UBI, or universal basic income, is a form of direct cash assistance to help the most vulnerable get back on their feet. A new study in Denver suggests it works.
  • @PizzasDontWearCapesEnglish
    3•9 months ago

    Medicine Hat, AB realized that without stable shelter, it’s nearly impossible to kick an addiction

    Their program of trying to help people get off the street first looks like the most viable option to ending homelessness

    • @[email protected]English
      -2•9 months ago

      Can we find a middle ground where perhaps you have up to 3 months to be off drugs or else you lose your benefits? Of course with proper care supplied. People need to know they are putting their immediate comfort at risk if they continue to use drugs

      • @[email protected]English
        1•9 months ago

        Drug users are experts on optimizing immediate comfort. You could have just said “I don’t understand addiction but that’s not gonna stop me wanting to punish addicts for some reason.”

        • @[email protected]English
          1•9 months ago

          What you call punishment I call boundaries. I know a lot of addicts and I’ve seen what worked for those who were able to break the cycle. Knowing that your family will kick you out of the house for instance, is a pretty big deterrent to using drugs. There needs to be some limits somewhere so we aren’t subsidizing life long addiction on tax payer dime.

      • @PizzasDontWearCapesEnglish
        1•9 months ago

        I would suggest we defer what the middle ground or success factors look like to the people running and studying programs like this

        Beyond individual success, a certain amount spent to help people off the streets helps a lot of other people too.

        And it’s not like sleeping out in the elements doesn’t have costs to the towns with homeless people. Healthcare still needs to be given to people living out in the elements. And security needs and expenditures increase as well.

        • @[email protected]English
          1•9 months ago

          I would suggest we defer what the middle ground or success factors look like to the people running and studying programs like this

          Nah I think i’ll keep having my own opinions instead of blindly trusting “experts”. There is a lot of money in the addiction biz, and you don’t make money off of a recovered addict. I am unwilling to fund someones addiction for their entire life. It’s easy to be a functional addict when everyone else is footing the bill. I don’t think temporary improvement of conditions is indicative of much.