Good. People need homes to heal.

Just ask any neurophysiological scientist about what kind of space is required for states of homeostasis. All of them will tell you that you must feel safe and at rest in order for your body and mind to heal itself.

The street has no safe space. The shelters have no safe space. The jails have no safe space. So of course there is no healing while experiencing homelessness. Of course most are too beat up to hold down jobs. Of course there is self-medication with illegal substances. Homelessness is an unending parade of trauma as these individuals and families are shoved from one intolerable situation into another.

I don't care if some people fuck up their opportunities to live in public housing. The Housing First model allows for fuck ups, because a lot of clients eventually start getting it after a fuck up or two. They begin establishing better boundaries with their friends. They begin treating their spaces with more respect. They begin seeking more healthcare and therapy.

Not all of them. But you'd better fucking believe that there are a LOT of them that do. I have worked for 8 years serving the chronically homeless population in SLC. I have had 11 of my clients die in scattered site housing (apartments) with far more dignity than others who preferred the street. I have seen people finally be able to interview for, and keep jobs.

I have seen some people destroy their apartments, and turn them into meth centers and brothels. But those people are in the minority. Most of my clients were absolutely grateful, and treated their apartments like sacred space.

Please do not pretend to predict what will happen with these homes unless you have actual experience in that work. The population that experiences homelessness is just as complex and varied as any other socio-economic subset of this country.