The City of St. Louis is building a number of Tiny homes in the downtown west area for homeless people. These homes are just a few hundred square feet and provide basic amenities. I do not think such a program is a good idea. Research and practice show that permanent supportive housing works best to eliminate homelessness. Furthermore,concentrating a number of homeless people together is not a good idea. Many homeless people do not want to remain in housing. Written by Paul Dribin
apple.news/Az5zMBDbVR92bKW83X2DUKw
A controlled experiment has shown what I have advocated, that giving poor people money is a better way to get them out of poverty than by enrolling them in programs. In this case, homeless people were given $7500 in Canadian dollars and told they could spend it how they wished. Most spent the money on housing and other necessities. Good job. Written by Paul Dribin
This seems to be too good to be true but is real. Experiments around the country and most recently in St. Louis conclude the same thing, that housing and supportive services for homeless people not only improves their housing situation but their health.
An experimental program started by Barnes Jewish Christian Hospital and St. Patricks Center has demonstrated the point. The BJC staff had found that a relatively small number of homeless people were significantly overusing their facilities and running up huge unreimbursed health care bills. BJC contracted with St Patricks Center to provide affordable supportive housing and wrap around services. The results have been fantastic. The clients significantly reduced their emergency room usage, thereby showing significant drops in health care costs. Furthermore, the formerly homeless people were housed properly and affordable, and had access to good healthcare and jobs. A true win win situation. Let’s replicate it all over the country. Written by Paul Dribin(I played a leadership role in bringing the parties together and getting the program started)
St. Louis Chosen for ‘Healthy Housing’ Initiative | Catholic Charities
— Read on www.ccstl.org/st-louis-chosen-for-healthy-housing-initiative/
This is great news. I helped st Patricks get started with hospital-homelessness initiative
Article is from The New York Times
I was at Biddle House today as usual on Tuesdays, to help serve lunch. The facility was vacant as the City of St. Louis is taking over and changing furniture etc. Hopefully services will not be disrupted. I do not have confidence the city can carry out this program until the permanent operator, Home Full takes over in the fall. Written by Paul Dribin
Starting next week, the city’s primary homeless shelter, Biddle House, will drop services for people not staying overnight. The services, which currently include lunch for…
— Read on www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2018/07/27/biddle-house-will-scale-back-one-stop-homeless-services-under-new-provider
I have previously written that St. Patrick Center and St. Peter’s and Paul who jointly operate Biddle house, a shelter for homeless men, will soon give up their contract with the City of St. Louis who owns the facility. The reason for this decision is that the operation has proven too expensive with the operators losing upwards of $500,000 in the first year.On Tuesdays I volunteer to help serve lunch at Biddle House. I learned today that the City of St. Louis will operate the facility directly. This of course raises some questions;1. Do they have the capacity to run it? St. Patrick Center is a great operator and they could not be successful financially.2. Do they have the financial resources to operate it? Again, if others lost $500,000 operating Biddle, where would the city get the funds to be successful?3. It is apparent that Larry Rice who ran a shelter for years and was finally shut down operated on a shoestring.4. What does this say about the future of homeless care in St. Louis?Written by Paul Dribin
The ongoing provision of homeless services in St. Louis is very much up in the air. The story is rather complicated and has been partially described in these pages before.
New Life Evangelical Church led by Reverend Larry Rice had provided overnight homeless services to just about anyone who wanted it. He was always in trouble with the city for good reason; he housed far too many people in his facility, didn’t agree to any reporting, etc. Add to this criticism from newly arrived Yuppies who lived downtown and he was shut down.
To make up for the New Life Demise, the city bought Biddle House on the near north side and hired St Patrick’s Center and St. Peter’s and Paul to operate it. I have frequently volunteered there and consider the facility to be well run. The problem is that both agencies who operate it lost huge amounts of money and cannot sustain the operation. Neither organization nor anyone else has responded to a RFP for continuing the services. Of course where this leave homeless people is very much up in the air. Written by Paul Dribin
Article about facility in north county for homeless vets
The St Louis Contrarian 