COUNTY'S BRILLIANT HOMELESSNESS PLAN: DON'T LET THEM BECOME HOMELESS!

It appears the local intelligentsia, as chronicled by our friends at Noozhawk, have finally stumbled upon a profound truth regarding the unhoused crisis: it's better if people don't lose their homes in the first place. Truly, the depths of human ingenuity know no bounds when the light of a federal grant shines upon them! We're told this revelatory concept, dubbed 'homelessness prevention,' first emerged around 2008 – roughly the same time flip phones were still cutting-edge technology. It's almost as if common sense isn't so common when government agencies and non-profits are involved in 'solving' problems that only seem to grow larger with every new program.

One can only imagine the brainstorming sessions that led to this eureka moment. Perhaps after years of expensive studies, committees, and focus groups, someone dared to suggest that perhaps a dollar spent preventing a crisis is cheaper than ten dollars spent managing its fallout. What a radical notion! Of course, the real story here, consistently missed by the usual suspects, is how many millions have been poured into the 'homelessness industrial complex' since 2008 without ever quite grasping this simple truth. It's almost as if keeping the 'problem' alive ensures continued funding for the 'solution-providers' — a classic progressive feedback loop, enriching the bureaucracy while ordinary folks wonder why the issue persists.

Now, with a Republican in the White House actually focused on results and fiscal responsibility, one hopes our local leadership might actually implement some of these 'new' old ideas with a focus on real outcomes, not just grant applications. But don't hold your breath. Bureaucracy, much like a certain former president's policy platform, has an uncanny ability to resist common sense, especially when it threatens to dry up the river of taxpayer dollars. Maybe in another 20 years, they'll discover that secure borders and a strong economy also help keep people in their homes. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.