Homelessness Is a Housing Problem

by Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern · 283 pages · ~5 hrs

Urban Planning & Architecture Society & Culture

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with Jerusalem Demsas

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3 books

Homelessness Is a Housing Problem argues that rates of homelessness reflect housing market conditions, not primarily individual failures like mental illness or addiction. Gregg Colburn, a professor at the University of Washington, and Clayton Page Aldern, a data scientist, analyze why homelessness is so much more prevalent in West Coast cities than in places with more poverty, harsher weather, and comparable drug problems. Their answer: housing costs. Cities where housing is expensive and vacancy rates are low have more homelessness; cities where housing is affordable have less, regardless of other factors. The authors don't deny that mental illness, substance abuse, and poverty contribute to individual vulnerability. But they argue that the decisive variable in whether a city has visible homelessness is whether someone experiencing those problems can find affordable housing. This reframing has policy implications: if homelessness is fundamentally a housing problem, solutions must focus on housing supply and affordability rather than primarily on services for individuals. For readers and policymakers grappling with homeless encampments and seeking effective responses, this data-driven analysis offers important perspective.

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