Reading the NP is a fool's errand, but it's worth debunking these complete lies about housing first as a model for curbing homelessness. First off: the author infers a causal link btw deinstitutionalization and rise in encampments. Except the study he cites... mentions precisely nothing about this. - ThreadSky

philmarfisi.bsky.social • 14 days ago

Reading the NP is a fool's errand, but it's worth debunking these complete lies about housing first as a model for curbing homelessness. First off: the author infers a causal link btw deinstitutionalization and rise in encampments. Except the study he cites... mentions precisely nothing about this.

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urbanhealthprof.bsky.social•14 days ago

Good find. Bizarre claims. Here's something related you might find interesting https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/ontario-mayors-have-a-plan-for-homelessness-that-won-t-work-but-we-know-what/article_7486397d-7bbb-5ad9-8e01-8d11a616ede0.html

philmarfisi.bsky.social•14 days ago

This was such a straightforward and well articulated piece. Thank you!

philmarfisi.bsky.social•14 days ago

2/In the author's call for re-institutionalizing people with mental health challenges, he cites a book from 1990 about the challenges with this in America. Much of this is what drives his arguments against Housing First *but* there's a huge problem with this that's astoundingly obvious.

philmarfisi.bsky.social•14 days ago

3/And that problem is: many of the landmark studies on housing first, including some of the best randomized controlled trials, hadn't been completed yet. And what those studies find completely debunk the lazy claims made in this article.

philmarfisi.bsky.social•14 days ago

4/Of particular pertinence, since the author is focused mostly on addictions, is that HF:
-increases outpatient service utilization
-reduces drug use among participants in some studies
-has not seen fears of increased drug usage supported by studies

Summary is here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Housing-First-Research.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjivIje9MOLAxXAv4kEHZNUFA8QFnoECBcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2ZqNu8jur1B45smY9hFlfD

philmarfisi.bsky.social•14 days ago

5/The evidence goes further: the longest running study of HF found it "continues to be significantly more effective than treatment as usual in the longer term, especially for those with high needs for mental health support services." ie, community treatment works.

https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/camh-and-st-michael-study-on-homelessness

philmarfisi.bsky.social•14 days ago

6/One of the most significant contributors to the "failed" decriminalization of drugs was that proper resources weren't in place to ease people into treatment/harm reduction/housing. Oregon recriminalized drugs despite needing at least $850M in further funding for social supports.

philmarfisi.bsky.social•14 days ago

7/BC, likely Canada's most progressive province, is moving away from decriminalization and yet even they are having issues with enough support systems. This story found that 30% of the treatment beds the province claims are available don't actually provide treatment.

https://theijf.org/bc-publicly-funded-addiction-treatment-low-barrier-housing

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