Going against the prevailing public opinion that the “housing first” approach will end homelessness is a task I and others that work directly with homeless people have shouldered for numerous years. Orange County Rescue Mission has been citing statistics that show the truth of homelessness, that it is not merely a housing issue. And I’m thankful that this message, this truth, is being told by more sources of information.

On October 27, 2021 The Orange County Register’s Editorial Board wrote an editorial discrediting the “status-quo solutions, such as a ‘housing first’ policy that doesn’t address the social ills at the heart of the problem.” I encourage you to read the article below to hear from others who go against the trend and say that housing first is not the best way to end homelessness.