people from outside the US often think it’s a land of fabulously rich ppl and are aghast at how we treat our citizens
We can have concern for residents who feel justifiably unsafe and uncomfortable on public transit as well as homeless riders.
Then tackle the more complex.
Giving someone a house and health care will, though.
Every addict I have ever known (I’ve known many) consume drugs in order to escape something. Addressing this while also treating the user will indeed help them. Mental health care + physical health care = “health care” in my opening sentence.
I don’t know what it is about people in the US, but almost all of us completely reject the idea that someone can be held down entirely by their own mind. Large amounts of people are, and those that don’t seem to understand that this is possible are often people whose own mind holds them down, but not so much that they’re homeless.
People in other countries get this. We do not. I don’t understand it.
Otherwise, what do you propose?
1: https://nlihc.org/resource/new-study-finds-providing-people-...
The proportion of heroin addicts who would still be wrecks with healthcare that extends to prescribing what they need is miniscule.
So the first problem is thinking you need to get them off heroin to be able to start dramatically helping.