r/theydidthemath 3d ago

[request] Is the $20 billion figure cited accurate?

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u/arbiter12 2d ago

I know you really want this to be true, but homelessness (especially in the US) is rarely the "just lack of a home". It's also being unemployable, having health issues, having no documentation (literally us citizens with no ID and no way to get one), drugs, mental illness, lack of marketable skills, and so many more things. (that can happen alone or all at once).

To say that "most US homeless just need 12 months of rent" is just not true. Maybe 40 years ago.

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u/edwardothegreatest 2d ago

You are correct and I have corrected. See above

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u/arbiter12 2d ago

I respect that :)

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u/Powerful-Eye-3578 2d ago

Most of that stuff is exponentially easier to address when you do have a home is the point.

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u/arbiter12 2d ago

exponentially easier != easy.

Solving implies fully solved, however, not "exponentially easier to solve".

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u/Powerful-Eye-3578 2d ago

Sure, but not doing anything to help until we can do something that completely help just lets the problem get worse. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good and all that.

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u/Arcticwulfy 2d ago

Doesn't matter, by the time you only have the impossible cases, you have gathered enough people back into work life you have gained enough taxpayers that will contribute to society so much it will save money and create more wealth.

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u/haibiji 2d ago

You would be surprised at how many people just need some economic relief. There’s a reason why homelessness is worse in the places with the highest housing costs

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u/arbiter12 2d ago

factually incorrect once again.

Goes without saying that homelesness is generally worse in poorer countries, but even in wealthy countries alone it's generally worse (and worse-addressed) in rural areas (per capita, of course, density is obviously lower).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218242/

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u/haibiji 2d ago

Did you just link to a book from 1988?

Edit: also, “once again?” I don’t think I’ve ever talked to you before.