How to Solve the Homeless Problem and Bring Rents Down at the Same Time
by John Lawrence
Open public campgrounds with amenities that anyone could access. The homeless should have to live there by local ordinance rather than public streets. Many others would choose to live there rather than pay exorbitant rents. Market forces would drive rents down. The homeless would be off the public streets. In Sweden they have Allemansrätten, the Swedish right to camp on public land. It's guaranteed by their Constitution. Many, who are not homeless, would choose to camp on urban public land until rents came down. As apartments lay vacant, landlords would eventually be forced to reduce prices. Where is it written that everyone has to have a mortgage or pay rent? The homeless are camping now, but just in the wrong places - on public streets. They don't lack tents. They don't lack food. What they lack is sanitation. Public campgrounds on vacant land owned by cities, of which there is plenty, could provide that. Security could be provided for a lo less than public expenditures on police now occurring because many of their calls are homeless related. This solution would not solve all of society's problems, but it would be very cost effective and would clear the public streets so pedestrians could use them safely and sanitarily.
All the other solutions for which millions of dollars are being spent could still be provided. However, the millions of dollars now being spent are not getting the job done.Granted families with children need proper housing so housing solutions should focus on them not single individuals. The elderly need to be given special consideration. Parking areas for people with vehicles who wish to sleep in their vehicles on city owned vacant lots would cost the city nothing or next to nothing. Portable rest rooms and showers are already available at a meager cost.Why aren't cities using them? They could also provide factory made portable cabin sized housing modules at minimum cost. Why do they insist that everyone has to be properly housed in two by four construction which is very expensive. Shelters aren't for everyone for a number of reasons. Some people have pets that aren't allowed in shelters, and some just want their own individual space even if it's a tent on the sidewalk.
Is it that the rental industry doesn't want to see a low cost public solution to homelessness that anyone who wants to save money could avail themselves of? An Allemansrätten for America? Why does the public tolerate their sidewalks and public areas being clogged by homeless tents and paraphernalia? This is as much a solution for them, the general public, as it is for the presently homeless and the very poor because, let's face it, the very poor just can't afford current rents and there are very few single room occupancy (SRO) units available. Single tent occupancy on sanctioned public camp grounds would be something better than what exists now especially if a few inexpensive amenities were provided such as toilets and showers, and it would FREE UP PUBLIC STREETS. It would cost a pittance compared to the money that' is now being spent on homeless non-solutions.
