With the caveat that definitions of homelessness range widely, comparisons of rates of homelessness across the OECD seem to show that while, yes, there might be a baseline amount of homelessness that will be extremely difficult to solve, there is significant improvement to be had. Again, the statistics may be off, but Italy has 40% of the homelessness that we do and some of the Baltics have 33%. Japan's rate is essentially 0 (5000 total out of 125 million). I'm not arguing that any of those countries has it exactly right, but just saying a core group doesn't want to be housed seems to ignore that much larger numbers in other places are successfully housed.
Wonderful-Emu-8716 t1_j9ii7da wrote
Reply to comment by moonbunnychan in Two-thirds of McPherson Square homeless remain on street, D.C. says by SnortingCoffee
With the caveat that definitions of homelessness range widely, comparisons of rates of homelessness across the OECD seem to show that while, yes, there might be a baseline amount of homelessness that will be extremely difficult to solve, there is significant improvement to be had. Again, the statistics may be off, but Italy has 40% of the homelessness that we do and some of the Baltics have 33%. Japan's rate is essentially 0 (5000 total out of 125 million). I'm not arguing that any of those countries has it exactly right, but just saying a core group doesn't want to be housed seems to ignore that much larger numbers in other places are successfully housed.