First developed in the US, the initiative known as Housing First, is being adopted increasingly in Europe. Unlike traditional approaches, it doesn’t require individuals to meet certain criteria before receiving housing assistance. The idea is that homeless individuals have a higher chance of creating a brighter future for themselves if they first have a roof over their heads.
Carlos Martínez Carrasco lived rough for several years before a Housing First initiative provided him with a flat on the outskirts of Madrid.
He told Real Economy that the flat has changed his life in every way: “I no longer lack the things that you do when you’re on the street and I can cook. I don’t have to find a way to wash clothes… I can go out with the peace of mind that I have a place to come back to. I am very happy today.”
I’m a leftist because I’m a fiscal conservative. It doesn’t take compassion (which is just as well, because frankly I’m not all that compassionate); it just takes not being so vindictive that you want to pay extra to persecute the poor to keep them down on purpose.
You can apply the same view to e.g. healthcare. It is a lot cheaper to pay for preventative healthcare for everyone than to deal with health issues once they get to the point where they become unbearable.
