The Soapbox: The solution to homelessness is not cruelty. It’s housing.
This past election cycle, Mayor Ruais promised a different approach to the homelessness crisis. Unfortunately, he seems poised to repeat some of the immoral and ineffective policies of past administrations.
By increasing the supply of housing, Manchester can alleviate human suffering and create a better city for a fraction of the cost of criminalization. This can be done by removing barriers to construction, legalizing different types of housing (such as larger buildings and in-law apartments), and also through subsidizing transitional housing units for homeless individuals. These efforts will take time, and the latter option will cost money, but we will be more than paid back in the form of a thriving city.Manchester has two paths available: harming its most vulnerable residents in an immoral, costly, and counterproductive way that will likely push more of them into crime and drugs, or expanding the supply of low-cost and transitional housing options, making the city a better place for all.
Which one will Jay Ruais choose?
Read More ⇒ Fact Sheet: The Top Five Ways Criminalization of Homelessness Harms Communities
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