[seanmcdirmid]

Note that Finland isn’t doing that in this article. They probably do intervene on problems before they become chronic, but most of those housed in assistive housing require some supervision, are not cured of their addictions or mental illness, and are not expected to ever be independent or productive ever again.

However, by providing some housing and supervision to these people, they wind up saving money because on the streets they would be using way more social resources at a far higher cost.

[beebeepka]

Exactly. You don't even need to care about the people you are helping because, in the long run, it is cheaper to help. This isn't about money. It's largely about having someone to look down on.

[seanmcdirmid]

Ya, I think America is mostly losing because they feel like these people need to be cured into productive members of society. They don’t need to be cured, they just need to be taken care of somehow that doesn’t involve the constant calls to the police and fire department. However, given the lethality of fentanyl, many will die quickly without some kind of rehab.

The other issue is that Finland can manage this nationally, while Americans expect the richest cities with the highest property costs to shoulder the burden locally, how many free flats could be provided in SF?

[throw9away6]

American does not have the structure in place to take care of people in this way. The cost of “housing” a single homes person that easily top 50k a year or more due to high administrative costs and medical costs. It cost more in Seattle to run a RV parking lot per spot than to does to rent a nice 2br apt.