Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Oakland Calculates The Real Cost Of Homelessness: 6% Of Its Budget
San Francisco Chronicle: One Bay Area City Tried To Figure Out The True Cost Of Homelessness. Here’s What It Found
What are the costs of homelessness for Bay Area cities? In addition to the tragic human toll of the crisis, large cities in the region are pouring millions of dollars into housing, shelter, food security, mental health and addiction services. But there are costs to cities that go beyond direct services to the thousands of unhoused people in the region. (Ravani, 12/10)
More on housing and health —
Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Report: State Hospital Discharge Practice Sets Homeless Patients Up For Failure
The Montana State Hospital has long discharged some patients to homeless shelters even when there are no beds available, an approach that sets people up for readmission or worse, according an advocacy and protection group’s report released Thursday. Disability Rights Montana, a federally mandated advocacy group, released “The Yellow Bags,” a nod to the drawstring sack that often signals someone who has been discharged from the state hospital directly to a homeless shelter. (Larson, 12/9)
The Wall Street Journal: Homelessness Worsens In Older Populations As Housing Costs Take Toll
Debbie Sholley always imagined she would be living comfortably by the time she reached her golden years. Instead, the 62-year-old former social worker worries she will soon be living on the streets of this growing city, after her landlord raised the rent more than she can afford. (Frosch, 12/11)
The New York Times: How A Hotel Was Converted Into Housing For Formerly Homeless People
George Karatzidis stood in his new high-rise studio apartment overlooking the city skyline and spread his arms wide. “This is why I’m alive,” he said, pointing to a spartan metal bed frame with a mattress wrapped in a gray sheet. Mr. Karatzidis, 41, is one of the first residents of the 30-story renovated tower in Dumbo, Brooklyn, one of the richest neighborhoods in the city. Before November, he was homeless. (Chen, 12/11)
AP: With NYC Plan For Mentally Ill, Hospitals Face Complex Task
New York City’s latest plan to keep mentally ill people from languishing in public is billed as a common-sense strategy to get them help. By encouraging police officers and city medics to take more psychologically disturbed people to hospitals, even if they refuse care, Mayor Eric Adams says he’s humanely tackling a problem instead of looking away. But his policy will have to navigate a legal challenge and a cool reception from some city lawmakers. In emergency rooms, psychiatrists must determine whether such patients need hospitalization, perhaps against their will. It’s no simple decision. (Peltz and Calvan, 12/11)
Anchorage Daily News: 24 People Believed To Be Homeless Have Died Outdoors In Anchorage This Year
Twenty-four people believed to be homeless have died outdoors in Anchorage so far this year, according to Anchorage Police Department data. The deceased were found all over: In city parks. Tucked behind office buildings. In an encampment alongside one of the busiest roads in Alaska. The youngest was 30. The oldest was 74. A mother of seven. A former chef. (Theriault Boots, 12/11)
The Guardian: Skid Row’s Toilet Crisis: How A Basic Necessity Became A Political Battle
The sun is rising over Skid Row as a crane slowly lifts a shiny, two-unit toilet from the back of a truck and on to the sidewalk. The new bathroom – rectangular and off-white with a ventilated roof – is replacing another unit that has stood on this corner for over 15 years. The upgrade is a hopeful moment. But for the more than 4,400 unhoused people who call Skid Row home, finding a bathroom remains a daily trial. (Tu, 12/12)
