Thread by @H_Schultheis

If you haven't tortured yourself by reading the new CEA report on homelessness, don't. It's a Putin-esque embarrassment of disinformation. Here are a few of the high (or low) points:

whitehouse.gov/wp-content/upl…

The report finds 4 drivers of homelessness:
1) "The higher price of housing resulting from overregulation of housing markets"

Cost IS a big part of the problem. But the report grossly overstates the likely impact of deregulation and uses baseless assumptions in its equations

2) "The tolerability of sleeping on the street (outside of shelter or housing)"

Report says tolerability increases homelessness, suggesting a (nonexistent) causal relationship. Also says this tolerability reduces demand for homes because...people really want to sleep outside?

3) Shelter supply

Report says increasing shelter capacity and quality reduces demand for homes. Again, because...people really want to live in shelters? They cannot seriously believe that people want to live in shelter simply because shelter exists or is half-decent.

4) Individual factors including mental illness, substance abuse, low incomes, and past incarceration

But the Trump administration relentlessly attacks the ACA and Medicaid and anti-poverty programs like SNAP, and promotes violence and the police state.

Other notables: ZERO mention of race, racial inequities, or how race factors into homelessness and therefore must be deliberately addressed in any/all efforts to end homelessness.

Also no mention of centering people with lived experience in developing solutions.

The report seems nostalgic for "those earlier years" when "police patrols would have bundled [people] off to jail"

Shouldn't have to say this, since the report notes that incarceration history is a risk factor for homelessness, but jailing people DOES NOT reduce homelessness.

The report says "Contrary to reported trends that suggest a more than 94,000 person (15 percent) reduction in homelessness since 2007, it is unclear whether homelessness in the United States has actually decreased"

Even Carson's HUD admits (in PIT) the 15% decrease is accurate.

Then, despite suggesting PIT count is inaccurate, the report points to PIT numbers to brag about decreases in veteran homelessness (which were WELL underway before this administration began).

The authors suggest that people in transitional housing should not be counted as homeless in PIT count, while people in rapid re-housing should be counted as homeless. I just...no. Words have meaning. So do these program names.

The report acknowledges, in a footnote, that "preventing eviction may be a key mechanism through which homelessness prevention programs reduce homelessness." But does it outline any plan to prevent evictions? No.

I'm truly scared for my home state. Know your rights, Angelenos and SF and everyone in between (and beyond). If it's any consolation, whatever action(s) this administration takes probably won't stand up in court. But we have to be ready for the fight.