The Homeless Addict: In 4 Parts

Part One

Meet John. John is 33 and lives in his parents’ basement. John loves his parents, and John’s parents love John. These days, they don’t speak much. There are two doors to the basement. The one at the top of the stairs leads into the kitchen. The second door leads to the side yard. These days, John uses only the second door. John’s parents installed a doggie door in the kitchen door. John’s mother places cooked meals through the door. Later, John uses the doggie door to return the empty plates. Whenever John pushes through dirty sheets, towels, or clothes, John’s mom launders them and returns them through the doggie door. John’s parents won’t give John any money and won’t permit John to have roommates.

John is an addict. In the last 12 years, his longest stretch of sobriety lasted 172 days. John has entered three rehab programs. Graduated from one, kicked out of two. No one can remember how many times John has started attending 12-step meetings. Both John and his parents say the meetings help a lot. But then, John stops going.

Experts have told the parents that they are enabling John, but they have never kicked John out of the basement. Nonetheless, John often leaves for days, weeks, or months. All in all, John spends far more nights on the streets than in the basement.

John’s parents can’t cure John. If a cure existed, they would gladly pay for it.

Government also can’t cure John. Out of love, John’s parents will forever pay for things that fail. The truth is, a lot of taxpayers also love John. Those taxpayers would gladly pay for a cure. Very, very few taxpayers, however, wish to pay for cures that fail. No taxpayer wants to pay to give John clean needles.

Part Two

The vast majority of homeless in America are addicts. If you give an addict a small enclosed space to live, it will only take a week or two before that space begins to smell. No sane landlord will knowingly rent to an addict who is currently using. Addicts live outside by choice. Giving a using addict a hotel room, or a small apartment, is a complete waste of time and money.

In 2026, any NGO that says it will solve the homeless problem if government gives them a bunch of money is lying. The NGO that said that in 1996 was lying. The NGO that said that in 2006 was lying. The NGO that said that in 2016 was lying.

Any intelligent, altruistic NGO seeking to solve homelessness would give up after six months. Any NGO that stays in the business longer than six months is neither intelligent nor altruistic. They are in it for the money. They are a scam.

The intelligent, altruistic, and honest NGO would tell the government that homelessness is solved only if the underlying causes of mental illness and/or drug addiction are solved.

Part Three

Modern homelessness was born the day a federal judge ruled that a person without the financial ability to purchase housing cannot be arrested for not having a place to sleep. The law that could not be enforced was the law against loitering. No judge has ever ruled that drug laws may not be enforced.

City X cannot solve homelessness. What City X can do, however, is clear its downtown streets. City X has plenty of police officers who are well trained in spotting people who are under the influence of illegal drugs. If a mayor gives the order, those officers can walk down the street and arrest countless offenders. (See footnote.) While going to jail will not cure the addict, it will irritate the addict. Over time, the addicts will leave the sidewalks of City X. City X will improve. Might neighboring City Y get worse? Maybe, but City Y has well-trained police officers of their own.

Part Four

Jail is not rehab. Jail is not a long-term cure. Jail is a short-term cure. Thirty days in jail is thirty days without drugs. Sober addicts are more likely to choose rehab than using addicts. Jail is also unpleasant. Some addicts will seek to avoid a return trip to jail by leaving City X. Some addicts will seek to avoid a return trip to jail by getting high in basements and not in the street. (This does not improve the addict, but it does improve the city.) And finally, some might even seek to avoid a return trip to jail by staying sober.

G-Pub

Footnote: The officer’s expertise only supplies probable cause for the arrest. Any conviction will be based on the analysis of the blood and/or urine sample taken after the arrest.