In eight years, Utah has quietly reduced homelessness by 78 percent, and is on track to end homelessness by 2015.
"How did Utah do this?" you may ask. Simple really. By giving homeless people homes. Now that it's been said, it seems like such an obvious solution. This may seem like an expensive decision, but according to calculated costs, the State of Utah determined that the annual cost of E.R. visits and jailings for the average homeless person was $16,670. The cost of providing that homeless person with a home AND a social worker? $11,000. Participants in the program work with their caseworker with the goals of becoming self-sufficient. What happens if they fail? They still get to keep their apartment.
Read the article here.
Read the article here.