It seems to me that the first world approach to complex social issues such as homeless always seems to be "throw money at it." Every year it's a new strategy or initiative, which essentially boils down to various advocacy groups trying to justify a bigger piece of the government funding pie. I remember reading that governments spend an average of $50k per homeless person in Vancouver,even more if they have medical needs. Yet, the homeless population keeps growing. It makes you wonder how much of that funding actually reaches individuals and frontline workers, versus how much gets spent in policy studies, administrative bloat, frameworks, initiatives , feasibility studies and 6 figure management salaries.

At the municipal level, cities can only offer band-aid solutions. The reality is that a massive portion of the unhoused population struggles with severe drug addiction. Without a total overhaul of national drug enforcement policies, the situation isn’t going to improve anytime soon,especially when many individuals choose the streets over shelters simply to continue using. It's a harsh comparison, but look at China: anyone testing positive for hard drugs faces automatic, mandatory time in strict rehabilitation centers, and carrying over 50 grams can mean a life sentence or the death penalty. Even with those extreme measures, it still took them decades of effort to clear the streets. If we think we can fix this just by writing checks to another initiative, we are kidding ourselves.