<
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2023/02/07/1153827864/this-doctor-wants-to-prescribe-a-cure-for-homelessness>
"Over the last decade, cities up and down the West Coast have seen a tsunami of
homelessness flood their streets. Encampments dot freeway underpasses, parks,
and city downtowns. Distressed people languish on street corners and sidewalks.
Cities, big and small, must grapple with what to do about it.
The most recent count by the federal government found that more than 200,000
people experienced homelessness in California, Oregon, and Washington in 2022.
The growing crisis has become a pressing political concern for voters and
politicians. The new mayor of Los Angeles and new governor of Oregon, for
example, each declared homelessness a state of emergency on their first day in
office. The governor of California has, similarly, made fighting homelessness a
top priority.
Living in California, I've found the intractable homeless crisis to be
heartbreaking and infuriating. And I've been inspired by public servants who
are working to find solutions to the problem. Which is why I've been closely
following the career of a former classmate of mine. His name is Andrew Boozary,
and he's a primary care physician in Toronto who has become something of a rock
star in health care. He serves as the executive director of the Gattuso Centre
for Social Medicine at the University Health Network, the largest research
hospital in Canada.
Boozary and his hospital have been doing innovative work to help people
experiencing homelessness, including the launch of an exciting new project to
build and provide permanent housing for the most vulnerable. It's part of a
broader movement of hospitals, both in Canada and the United States, to improve
health outcomes for homeless patients by providing them with what might be
considered the ultimate in preventive care: the stability and dignity that
comes with having a permanent home. The policy, obviously, benefits those
struggling on the streets, but it also helps hospitals cut the massive costs of
caring for homeless patients who frequent their emergency rooms. With the
project slated for completion this year, Boozary will soon be able to
essentially write a prescription for housing to those who need it most."
Via libramoon.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
