[quote=alarmclock]fixing homelessness by putting a homeless person in a house is post hoc reasoning. using similar reasoning, if homebuilding is a sign of a healthy economy, can’t we simply make the economy healthy by building more houses?[/quote]

Building houses for the homeless is dysfunctional, but burning and demolishing dwelling units is also dysfunctional. In this case these homes are worth nothing, what is the social cost of giving the homeless bus tickets to flynt and offering them houses? Think of it as Urban Homesteading.

We settled the west by giving 40 acres to every person willing to grab a stake
and claim it and live on it for 5 years, why not the same for Flynt?

The City of Baltimore gave away row houses for a dollar in the late 70’s.
Quite a good deal for people who hung in there for 15 years.