Will California send homelessness down the road?
Homelessness has gotten so bad that states are paying the plane and bus fares to those homeless who want to or can be convinced to leave their states. To some states, that is the solution to this costly and complex homeless issue. It appears that pushing the problem onto someone else is the least expensive way to reduce homelessness in these states.
Like a cut or scratch not treated properly, homelessness becomes an open sore. If still not treated, amputation or death occurs. At that point, the cost of treatment is enormous to save a life. It may be that this homeless issue started as a scratch but left to fester unchecked resulted in the serious homeless problem states are coping with today.
What was not paid in the beginning to prevent homelessness has to be paid now to address the homeless problem.
It’s great to be hopeful and believe reducing homelessness will be a priority. But because of its complexity and cost is California, like some other states, going to adopt the free plane fare or bus ticket to another state as an inexpensive solution to reduce homelessness?
Lena Garcia, Clovis
This story was originally published August 2, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Will California send homelessness down the road?."