Reply to Libraries as homeless centers

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why not follow the example of states that have been successful in combating homelessness? Indiana has the second lowest rate of chronic homelessness in the country, after Ohio. DC's rate was 38 times higher in 2018. That is 1 in 394 people compared to Indiana at 1 in 14,900. Indiana has a law against public intoxication that allows for jail time of up to 180 days. You could argue that this is too harsh. I would argue that it sends the message to people that there is a steep price to pay for throwing your life away to drugs, and the state will not sit idly by and watch you do it.[/quote]

Me thinks it’s no coincidence that Indiana has that “steep price” and is one of the states with the highest percentage of for-profit-prisons in the country.[/quote]

It seems to be working, whatever they are doing. Here in DC, instead of punishing public intoxication, we provide them the needles to make it happen. [/quote]

No, it’s not working.  A new study from the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness (ICPH) suggests that while the state and federal governments have reduced homelessness in many urban areas, the crisis of the hidden homeless in rural America is getting worse.  You know what Indiana has that DC doesn’t?  A lot of rural homeless people and they’re increasing and unsurprisingly neither you nor anyone else bothers to mention their increasing numbers in Indiana because they are unseen.[/quote]

Using 2018 statistics from the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, DC has a 38x higher rate of chronic homelessness than Indiana. California has almost a 13x higher rate of chronic homelessness than Indiana. I don't know where the ICPH is getting its info. Not seeing much evidence here of "reduced homelessness in many urban areas", thus our discussion of their impact on libraries. I have an idea. Have DC, Maryland and Virginia adopt and enforce Indiana's public intoxication laws for two years. Let's see if the libraries become useful again.
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