Public Funding and Public Behavior
By Jan Marie Belle
Denver is proposing new sources of funding (such as “social impact bonds”) for “Housing First”, a new approach to resolving homelessness. The idea is that putting the chronically homeless in housing will resolve the problem of homelessness.
Well, people who have a legal place to live are, by definition, not “homeless”. So problem solved?
Not necessarily.
The concern is not who lives next door. Rather, the concern is the public behaviors of the neighbors next door.
For example: 16th Street Mall visitors and business people complain about apparently homeless people persistently engaging in objectionable behaviors such as loitering, littering, panhandling and public intoxication. Certainly this is not a good image for Denver’s tourists and convention visitors.
But–Will putting the chronically homeless in housing also change public behaviors?”
We don’t know.

There is a 60 unit homeless “housing first” development planned for 1601 South Federal. Before INC endorses “Housing First funding” let’s see what happens on South Federal. Objectionable behaviors are no less objectionable on South Federal as they are on the 16th Street Mall
If the new residents at 1601 South Federal add value to the neighborhood, homeless problems are being solved!
But– if the public environment on South Federal degrades because housing has not changed public behaviors of the chronically homeless—then no, the “homeless problem” has not been solved. The problem has been moved.
Let’s wait and see.

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