Housing shortfall, costs and affordability

[danbrotherston]

IMO if anyone is evicted then the options were not sufficient, by definition.

That’s obviously going too far. If somebody won’t leave unless they’re given something that it is completely unreasonable to expect society to give, then an eviction would not prove that the options were not sufficient.

Think about what you are saying though? These people aren't protesting, they aren't extremists. They are sleeping in a tent on the side of Victory St. with winter approaching.

If they would rather do that then live in a shelter, then the problem is the shelter. Their existence is punishing. Humans are not rational, but they do generally seek to minimise their immediate term suffering.

Are there exceptions for individuals with severe mental disease? Maybe. I'd argue then that the supports for those people are also insufficient.

As for solutions, you're right, I don't all the answers. I do think they are working on some short term ideas (ABTC is an example, Schwaben club, sanctioned tent city) but what I really don't see is rapid action on long term plans (and this is also, partly provincial and city roles)--things like immediate rezoning of all SFH areas to permit up to townhomes and 3 story walkups, and I dunno, 1-2 orders of magnitude more funding for social housing, social supports, etc.

Who is paying for that? I’m certainly not volunteering.

First of all, we should pay for it...IMO. That being said, it isn't an issue of funding, it's an issue of allocation:

The last budget there was a huge push to cut the police budget...that could have funded a ton of these initiatives. But instead, the police budget is fatter than ever

And, I don't think this is a "you are failing to act today"...this is a pattern of failure to act. The last budget there was a huge push to cut the police budget...that could have funded a ton of these initiatives. But instead, the police budget is fatter than ever--and good thing too, it's gonna be a lot of overtime hours when they do end up evicting these people.

Since I've arrived in the Netherlands I've seen zero people living in tents or doorways, and exactly two panhandlers. I dunno, AFAIK they aren't euthanizing poor people, so they must be somewhere. I just know that this problem is not one of resources, but of motivation.

But yeah, cynical is absolutely an entirely accurate description of my opinions and feelings on this issue.

And yet, I am inclined to agree with you that we can do better, probably more like Europe.