Fix Homelessness

Discovery Institute Joins North America Recovers Coalition to Combat Homelessness

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January 25, 2023
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With support from Discovery and other coalition partners, North America Recovers has launched a public campaign calling on lawmakers to embrace addiction recovery for Americans, not addiction enablement.

Discovery Institute Releases National Report on Homelessness

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October 11, 2022
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The problems linked to homelessness, including substance abuse, mental illness, and crime, are increasing in America despite untold sums of government money spent to address this complex problem.

Assessing Alternatives to Homelessness

_{Marvin Olasky
January 26, 2023
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Homeless people given their own apartments are often the same. We are apparently made for community with at least one other person.

Examining the Scholarly Record

_{Marvin Olasky
January 20, 2023
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The academic journal literature on homelessness is vast, but during the past decade oversimplification has ruled. The Obama administration made “Housing First!” the official U.S. policy, with homeless people to be given their own apartments. Programs that emphasized “Clean and Sober first” became ineligible for federal aid, and mental health issues became secondary. Typical academic analyses of homelessness found — surprise! — that “Housing First!” is great. A lot of scholarly research up to 2009, though, revealed homelessness complexities. Here are four examples: Key insights:Homeless adults who are alcoholics have “unusually high levels of mental health symptomatology…. Adults with alcohol problems are so debilitated that they readily become homeless (as compared to being domiciled under very trying circumstances) when also Read More ›

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Street Report

from Jonathan Choe

Former Burger King on Rainier Ave Being Used by Homeless Squatters

_{Jonathan Choe
January 31, 2023
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It’s Still Upside Down There are hundreds of encampments scattered across #Seattle. Go down S. Rainier Ave and check out the side streets including a former @BurgerKing now being used by homeless squatters. @cmkshama‘s district.

With Opioid Clinic Set to Open, Lynnwood Community Focuses on Safety

_{Jonathan Choe
January 30, 2023
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Next Challenge Acadia Healthcare’s controversial OPIOID CLINIC in #Lynnwood will open Monday. But disappointed neighbors remain energized and will closely monitor facility. @safeLynnwood says focus is now on SAFETY PLAN with all stakeholders. @WADeptHealth @GovInslee @KCGOP

Loss of Life at Ship Canal Bridge Encampment

_{Jonathan Choe
January 28, 2023
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Figure it Out That’s what parents and neighbors are demanding from state and city leaders after another violent incident at Ship Canal Bridge encampment in Wallingford. No end in sight. It’s been here more than a year. #Seattle @GovInslee @KC_RHA @WSDOT @WAStateCommerce @MayorofSeattle Homeless Death Tragic loss of life under Ship Canal Bridge encampment late Friday. Neighbors have been begging @wsdot @KC_RHA @WAStateCommerce to remove camp since last year. #Seattle can’t sweep, because it’s not city property. @MayorofSeattle Positive Signs Three empty houses were recently demolished on 5th Ave N. in Wallingford. Neighbors and city officials confirm homeless from Ship Canal Bridge encampment broke in to squat in those. Caused fire in one across street and accidentally burned it down. Read More ›

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Our Mission

Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness initiative offers innovative research and compassionate solutions to the growing crisis of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness facing many American cities. Our mission is to serve as a resource for policy leaders, business owners, and neighborhood organizations trying to meaningfully reduce homelessness and to help those suffering realize their full human potential.

Support Our Work

Jim Palmer of the Orange County Rescue Mission on causes and cures for America’s homelessness crisis

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Tom Shakely
November 1, 2021}

In this episode of Humanize, Wesley J. Smith speaks with Jim Palmer, the president of the Orange County Rescue Mission about the many causes and potential cures of America’s seemingly intractable homeless crisis. It is a crucial, if disturbing, conversation that touches upon the most existential needs of people and our mutual responsibilities to each other. Homelessness has reached crisis Read More ›

Robert Marbut on America’s Homelessness Crisis, Strategies for Uplifting the Homeless, and Effective Government Policies

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Tom Shakely
May 23, 2022}

Homelessness has reached crisis proportions. Few issues of human dignity are as heart wrenching as the wretched scenes in our most prosperous cities — San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle — where one can drive down main thoroughfares and be confronted with tent encampments lining streets that provide scant shelter for thousands of destitute people. The crisis is as Read More ›

[not] anything helps

Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty is leading a research project on homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Our mission is to help city leaders, business owners, and neighborhood organizations meaningfully reduce homelessness and improve lives.

Resources

National Report

“Housing First” — and often only — has demonstrably failed. Congress and the Executive Branch need to focus more on untreated mental illness and substance abuse to reduce homelessness, drug overdoses, jail overcrowding, and misuse of emergency rooms. Herein we make policy recommendations to Congress to truly help rebuild human lives.

Get the National Report

Legal Guide

We have created a legal guide for cities to maintain compliance with the Martin v Boise decision. The guide outlines best practices for compliance and provides models for successful ordinances that balance enforcement, housing, and legal requirements. The guide is written by Joseph Tartakovsky, attorney for the City of Boise in the Martin v Boise case.

Get the Legal Guide

Case Studies

We have created case studies of cities that have delivered cost-effective and rapid results on homelessness. We’ll show you how San Diego built an emergency shelter and moved 700 people off the streets, how Burien eliminated camping in public parks, and how Modesto reduced quality-of-life crimes associated with homelessness by 83 percent — all within 60 days.

Get the Case Studies

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