[silvestrov]

If you can "fix" 95% of people by providing housing, then handling the remaining 5% is much easier.

These problems do not scale linearly.

It is also surprising how much drug addicts and mentally ill can do when the basics has been taken care of.

[vorpalhex]

I always encourage people who have this viewpoint to go and talk with your local homeless community.

Bring some food and small bills with you as basically bribes and just talk with some folks. Ask them how they came to be homeless, what they do in their day, what they want to do.

Give them your idea, ask them if they think it's a good idea.

[nonethewiser]

First, it may not be 95 and 5 percent. Second, thats not whats asserted by “Finland ends homelessness.” The assertion is that homelessness doesn’t exist there. So it seems like these cases are unaccounted for.

[true_religion]

I feel it’s like how employment statistics don’t include people not looking for work… if all the people who want housing get it, then homelessness has been eliminated. Someone who has a house but chooses not to live in it isn’t homeless.

[throw9away6]

The 5% - 10% is the bulk of the problem. The other 90% are living in cars or couches but aren’t causing wide spread damage