A few years ago, I came across a book titled What the Dog Saw. A series of pieces authored by Malcolm Gladwell for The New Yorker, each explores select perspectives on a topic to uncover an aspect of society or human nature. One of the essays is titled “Million-Dollar Murray” and argues that homelessness is actually easier to solve than to manage. In it, Gladwell spotlights solutions that people and systems are working towards in major U.S. cities, including providing free apartments to homeless individuals at the highest risk of medical emergencies. He points out that doing so is much cheaper than the alternative—steep medical bills and extensive staffing that serve only to manage the symptoms of homelessness. I was reminded of the piece after Jessica Black’s visit on behalf of the CTSO last month, during which she said that it was more financially beneficial to house people than to have homelessness.
Part of the reason, Gladwell writes, is that homelessness is not a bell-shaped curve—the chronically homeless, who only make up for around ten percent of shelter users, account for the vast majority of incurred financial costs. These so-called “hard cases” are difficult to better. Many of the individuals grouped into this category suffer from substance abuse, medical conditions, and mental illness, all of which both contribute to and result from lack of stable housing. The resulting medical bills cost local governments millions of dollars. Providing housing and treatment programs to high-risk individuals is actually more cost-efficient than providing blanket services helping large numbers of people. However, Gladwell argues on behalf of the now-former director for the US Interagency Council on Homelessness that, instead of funding soup kitchens and overnight shelters that “serve homeless people endlessly,” cities should “invest in results that actually end homelessness” (Gladwell 187).
While focusing on housing the small—but important—group of at-risk individuals is critical, I disagree with Gladwell’s idea that services such as shelters and food assistance programs should be de-emphasized. For many, they serve as much-needed resources that can be relied on. Programs such as the CTSO’s Bucket Brigade and temporary housing services may not be the end-all, but they can provide a foundation for diverse groups of people in need, not just those deemed the most unstable. Denying help to the people in-between—those who may not be at extreme risk but are struggling nonetheless—would exacerbate their difficulties and could even tip them into the chronically homeless category. It’s important to address these smaller issues of food insecurity and lack of stable housing before they develop into million-dollar issues. Besides, homelessness is more than an economic problem that should be approached through tallying numbers and slashing costs—it’s a human rights issue that deserves human compassion.
Work Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm. What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures. Little, Brown and Company, 2010.
You can read a free digital copy of “What the Dog Saw” here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130526063343/http://www.gladwell.com/2006/2006_02_13_a_murray.html
The piece is also available on The New Yorker here:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/02/13/million-dollar-murray
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