> Mental illness and addictions are not causes of homelessness at the population level. They are selection mechanisms in that they determine who falls through the cracks when housing is rare and expensive.

this is the part so many people dont get. you dont become homeless because you take drugs. you either become homeless because you spend your rent money on them or you cant get a job that pays enough to cover your rent. im not saying put zero blame on the addicts but if we had lower rent and more jobs their lives would be 10 times better. cheaper and safer drugs would help too but thats another debate.

some people might be so far gone that giving them a home is not enough but thats a minority and free voluntary treatment can take care of them. (not prison style rehab that makes you want to relapse the moment they let you out.) and the main goal should be making sure nobody gets to that state in the first place. thats where preventing homelessness comes in because losing your home makes a lot of people take things to forget the pain.

I can't remember where I read the statistics. But apparently helping with safe drugs/housing removed 80% of homeless from the streets. However there were still 20% that couldn't be helped no matter what they did. That is of course not an argument against helping. 80% is amazing!