This is a fascinating story about Seattle’s solution for the homeless — and hopeless — drunks living on the streets: House them. Care for them. Let them keep drinking. This policy saves the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, hours of police work and Emergency Room Costs. Plus the city is cleaner without the urine and vomit on the sidewalks. The further I read into this New York Times story, the more I was impressed. The Bush administration is impressed too. Their regional federal housing director calls it a "glorious experiment", ignoring cries of foul by conservative radio talk shows.
20 percent are military veterans. The average age is 45. Most receive state or federal disability payments, and all residents pay 30 percent of their income as rent under HUD’s guideline for low-income housing.
The values at work here? Compassion and Freedom: NY Times