I live near downtown and I walk the streets there almost daily; meaning I have contact with unhoused persons almost daily. Here's what I see: significant numbers, if not a majority seem to be suffering from untreated mental illness; significant numbers seem to have substance abuse issues, which may be self-medicating untreated mental illness. The crime that we see is a direct result of the hopelessness associated with these factors. It appears to me that we, as a society, have abdicated our responsibility to care for those with mental illness. Until we get serious about caring for these people, even if treatment is compulsory, we won't see any improvements for the unhoused. Giving someone a "tiny house" is great but it doesn't address the reasons why a person finds themselves in need of a tiny house in the first place.
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