In almost every other area of public policy, we understand the value of prevention. We screen for cancer early because it saves lives and money. We reinforce bridges before the hurricanes hit. But when it comes to housing insecurity, we like to do the opposite. We prefer to wait until the crisis has already happened.
We've been conditioned to believe that homelessness isn't solvable, that it's too complex, that it's too expensive. But the truth is, it's a lot easier to solve than you may think. Prevention is the key to having less people on our streets over time.
I think about it as it's become like the scarlet H. They've taken those conditions and treated them as if it's a moral failure. They've then pinned that on anyone with a label homeless.
