The city of Los Angeles is trying to deal with its massive homeless problem by making tents available for those in need. The problem is the ridiculous monthly cost of over $2,600 per tent.
Couldn’t you put people into apartments for less than that?
Amazingly, this report comes from National Public Radio:
High Cost Of Los Angeles Homeless Camp Raises Eyebrows And QuestionsIn Los Angeles, city officials grappling with an ongoing homelessness crisis have turned to an idea that for decades was politically unpopular and considered radical: a government-funded tent encampment.Other cities, including San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa, Fla., have opened similar programs in recent years. But the high public cost of LA’s first sanctioned campground — more than $2,600 per tent, per month — has advocates worried it will come at the expense of more permanent housing.The campsite opened in late April on a fenced-in parking lot beside the 101 freeway in East Hollywood. The lot-turned-campground can accommodate up to about 70 tents in 12-by-12-foot spots marked by white squares painted on the asphalt.On a recent afternoon, the site was nearly full. A row of port-a-potties stood along one side of the camp. The program also provides showers, three meals a day and 24-hour security. Campers get entered into the county’s database for matching unhoused people with social services and housing resources…According to a report by the city administrative officer, the new East Hollywood campground costs approximately $2,663 per participant per month. That’s higher than what a typical one-bedroom apartment rents for in the city, according to the website RentCafe. While the per-tent cost covers services, meals, sanitation and staffing, some are concerned that the city is investing too much in short-term Band-Aids over long-term solutions.
Just unreal.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to give homeless people a housing voucher, not cash, for $1,500 a month? There should also be an option to enter rehab or a mental health facility. Until the issues of addiction and mental illness are addressed, this problem will never be solved.
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