Reply to DC should look to Texas for homeless solutions

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Houston only has to coordinate with Harris County.

DC cannot look to Houston because it has to coordinate with PG, MoCo, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, etc.  There are too many jurisdictions and they all have perverse incentives - if one (usually DC) tries to take a more generous or proactive approach, then the others are incentivized to "crack down" by razing encampments or rousting people where they sleep and watching as the homeless people in their area "self-deport" to DC where things are not as draconian.  This creates a self-replenishing population of homeless people and a black hole for services, money, and efforts.  You cannot cut homelessness by 2/3 in this scenario because the vacuum will fill itself.

[b]And all of that is before you add in red states actively shipping people with no addresses to DC on planes.[/b] [/quote]

How is that relevant? You're confusing two very different topics. Most of the undocumented immigrants sent to NE by Abbott were from the border - not Houston. They were also not part of the homeless encampments. Houston is run by a D and has been for a very long time. Like most TX cities, Houston has a D mayor and city council. Abbott and the rest of the Rs in ATX don't have much to do with the city's homeless issue.

Plus, the above is just flat wrong. DC can deal with the homeless in the district without having to liaise with FFX Co. DC is just too inept to do it. [/quote]

We now know that homelessness is a housing problem. Houston is cheap. DC is not. That's why many desirable cities have homeless problems. Many homeless people work and still can't afford housing.

Fairfax definitely did some things that helped. Our government won't do it, like bringing ALL homeless services within one agency (actually Houston did do that).

I love DC, but folks keep reelecting Bowser. Why, I have no idea. No, I don't think it's because there is one party rule here. [/quote]

This is flat wrong. Homelessness is drug use not housing. And Houston is not cheap. It is less expensive than NYC or DC but housing is more expensive than other Tx cities, and income is lower.

Comments like the above are why homelessness will never be met with a viable solution in DC[/quote]

+1.  Homelessness isn’t due to cost of housing. It’s mental illness and drug use.[/quote]

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