Homelessness is a symptom resulting from a wide variety of factors.  Addressing this problem directly is difficult.  Rather it is more effective to address the larger macro issues that contribute to homelessness.  Following are some of the more significant proposals that may reduce the prevalence of this phenomenon.

Reducing Homelessness Internationally

1. Defense & Sovereignty

Warfare is no doubt the leading cause of homelessness.  The primary reason for the occurrence of warfare is the subjugation or the attempted subjugation of one group of people by another.  If we start from the premise that every sufficiently distinct group of people should be entitled to self governance, it would be much easier to ascertain the legitimacy of any use of force.  Naturally, a sufficiently strong body, ideally one with broad support (namely, a strong international body) would be needed to effectively police such a policy.

2. Political Asylum & Enclave Creation

Homelessness also occurs as a result of the mass migration of people due to warfare or persecution.  Without a sufficiently strong international will to correct the underlying situation, the next best thing is to carve out of the offending country a territory in which to house these refugees.  Asylum provided in the United States and other host countries should also be regarded as temporary with constant pressure placed upon both the offending country to correct its behavior and upon the asylees to return.

3. Aid for Poor, Undeveloped Countries

Poverty-induced migrations also cause a huge amount of homelessness.  Reducing poverty rates would result in more stable populations.  The rich, developed countries could easily help encourage such stability and economic growth among the impoverished countries by utilizing certain international economic practices.

Reducing Homelessness Domestically

>>> Prevention of Homelessness <<<

1. Monetary Policy

Cycles of economic boom and bust are primarily caused by our faulty economic system of fractional reserve banking.  Decisions regarding credit expansion and contraction are made primarily by a select group of humans, not the ‘free market’.  Homeless rates, as well as economic contractions and expansions, would be far more stable if the ‘free market’ ruled.

2. Voluntary Sterilization of Drug Addicts Criminals & Other Undesirable People

Each dollar of prevention is worth thousands of dollar of cure.  Voluntarily preventing births to people who are likely to be bad, irresponsible parents and role models should not be controversial.

3. Illegal Immigration Enforcement

Fewer illegal immigrants mean that more jobs would be available to the native homeless population.

4. Illegal Immigrant Employer Penalties

Penalizing the employers of illegal immigrants would be an effective restraint against the practice.

5. Mandatory General Education Completion

This general education requirement, as described in this policy proposal, would be sufficient for the average potential employee to be qualified to obtain an average fair-paying job. Mandating the completion of an individual’s education to this level would result in a far lower likelihood of homelessness.

6. Punishment Must Include Education

All criminals should be educated to reduce their recidivism rates and to instill in them some marketable skills that would make them more marketable and give them a higher sense of worth.

7. Contraception & Religious Opposition

Contraception does not destroy life.  There is no other valid religious objection to it, either. Removing this essential tool for family planning from consideration is totally unjustified.

8. Punishment Denominated Primarily In Terms of Money

Only a relatively small subset of crimes should really be dealt with by putting the offender in jail.  Most crimes do not involve threats of or actual harm done to individuals. Putting non-violent offenders in prison–where they will inevitably pick up bad practices if only to survive the prison culture–is a good way to increase the probability that employers would rather choose someone else.  This contributes to homelessness among criminals, and the perpetuation of violence.

9. Compensation for False Arrest and Conviction

People who have been falsely arrested or imprisoned should be entitled to a great deal of compensation to make up for the reduced employment prospects they would have in the future, the lost time spend in detention, the loss of resources used to defend themselves, the bad influences and behavior habits they picked up in prison, etc.  All these factors contribute to their increased possibility of homelessness in the future.

10. Greater Restriction for Immigrants Capable of Reproduction

Restricting immigrants of childbearing age would reduce the speed with which they reproduce in this country.  Thus, more jobs would be available to everyone, including the homeless.

11. Foreign Worker Time Limits & Fees

Though foreign workers generally occupy a more specialized, education-intensive niche in the job market, a reduction in their presence would benefit some homeless individuals with higher qualifications.

12. Product Pricing Court

Ensuring that imported products are priced fairly would mean that domestic production is able to compete fairly.  Thus, fewer jobs would be lost as a result of unfairly low-priced imports.

13. ‘Downsizing’ Speed Limit

Restricting companies from laying off thousands at a time would reduce the chances of a flooded unemployment market.  It would also tend to result in a more stable economy with a greater number of large employers and fewer giant employers.

14. Price Controls, Price Gouging & Price Fixing

Again, properly applying free-market pricing regulations would result in a more stable economy that is less susceptible to quick ups and downs, sometimes leading to homeless surges.

15. Progressive Taxation

Making the tax code more progressive would redistribute the burden more towards the wealthy, enabling the poorer segments of society to function with greater peace and security.

16. Income Taxes

Income taxes should not be levied on incomes less than $50,000.

>>> Help for the Homeless <<<

1. Jobs for the Needy

Every government should create a system that matches willing employees to work that needs to be done to improve the aesthetics and non-skilled labor requirement of its region.  People needing to find work should easily find it here.

2. Permanent Homeless Dwellings

Homeless people need certain minimal infrastructures to maintain decent sanitary and health requirements.  Providing them with a dry warm enclosure to sleep in and nearby toilets and showers that each would be required to share in their maintenance, would provide virtually all they would need to make life bearable.  Such installations could be built in virtually any nook and cranny (around freeways, for example).  Certain behaviors and other habitation practices would naturally need to be enforced. Fees would be charged for the use of these facilities.

3. Littering Penalties & Collection Strategies

Homeless people or anyone else would be able to earn money by merely picking up litter from the roads and sidewalks.  At a possible rate of $1 per pound, no skills are necessary to be able to earn a subsistence income.  Of course, cheating (if caught) would result in a more dire economic situation.

4. Informants

Homeless individuals, many living on the streets, are naturally more aware of street crimes.  Therefore, they may employ themselves (making a significant income) to gathering information on any criminal activities they see and turn that information over to the proper law enforcement agencies is return for a portion of the penalties charged to the criminals.