Fix Homelessness How to rebuild human lives
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What Works

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People crowd shadows lined up against a red brick wall. They are in a queue for changes in life. Social distance, covid and immigration issue concept
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Varieties of Homelessness

After seven months of getting back into the flow of writing about poverty, my New Year’s resolution is to continue doing ground-level or historical columns, but to try as well to map out the overall debate and see what each side has to contribute. Read More ›
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Jackson in an Urban Center in Rural Tennessee
Jackson in an Urban Center in Rural Tennessee

Relief and dreams in Jackson, Tennessee

As Stephanie Woodley, 42, sat last month in the dayroom of Area Relief Ministries (ARM) in Jackson, Tenn., she said the stabbing of her ex-husband was no big deal. “The gash is only this big,” she said as she extended her right thumb and index finger to demonstrate a one-incher.  Woodley said her ex-husband tried to push their daughter, Maddie, down the stairs, so Maddie stabbed him. Maddie moved in with her aunt in Memphis, and Woodley was sleeping on the streets in Jackson, 88 miles away. Woodley’s dark almond eyes teared up: “I miss my daughter.”  Woodley showed the homescreen on her phone: a picture of Maddie standing next to a pink agapanthus flower. She said Maddie has offered Read More ›

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Some Neighbors Say Bucket Toilets Prolong Encampments

King County is accommodating campers. Holly lives in an RV and says for the first time at this location, county crews handed out toilet buckets and mini pop up tents for privacy. But this is not what some neighbors wanted. Read More ›
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Watercolor painting of medieval castle at sunrise landscape
Watercolor painting of medieval castle at sunrise landscape

Different Time and Place, Same Dilemmas

In the 33 years since I’ve been on-and-off writing about homelessness issues, many readers have asked the same questions and reported the same challenges to conscience: Should I give to the person at the street corner or the freeway entrance? How can I discern who will use a dollar for food and who will use it for drugs? When I give, am I doing it primarily to feel good or to help a fellow human? Read More ›
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Man standing on street is collecting money for charity and holds jar with coins.
Man standing on street is collecting money for charity and holds jar with coins.

Learning From History

In helping the homeless we should be both generous and discerning. If we only provide material help in a way that enables addiction and overlooks mental illness, our generosity may be selfishness that gives ourselves a warm glow but hurts others. Read More ›
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People support each other in a rehab session
People support each other in a rehab session

Human Lives

If you've seen the TV show "Welcome Back, Kotter," you may sense a bit of what I'm feeling now. During the 1990s I wrote a lot about homelessness, and I’m jumping back into the subject now with Fix Homelessness and the crucial subtitle of this website, "How to rebuild human lives." Read More ›
Help Concept hands reaching out to help each other in dark tone.
Help Concept hands reaching out to help each other in dark tone
Photo licensed via Adobe Stock

What Does Real Compassion for the Homeless Look Like?

Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness initiative offers a path forward for policymakers, the public, and those who recognize that the failed policies of the past are doomed to fail in the future. Here we focus on the true causes of the crisis. Read More ›
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Generous Donation Gone to Waste on Bad Homelessness Policy

Seattle civic and business leaders have announced a $10 million collaborative effort to tackle the downtown chronic homelessness problem. “It’s the beginning of some good news,” Mayor Bruce Harrell declared when they announced the financial donation. Read More ›