From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

Alan and Hugh, I cite this July 2025 Pew research:

https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2025/07/how-states-and-cities-decimated-americans-lowest-cost-housing-option

VERY interesting and a view on this issue I was not aware of. It's the
same thing I found in my very rudimentary look at the issue. If you want
to argue go here - https://www.pew.org/en/about/contact-us

Please read the entire study. Highlights:

"In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, landlords converted
thousands of houses, hotels, apartment buildings, and commercial
buildings into SROs (single-room occupancy), and by 1950, SRO units made
up about 10% of all rental units in some major cities. But beginning in
the mid-1950s, as some politicians and vocal members of the public
turned against SROs and the people who lived in them, major cities
across the country revised zoning and building codes to force or
encourage landlords to eliminate SRO units and to prohibit the
development of new ones. Over the next several decades, governments and developers gradually demolished thousands of SROs or converted them to
other uses, including boutique hotels for tourists. And as SROs
disappeared, homelessness—which had been rare from at least the end of
the Great Depression to the late 1970s—exploded nationwide."

"A wealth of research has examined the causes of homelessness over the
past two decades. These studies consistently find that the cost of
housing is by far the primary driver. For example, several studies have concluded that an area’s median rent correlates far more closely with
its homelessness rate than factors such as WEATHER (emphasis added),
poverty rate, and rates of mental illness or substance use."

"We can be sure that high housing costs are causing high homelessness
because as housing costs change in a city or state, homelessness tends
to move in tandem. When rents rise quickly, homelessness does too; when
rents rise slowly but incomes keep increasing, that improves
affordability, so homelessness declines. Supply and demand are the
primary drivers of rent: When jurisdictions have added more housing,
rent growth has slowed and homelessness has fallen Where housing supply
is limited, rent growth has been faster and homelessness more severe."

"In 1960, when the loss of SROs was just beginning, there were 6.9
million single-person households in the U.S. By 2023, that number had
reached 38 million. In that time, the nation’s housing stock grew by a factor of 2.5, from 58.3 million homes to 145.4 million. Meanwhile, more
than 1 million SRO units were destroyed or converted to other uses from
1970 to 1980 alone. Had the SRO stock grown at a similar rate as the
rest of the nation’s housing supply, the U.S. would have added 1.5
million units rather than losing 1 million, for a net change of 2.5
million more SRO units. That’s more than triple the number of people experiencing homelessness in HUD’s 2024 count."

Conclusion:

"Housing costs are by far the strongest determinant of homelessness.
Areas with high costs have high homelessness rates, and areas with low
housing costs have low homelessness rates. When rents rise quickly, homelessness does, too. When rent growth is contained, homelessness
drops. Increasing the housing supply helps hold rent growth down, making housing more affordable. But adding low-cost housing is especially
helpful in preventing homelessness."

The study cites abundant evidence (79 other sources) on high homeless
rates and public policy as evidence of unaffordable housing as the
underlying cause and policy as a contributing factor.

PS: This also how the Vancouver City government is looking at the issue
there.

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 11/29/2025 9:11 AM, Tom Elam wrote:

Alan and Hugh, I cite this July 2025 Pew research:

https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2025/07/how- states-and-cities-decimated-americans-lowest-cost-housing-option

VERY interesting and a view on this issue I was not aware of. It's the
same thing I found in my very rudimentary look at the issue. If you want
to argue go here - https://www.pew.org/en/about/contact-us

Please read the entire study. Highlights:

"In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, landlords converted
thousands of houses, hotels, apartment buildings, and commercial
buildings into SROs (single-room occupancy), and by 1950, SRO units made
up about 10% of all rental units in some major cities. But beginning in
the mid-1950s, as some politicians and vocal members of the public
turned against SROs and the people who lived in them, major cities
across the country revised zoning and building codes to force or
encourage landlords to eliminate SRO units and to prohibit the
development of new ones. Over the next several decades, governments and developers gradually demolished thousands of SROs or converted them to
other uses, including boutique hotels for tourists. And as SROs
disappeared, homelessness—which had been rare from at least the end of
the Great Depression to the late 1970s—exploded nationwide."

"A wealth of research has examined the causes of homelessness over the
past two decades. These studies consistently find that the cost of
housing is by far the primary driver. For example, several studies have concluded that an area’s median rent correlates far more closely with
its homelessness rate than factors such as WEATHER (emphasis added),
poverty rate, and rates of mental illness or substance use."

"We can be sure that high housing costs are causing high homelessness because as housing costs change in a city or state, homelessness tends
to move in tandem. When rents rise quickly, homelessness does too; when rents rise slowly but incomes keep increasing, that improves
affordability, so homelessness declines. Supply and demand are the
primary drivers of rent: When jurisdictions have added more housing,
rent growth has slowed and homelessness has fallen Where housing supply
is limited, rent growth has been faster and homelessness more severe."

"In 1960, when the loss of SROs was just beginning, there were 6.9
million single-person households in the U.S. By 2023, that number had reached 38 million. In that time, the nation’s housing stock grew by a factor of 2.5, from 58.3 million homes to 145.4 million. Meanwhile, more than 1 million SRO units were destroyed or converted to other uses from
1970 to 1980 alone. Had the SRO stock grown at a similar rate as the
rest of the nation’s housing supply, the U.S. would have added 1.5
million units rather than losing 1 million, for a net change of 2.5
million more SRO units. That’s more than triple the number of people experiencing homelessness in HUD’s 2024 count."

Conclusion:

"Housing costs are by far the strongest determinant of homelessness.
Areas with high costs have high homelessness rates, and areas with low housing costs have low homelessness rates. When rents rise quickly, homelessness does, too. When rent growth is contained, homelessness
drops. Increasing the housing supply helps hold rent growth down, making housing more affordable. But adding low-cost housing is especially
helpful in preventing homelessness."

The study cites abundant evidence (79 other sources) on high homeless
rates and public policy as evidence of unaffordable housing as the underlying cause and policy as a contributing factor.

PS: This also how the Vancouver City government is looking at the issue there.

Neither High or Alan have disputed herein the PEW finding above that
outside temperature plays no meaningful role in the geography of
homeless rates/capita. Rather it's housing costs/affordability.

Wondering if PEW has heard complaints from them.


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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 2025-12-02 13:05, Tom Elam wrote:

On 11/29/2025 9:11 AM, Tom Elam wrote:

Alan and Hugh, I cite this July 2025 Pew research:

Neither High or Alan have disputed herein the PEW finding above that
outside temperature plays no meaningful role in the geography of
homeless rates/capita. Rather it's housing costs/affordability.

Wondering if PEW has heard complaints from them.

You have this vastly inflated sense of your own importance, Asshole.

Not bothering to engage with your bullshit doesn't mean anything beyond
that.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.sys.mac.advocacy

On 12/2/2025 4:26 PM, Alan wrote:

On 2025-12-02 13:05, Tom Elam wrote:

On 11/29/2025 9:11 AM, Tom Elam wrote:

Alan and Hugh, I cite this July 2025 Pew research:

Neither High or Alan have disputed herein the PEW finding above that
outside temperature plays no meaningful role in the geography of
homeless rates/capita. Rather it's housing costs/affordability.

Wondering if PEW has heard complaints from them.

You have this vastly inflated sense of your own importance, Asshole.

Not bothering to engage with your bullshit doesn't mean anything beyond that.

Wow, did you look in the mirror to see who you are taking about? How
about your bullshit? Like the difference in homeless rates between
Vancouver and Indiana is due to weather, not housing cost and
affordability. The cited Pew paper blows holes in that.

Enjoy your incredibly expensive tiny condo the homeless cannot afford
while enjoying the relatively warmer Vancouver climate.
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