The Cost of Jailing and Marginalizing the Homeless is Greater than the Cost of Providing them with FREE Housing

The Cost of Jailing and Marginalizing the Homeless is Greater than the Cost of Providing them with FREE Housing

“In 2005, Utah figured out that the annual cost of E.R. visits and jail says for homeless people was about $16,670 per person, compared to $11,000 to provide each homeless person with an apartment and a social worker. So, the state began giving away apartments, with no strings attached. Each participant in Utah’s Housing First program also gets a caseworker to help them become self-sufficient, but the keep the apartment even if they fail. The program has been so successful that other states are hoping to achieve similar results with programs modeled on Utah’s.”