patrick.net

Homelessness is not a housing issue. Nor is it a social issue. It is a mental health problem.

I am against public housing of any form because it causes market distortions.

As a society, we should encourage more housing units to be built. We should view zoning and NIMBYism as violation of property rights.

Welfare is not the solution.

Could there be a more perfect, complementary “market-based” solution to the twin problems of: a) homelessness, and b) housing bubble oversupply?

Auction is the best way to correct housing oversupply.

Homelessness is a disease caused by sub-humans who reject all good-faith help from the society.

Homelessness is not a housing issue. Nor is it a social issue. It is a mental health problem.

@Peter P,

Would you agree that shuttering the public mental asylums in CA was a bad idea then?

Here's the problem with a strict "no social programs of any kind" policy: there are retarded and mentally ill people out there who literally are not sane/coherent/responsible enough to care for themselves. Permanent homeless populations include people other than just the willfully lazy and/or criminal (though they are a subset).

Obviously, we must accept some social programs, like workfare and job re-training.

I've always thought the bubble oversupply could have been used somehow to help the Katrina disaster. Why build a bunch of mobile homes when the government could have provided temporary rent payments to house the Katrina victims?

Why build a bunch of mobile homes when the government could have provided temporary rent payments to house the Katrina victims?

I thought the primary function of a government is to waste taxpayer money.

I thought the primary function of a government is to waste taxpayer money.

Mission Accomplished!

Peter P Says:

> Homelessness is not a housing issue. Nor is it
> a social issue. It is a mental health problem.

I always laugh people in SF claim that “homelessness” is caused by a “lack of affordable housing”. I then ask them to name one guy who moved in to a doorway on Market Street or under an overpass due to a “rent increase”. A few years back I was working with a girlfriend and a Catholic priest serving food to the homeless and I asked the priest to guess how many of the homeless had substance abuse or mental problems and his estimate (after working with them for 20 years) was 99.9%...

Malcolm Says:

> Why build a bunch of mobile homes when the government
> could have provided temporary rent payments to house the
> Katrina victims?

Then Peter P Says:

> I thought the primary function of a government is to waste
> taxpayer money.

The primary function of most (but not all) politicians is to stay in office. To stay in office you need a ton of money. In order to get a ton of money each year to stay in office you need to pay off the people that give you money by voting to buy expensive mobile homes, build bridges to islands with only a few people and buying $350 hammers…

I always laugh people in SF claim that “homelessness” is caused by a “lack of affordable housing”.

And their solution:

1. More BMR units
2. More housing projects
3. Rent control

LOL!!! Liberals are so cute.

Hey, do you think there is a market for a keyboard that requires two people to type at the same time? We can sell it to the bureaucrats.

Hey, do you think there is a market for a keyboard that requires two people to type at the same time? We can sell it to the bureaucrats.

You forgot about "bilingual" keyboards and having to hire cronies --er, specialists, to retrain workers on using the new keyboards in a culturally sensitive and gender nuetral manner. ;-)

And the keyboard must cost at least $1000 and come with a 2500 page manual.

The manufacturing will be outsourced, of course. :)

"due to a "rent increase" LOL! Too funny, when you put it THAT way... I suppose not.

You have to wonder how many of these homes were actually foreclosed on and how many have never been lived in? In the end this will only compound problems. Here you have a home that's only as old as the teaser payment and it's already being trashed.

Not that any of us have sympathy for the lenders/builders but how can we drive down comps when they have to be condemned?! Here's a better idea, use them as "assisted care facilities" (Mr. Lender take me to court for all I care) and turn the asst. care fac. into homeless shelters. This way seniors get a 'real home' environment they deserve and the homeless will get basic shelter?

Talk about "Project Lifeline" or "New Hope" how's THIS for some hope?

Allow lenders and builders to DONATE their empty and un-sellable McMansions to the local municipality and get a HUGE tax break! Maybe even enough to make a dent in their ever-growing write-downs!

Simply sign the deed over to the City of Detroit/State of Michigan for them to use as 'they see fit' and you're OUT OF IT! No more growing and unpaid property tax bill! No more maint./"mothballing" expenses! YOU... just walk away! "And it's not like you'll feel bad about it"

This would be a great idea to all the crack-heads & junkies I know. They wouldn't have to spend their money on hotel rooms or have to worry about finding a couch to crash on. Also, they'd have more money to buy crack & heroin. My friend that died last Sept from an OD would have loved the free housing to go along with the free groceries he was getting at the food pantry. I really hope that while in his coma he knew he was getting free heathcare during the 4 weeks in intensive care. He never liked paying for something when he knew he could get it for free...

Don't get me wrong, I loved my friend & I know drug addiction is horible, but I really think he took advantage of every handout there was - thereby making it easy for him to continue doing what he was doing...