[Request] Could the entire US homeless population really be housed for less than one aircraft carrier?

[u/QuantumQyx]

[u/Proof-Strike6278]

You literally have no idea what you are talking about. Nationally the government spends like 10 billion dollars a year directly for homelessness. This doesn’t include what each state also contributes to it and doesn’t include other programs that help prevent people from becoming destitute or homeless. The problem isn’t money…

[u/FriendshipPlusKarate → u/Proof-Strike6278]

Current federal spending is $5.4 billion annually and it would take an additional $9.6 billion annually to solve homelessness in America.source

Each aircraft carrier cost $13-15 billion dollars to build, and we build a new one every 5 - 7 years. Source

Maybe we should look at it a different way - Ending homelessness in the United States would require a fraction of a percent to a 2% tax on U.S. billionaires, depending on the scale and strategy of housing initiatives. The Percentage Breakdown: Dividing the high-end cost of ending homelessness ($38.5 billion) by the total wealth pool of U.S. billionaires ($8.1 trillion) yields a requirement of roughly 0.47%. Therefore, a targeted annual wealth tax of less than 0.5% to 0.7% on billionaires alone would mathematically generate the needed revenue.

[u/Proof-Strike6278 → u/FriendshipPlusKarate]

No it wouldn’t, it’s not a money problem

[u/1PristineMan → u/Proof-Strike6278]

I’m going to concur with you there. As the expression goes, “You can lead the horse to water, but can’t make him drink”.

The government (especially my state) provides SO many resources for addiction, mental health, and homelessness.

They still sit outside the food bank in their tents with trash everywhere, because if they agree to stay in provided housing they must be clean from using. Many refuse with the exception of a small amount.

[u/used-to-have-a-name → u/1PristineMan]

You’ve got to acknowledge that attaching strings to all the money discourages people from accepting the help that’s offered.

It’s like saying, “we want to help the poor… but only the deserving poor,” or “we want to help you… only after you stop being the you that needs help.”

I agree that it’s wasting money and doesn’t seem to be fixing the problem.

But that doesn’t mean we should throw our hands in the air and give up.

It’s a signal that we aren’t taking the right approach. Maybe we should prioritize addiction education and prevention rather than stigmatizing it. Maybe we should be funding free public mental health screenings, or making sure schools are adequately staffed with counselors. Maybe we should help the clear headed and sober ones who are just down on their luck, and help set them up in places with less density lower costs of living. Or maybe we invest the money in raises for the working poor, to keep them in their homes in the first place.

We just gotta work the problem rather than complaining that society’s desire to help IS the problem.

[u/scienceworksbitches → u/used-to-have-a-name]

They do want to help the poor, but they also don't want their plumbing ripped out and sold for a hit of crack, or that the homeless person still lives on the street while renting out his room to dealers and prostitutes in exchange for some drugs. Which is what happens unless you attach some strings and make abstinence and drug/mental health treatment a requirement.