A sign stating no trespassing and no loitering is posted on a wall in a homeless encampment on H Street on Union Pacific Railroad Company property in Fresno, California, March 11, 2009.(Photo by Tomas Ovalle/Fresno Bee/MCT)
Scope the Boston Herald Article:
By Denny Boyles / McClatchy Newspapers
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
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Excerpts:
-"The plan: First provide housing, then tackle the larger problems, such as mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse that can keep people trapped on the streets. That’s a departure from traditional programs that require the chronically homeless to undergo months of treatment and counseling before they’re deemed to be 'housing ready.'"
-"Fresno, which has struggled for years to solve its homeless problem, is hardly a pioneer in adopting a housing-first approach. Hundreds of U.S. cities have moved in this direction, and the early adopters - cities like Denver, San Francisco and Portland, Ore. - found that the added cost of homes and support services was largely or entirely offset by reduced demand on shelters, emergency rooms, mental hospitals, detox centers, jails and courts."
-"Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin said she is committed to the 10-year plan, and believes it’s the right approach to ending chronic homelessness. 'Until someone is in a stable living environment, it’s nearly impossible to get them the services they need, whether it’s mental health care or getting sober or help finding work to get back on their feet,' Swearengin said. 'We’re looking beyond just sheltering people and working toward long-term, sustainable solutions.'"
-"But paying the cost of housing upfront reduces some of the other costs that homeless residents create, said Phillip Mangano, executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, a national partnership that works with government and the private sector to address homeless issues. Mangano said a typical homeless person can cost a county or city up to $150,000 a year in medical and legal services."
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More pictures from homeless encampments in Fresno:
Photos by Jim Wilson/The New York Times
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