People say high rent causes homelessness but Ben, who has been homeless in San Francisco for 7 years, says the “vast majority” are homeless due to addiction. Just 6-7% are from SF. Ben says he "boosts" (shoplifts) and breaks into cars to pay for his $60/day heroin habit.
I thought lack of housing caused homelessness until I interviewed a social worker on Skid Row in L.A. who told me everyone was there because of their addiction
I dismissed him as a conservative but then a very progressive harm reduction doc told me the same thing
My story
Some bristled at my confession that I dismissed as conservative the idea that everybody living on the street was on drugs, but I am just being honest. It's what I thought in 2019.
I share this to offer insight into how misleading the framing of street addicts as "homeless" is
Others say I was never really progressive & am a conservative culture warrior
In truth, I have over the last 20 years made a very public journey from the radical Left to a moderate, non-culture, policy agenda:
1. Universal Psych
2. Shelter First, Housing Earned
3. Law & Order
Radical Left progressives, who for 30+ years have perpetuated the big lie that people in "homeless encampments" are there because they can't afford the rent, are attacking me personally, and lying about my past, in order to maintain an immoral status quo.
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