California spent $17B on homelessness – it’s not working (wsj.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the issue of homelessness in California, where $17B has been spent to address the problem, but it appears to be ineffective. The comments suggest that the article highlights the inefficacy of current approaches to homelessness. The root causes of homelessness, such as mental illness, addiction, and lack of affordable housing, are not being adequately addressed. California's policies may be inadvertently attracting more homeless people to the state.

Main themes

• homelessness
• ineffective spending
• mental illness and addiction
• affordable housing
• federal vs local responsibility
• left vs right approaches
• comprehensive solutions
• humanitarian concerns

What commenters say

• Spending more money on homelessness does not necessarily lead to a solution, and may even attract more people to the area.
• The root causes of homelessness, such as mental illness and addiction, need to be addressed in order to effectively solve the problem.
• Providing affordable housing is crucial to reducing homelessness, but it is not the only solution.
• Involuntary commitment and treatment for mentally ill and addicted individuals may be necessary to help them, but it is a complex issue with potential for abuse.
• Some argue that the left's approach to homelessness is making the problem worse, while others believe that the left is the only one attempting to do anything about it.
• Homelessness is a national issue that cannot be solved at the local or state level alone, and requires a comprehensive federal approach.
• Alternative solutions, such as providing jobs and social services, are needed to address the complex issues surrounding homelessness.
• The current approach to homelessness is often inhumane and ineffective, and a new approach is needed to address the problem.