Unpleasant Truths

Highland Institute moderator Stephanie Sladnick sitting to the far right.

Highland Institute is deeply invested in addressing homelessness and its negative societal impact. In 2023, HUD reported 653,104 homeless Americans—a 12.1% increase from the previous year. City Club has actively hired, supported, and engaged with our local homeless population, hosting leaders like Bob Yates and Mike Block to discuss solutions.

Last Saturday, TEDxBoulderSalon held an event at the Boulder Canyon Theater, where ten public officials spoke to a packed house. Well-intentioned but constrained by limited resources, they remain trapped in the failed “Housing First” mindset—lamenting funding shortages while pointing to rare success stories as justification for the status quo.

We live in an era of uncomfortable truths. We’re told inflation is transitory while egg prices triple, that Joe Biden is fully capable despite struggling to complete a sentence, and that gender is fluid so boys can compete in girls' sports. Now, we’re expected to believe that homelessness will be solved by throwing billions more at housing.

After years of grappling with this issue, here's my take: I support Housing First—with a twist.  

Sleeping in public spaces and aggressive panhandling are illegal and must be enforced accordingly. When someone violates these laws, police should detain them, and a judge should determine whether they are local residents or transient visitors. From there, the judge can take appropriate action: release the innocent, sentence criminals to jail, commit the mentally ill or those struggling with addiction to treatment facilities, and refer locals experiencing temporary financial hardship to Boulder’s Social Services.

This approach demands significant upfront investment in jails, sanitariums, and recovery centers. Yet, in the long run, it will cost far less than the social and economic damage our cities currently endure.

Have a better solution? Let’s hear it in under 74 words.

— Sina.