February 11, 2009 3:50 PM

How To End Homelessness? Provide Homes

By
CBSNews
(CBS)  Imagine your best day ever, and you'll understand what Doretha Cotton is feeling, holding the keys to her first apartment in 20 years.

"This is the key to my new mansion," says Cotton.

Until now, Cotton was homeless on the streets of Washington, mentally ill and alcoholic, and part of America's unsolvable problem.

Unsolvable, reports CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews, until Sam Tsemberis turned the approach to homelessness upside down with his "housing first" approach.

Instead of the old way, which required the homeless to get clean or sober first, before getting an apartment, Tsemberis starts with the apartment.

"The treatment for homelessness is housing, so we are simply (saying), 'here is an apartment'", says Tsemberis. "Housing is the cure for homelessness. It's that simple."

Cotton says she feels that having an apartment does change her in some way. "It makes me feel... that I can be independent and responsible, that I can be a good neighbor."

Housing first also involves intensive in-home visits. Cotton will see nurses, social workers and drug counselors. They come with the apartment.

Tsemberis brushes off criticism that he's made it too easy on the homeless. He argues that housing first works - for less. Chronically homeless people now cost taxpayers $40,000 a year each for shelters, jail time and emergency room visits. He says doing it his way costs just more than half that amount.

"Here's a program for $22,000 that gives a person housing and services that end their homelessness and puts them on their way to getting better," says Tsemberis.

Housing first has documented an 85 percent success rate, and is now the official policy in more than 150 cities, including the nation's capital.

"It's actually cheaper than it is to run the shelter system, and a lot better for the people who are in it," says Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty.

"I don't want to drink. I don't want to solicit, panhandle," says Cotton. "I don't have to do those things anymore."

When we left Cotton, her counselor was teaching her to use the intercom.

But it's Tsemberis who has taught officials a brand new way to solve the unsolvable.
Wyatt Andrews

Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved.
Add a Comment See all 211 Comments
by actornaught November 26, 2007 3:26 PM EST
Posted by Libsluvsuvs at 11:52 PM : Nov 25, 2007:

"to cure poverty..hold a concert"

-nothing to do with the article, or even reality. Many many things are being done besides raising public awareness thru events.

"to solve homeless..give a house"

-It WORKS, READ the article, dummasz

"to solve drug problem..legalize drugs"

-nothing to do with the article. (not a solution, not even a popular concept, see: dummasz...)

"to solve murders and crime..take away the guns and give murderers a noble prize and book deals."

-STILL not on topic. (prizes & books? YOU must be on crack. Your sources are un-american scumbags, btw...)

"to solve war on oil....have a caravan of fossil burning suvs to go to protest."

-more off-topic stupidity.

And i realize i''m wasting my time trying to be logical with someone who''s primary mission here is to be a jerk. But I just wanted to point that out.

But mostly my point is your perjorative use of "libs". By your definition, that will be like 70% of americans. Hardly thought out on your part.
Reply to this comment
by libsluvsuvs November 26, 2007 2:52 AM EST
Posted by actornaught at 10:41 AM : Nov 25, 2007
+ report abuse
****

let go and review the most famous liberal solitions..

to cure poverty..hold a concert

to solve homeless..give a house

to solve drug problem..legalize drugs

to solve murders and crime..take away the guns and give murderers a noble prize and book deals.

to solve war on oil....have a caravan of fossil burning suvs to go to protest.


Reply to this comment
by Krazcarl November 25, 2007 2:24 PM EST
They will do little or nothing for the homeless screen_ident is right no one wants them for nieghbors unless they win the lottery. I''ts like Chares Dickens sais isn''t there jails shelters and food stamps?
Reply to this comment
by actornaught November 25, 2007 1:41 PM EST
...the most idiotic solution...
Posted by libsluvsuvs at 02:45 AM : Nov 25, 2007

The article says they''re having an 85% success rate in 150 cities, cheaper by almost half over jail and such.

85%

150 cities

Much less costly.

Solution? I''d say yes. Idiotic? I''d say you. Learn to read.
Reply to this comment
by chad55555 November 25, 2007 10:56 AM EST
THERE ARE ALMOST 7 billion people in this world and most of them want to get into the GOOD OLD USA.How can we feed and house everybody in this world because our leaders will not put a stop to how many sneak over the boarder. WE ALREADY HAVE 60 million kids without insurance,40 million go to bed hungry every night in this country(Thanks to Mrs Clinton)and her health care reform the last time.OUR RESOURSES ARE USED UP NOW WE ARE TURNING THIS COUNTRY INTO A 3ed WORLD COUNTRY.IF WE HIT A DEPRESSION LIKE THE 20''s WITH OVER 350 million people in this country now, this country is screwed big time.NO MEDICAL,NO FOOD,POLICE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE CRIME.WE HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT DID HAPPEN IN THE PAST AND PREPARE FOR IT. THERE ARE MORE AT STAKE THEN JUST GETTING VOTES.IT''S TIME TO PUT OUR FOOT DOWN HARD AND REAL SOON.
Reply to this comment
by libsluvsuvs November 25, 2007 5:45 AM EST
I dont see how the liberal mind function. Let us say that intention is genuine and they do want to help..why do they always go on the most idiotic solution to help??
Reply to this comment
by libsluvsuvs November 25, 2007 5:40 AM EST
why dont we set a homeless tract housing right by the middle of san francisco...let us see how they like it
Reply to this comment
by libsluvsuvs November 25, 2007 5:38 AM EST
Without a safe place to call home, i don''''t see a person going forward.

Posted by ericv2644 at 06:23 PM : Nov 24, 2007
+ report abuse

*******************

it is not home ownership that drives a person forward..it is the attitude..
Reply to this comment
by actornaught November 24, 2007 10:17 PM EST
Posted by screen_ident at 06:18 PM : Nov 24, 2007

You''re only expressing your own evil and stupidity. How many names have you been banned under?
Reply to this comment
by ericv2644 November 24, 2007 9:23 PM EST
Without a safe place to call home, i don''t see a person going forward.
Reply to this comment
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