Apparently, ending homeless in Massachusetts will cost taxpayers a mere $10 million, according to Governor Deval Patrick. That's it, $10 million.
Gov. Deval Patrick is set to unveil a major new $10 million push to virtually eliminate homelessness in Massachusetts in the next five years.The goal of the initiative is to come up with better ways to detect when individuals and families are on the verge of falling into homelessness - and move in swiftly with aid and support.
Another goal is to quickly move those already homeless into permanent housing, including an increased use of housing vouchers.
As a down payment on the plan, Patrick’s proposed state budget will include $1.75 million for MassHousing and $8.25 million for the state Department of Housing and Urban Development, an administration source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity ahead of the formal release of the budget on Wednesday.
The proposed extra spending is intended to support the goals of a report released earlier this month by a special commission on homelessness.
More affordable housing may help keep families from becoming homeless, and putting those already homeless in permanent housing sounds that a great idea, but who are you kidding? All this for $10 million? Sounds like a low number to me; and just a way to get the taxpayers on the hook for another boondoggle that will end up costing more like $50 million, or $100 million.
$10 million over 5 years to end homelessness...yeah, right...and the Big Dig was only supposed to cost $5 billion and been done how long ago? (Let's not even talk about the leaky tunnels.)