Saving Money By Housing The Homeless

Housing advocates in British Columbia are pushing a "housing-first" policy to the local government as a way to combat homelessness and save money.

1 minute read

April 21, 2007, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

"A housing-first policy would save taxpayers at least $9.5 million a year - $12,000 for each person who is homeless, according to the final research report of the Homeless Needs Survey, released yesterday at Victoria City Hall."

"'Housing first' movements have been adopted by 294 U.S. cities as a way to end chronic homelessness - not by building shelters, but by putting homeless people into apartments, supported by medical and addiction-treatment services. Its proponents believe it's cheaper to put the chronically homeless into apartments with proper supports than to watch them cycle endlessly through shelters, soup kitchens, emergency rooms, jails and detox."

FULL STORY: Housing homeless would save money, says Cool Aid study

Friday, April 20, 2007 in Times Colonist

Housing Social / Demographics British Columbia

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