcare workers out of their marble towers and into the tent ciities to deal with the rampant mental illness among the homeless. Lock up the mentally ill that are so ill that they pose a danger to themselves and society and treat them.

[kma]

Coach wrote:

Luke 6:20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God".
What part of this statement do you religious persons who are against this proposal don't understand?

Then why doesn't God (or his servants) pay for it? Why does it have to come from the taxpayer?

[kma]

no responsibility wrote:

LA County enacted Laura's Law which provides assisted outpatient therapy to those mentally ill under certain conditions. It is time to start truly using this law. It reduces hospitalization and homelessness. Laura's Law was patterned after Kendra's Law in NY, which has been proven to reduce hospitalizations and homelessness. Just think how much money we could save in the long run.

Ok know-it-all. Just what the hell are these "Laws" about? And how much will it cost?

[rcradtz]

you idiots- before the liberals in congress stopped it - we had board & care homes in where the homeless lived very happily, and the caretakers took care of the mentally ill like they were their own children. They got medical & mental treatment, and it worked great. But thanks to our govenmental geniuses - thay put a stop to that!!!
Note : check the dates - it stopped about 1979 appx.
RC

[JJN]

By way of clarification, the dollar amounts that are being cited come from this passage in the report:

"The total cost of public services for two years on the streets was $187,288 compared to $107,032 for two years in permanent housing with support services—a savings of $80,256 or almost 43%."

http://www.unitedwayla.org/getinformed/news/D...

[Richard K]

For every homeless person, the POVERTY PIMPS have 20 people DISSECTING the homeless person apart piece by piece, each getting paid massive amounts of TAXPAYER FUNDING to "SOLVE" whatever MAKE-BELIEVE problem they can think up, and when the funding ends....the homeless are thrown right back to the streets to start the process over. The homeless are used & abuse over & over!

[Richard K]

Many homeless people are disabled, but previously work many years paying into Social Security only to become disabled and BE DENIED BENEFITS, since they are still disabled even with the SSA denial, THEY CAN'T WORK and thus lose everything and have to live on the streets. I can take years appealing the SSA's denial and many die on the street while appealing their RIGHTFUL BENEFITS!

[Im telling]

Each service agency takes a pinch of profit down the line, homelessness equals profit. Thats really why they are here. There are "Poverty Pimps" as a commentator, Richard K put it.