The Houston example is striking, not just for its effectiveness and as a sign of real hope, but for how little attention it gets. What a good model of what can happen when thoughtful, pragmatic leadership cuts through the left and right fog and just gets down to the business of helping people.
The bit about how little attention it's getting is really so striking to me. Here we have demonstrable success at at least beginning to solve an enormously challenging problem. Yet it's barely talked about.
Just saw this now, while going through my inbox...
Interesting read, and I don't think any I disagree w/ any of your points or conclusions.
It is sad, seeing the US on the news being the way it is, esp. when it kinda 'should be' the exemplar for stuff like freedom. Instead...well... -points at the past few years' news-
I dunno how to fix homelessness. Having decent political leaders w/ 'political will' probably does help, as that point regarding cheap housing being illegal does strike me as self-destructive for any place/city/state that, ideally, should want growth.
I just hope y'all can fix it before it gets worse. -points at my country's sprawling slums, that have been abused by local politicians as a source of votes (that they buy)-
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think there is a solution.
We have the same problems in South Africa. It quintupled in size during and after the lockdowns. Architecture and landscaping is changing to try and discourage squatters and informal settlements popping up overnight.
The Houston example is striking, not just for its effectiveness and as a sign of real hope, but for how little attention it gets. What a good model of what can happen when thoughtful, pragmatic leadership cuts through the left and right fog and just gets down to the business of helping people.
The bit about how little attention it's getting is really so striking to me. Here we have demonstrable success at at least beginning to solve an enormously challenging problem. Yet it's barely talked about.
Just saw this now, while going through my inbox...
Interesting read, and I don't think any I disagree w/ any of your points or conclusions.
It is sad, seeing the US on the news being the way it is, esp. when it kinda 'should be' the exemplar for stuff like freedom. Instead...well... -points at the past few years' news-
I dunno how to fix homelessness. Having decent political leaders w/ 'political will' probably does help, as that point regarding cheap housing being illegal does strike me as self-destructive for any place/city/state that, ideally, should want growth.
I just hope y'all can fix it before it gets worse. -points at my country's sprawling slums, that have been abused by local politicians as a source of votes (that they buy)-
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think there is a solution.
We have the same problems in South Africa. It quintupled in size during and after the lockdowns. Architecture and landscaping is changing to try and discourage squatters and informal settlements popping up overnight.