Good article. I've been reading a lot about the homeless problem lately. People like Michael Schellenberger argue the increase is because of drugs. But we've always had drugs - why are they suddenly causing a homeless epidemic now?
I think increased drug use is a symptom. If housing shortages make rent unaffordable, why not campout and do drugs. If true that would mean the increased is a symptom of the real cause of homeless, and not the cause itself.
Shallenberger counter-argues that high rent places like Carmel, CA don't have a homeless problem, therefore it must be the drugs and not the rents. But this begs the question of why Carmel doesn't have drug users. I believe it's because Carmel has fewer people living on the margins of existence in the first place. I think the urban blight chronicled in Nick Johnson's videos, many of which I watched, is caused almost entirely by building policies that constrict housing supply and drive up prices.
I don't think you're going to have good schools until you have affordable housing in the areas where you want the schools.
Good article. I've been reading a lot about the homeless problem lately. People like Michael Schellenberger argue the increase is because of drugs. But we've always had drugs - why are they suddenly causing a homeless epidemic now?
I think increased drug use is a symptom. If housing shortages make rent unaffordable, why not campout and do drugs. If true that would mean the increased is a symptom of the real cause of homeless, and not the cause itself.
Shallenberger counter-argues that high rent places like Carmel, CA don't have a homeless problem, therefore it must be the drugs and not the rents. But this begs the question of why Carmel doesn't have drug users. I believe it's because Carmel has fewer people living on the margins of existence in the first place. I think the urban blight chronicled in Nick Johnson's videos, many of which I watched, is caused almost entirely by building policies that constrict housing supply and drive up prices.
I don't think you're going to have good schools until you have affordable housing in the areas where you want the schools.