Housing first!

I have recently had it renewed to my experience how prevalent and unjust our treatment of homelessness is in my area and nationwide. It has been well demonstrated across the country in various cities and areas that treating the homeless as though their situation is their own responsibility or fault is neither effective at decreasing homelessness nor just in treatment of the homeless as human beings. Over the course of my life I have been near homelessness on a number of occasions. Currently I am far from homeless and own my own home outright and run a small business. And yet the memories of nearly becoming homeless for me and my family never leave me. We need a nationwide alternate paradigm for the treatment of homelessness and mental illness. Our awareness of the need for effective treatments for mental illness have increased with the number of mass shootings, which barely scratches the surface of the ways in which mental illness touches us and our society. I ask you to specifically speak out and support and originate legislation to do 'housing first" as a response to homelessness. Too many localities have so many barriers to services that are needed by the homeless and yet all of our cities and towns across the country suffer under the blight of homelessness. It is not a blight of homeless people, but it is a blight due to the lack of adequate means of addressing the issues of homelessness. Please sponsor or support legislation to provide adequate funding and law reform to support housing first approaches to homelessness across the nation.