Sorting Out Homelessness

 We were impressed with the turnout at the recent campaign event supporting the candidacy for governor of New Mexico by Deb Haaland.  After the event, however, Margaret commented on her surprise that the segment allotted for questions did not produce anything on the topic of homelessness.  That might have just reflected the short time available, but it still seems that the subject might have had a higher priority of concern.

It seems people may just be overwhelmed by the size and seeming intractability of the problem of homelessness.  Most efforts to combat the problem have often seemed superficial, or just  a shifting ot the problem from one locale to another.  

Estimates of the scope of the problem and ineffective remedies are probably mostly accurate.  Less clear are perceptions of the fundamental causes.  There seems to be a widespread tendency to ascribe moral and behavioral impropriety to the homeless, with an accompanying suggestion of a need for correction or punishment.  In fact, about half of the people confined in Albuquerque's jails are classified as homeless.

It seems more likely that successfully analyzing the fundamental causes of homelessness needs to look more broadly at historical and economic  trends.  That thought prompted me to submit a request to Google's AI Mode to produce a chart comparing the trajectories of homelessness and economic inequality since the beginning of the Reagan Presidency in 1981.

The congruence of the the two trend lines seems far too close to be ascribed to coincidence.

Comparing homeless rates among different countries and economies does not yield easily to statistical analysis because of different national statistical approaches.  However, some relevant facts emerge from queries about homelessness internationally.

 The U.S. has the highest income inequality of the major advanced economies. While its reported homelessness rate (approx. 23.1 per 10,000 in early 2025) is lower than some European peers, it has a much higher percentage of "unsheltered" homeless people living on the streets rather than in temporary facilities. In 2023, approximatel  653,104 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in January. 

 Finland is widely cited as the only EU country where homelessness has consistently declined, driven by its "Housing First" policy. This approach provides permanent housing as a fundamental right before addressing other issues like addiction or mental health, rather than requiring people to be "housing-ready" first.  Since the strategy began in 2008, the country has successfully converted almost all temporary shelters into permanent housing units.  According to 2023 data, there are fewer than 3,500 people experiencing homelessness nationwide in Finland.