The TBFW Field Research Conclusions:

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  Out of sight, out of mind

• First and foremost,  citizens of cities all agree on two things: 

• 1. they want the homeless to disappear. There is the smell,  the filth, and the disease. When members of our staff lived with homeless encampments, it was disgusting. The new trend is Cities trying to spread out the homeless to make it appear there are fewer homeless, but what it does is put them in the back yard of every citizen and makes the problem their problem.   Solving the issue of homelessness means removing individuals from the streets and the city landscape. Getting rid of encampments of children's playgrounds. Placing them in temporary shelters throughout the city is causing the public more problems. Making several homeless shelters part of the city and panhandling part of the city commence is preventing citizens from enjoying downtown districts and driving their children to school without being accosted at every stop.  The sights, smells, crime, and diseases created by homeless sleeping on the streets is unacceptable to the citizens. 

Productive Citizens Scream 

"No free homes". 

• 2. Socialism doesn't work. Creating a new ghetto is stupid. All voter base demographics do not support solutions that compete with home ownership; such solutions are viewed as impractical and unfair. They oppose the idea of providing free homes, fearing it might encourage people to become homeless in order to secure real estate. Ownership has value and can be transferred.  The belief in working hard, following the rules, and saving for a home is fundamental. The thought that a homeless person could receive the same housing without effort is unacceptable. 

Create a cost-effective program: 

•  Cities strive to appease the public by taking action, even if their actions, such as constructing a $166 million high-rise condo (Weingart Tower) in LA to accommodate only 280 homeless out of the 60,000 homeless individuals, defy all logic.   Arizona's effort to cure the homeless problem continues to be a colossal failure. For example, over the past few years, the homeless population in Phoenix has doubled to 8,000. Based upon PHX C.A.R.E.S. the sum total of the city's efforts is providing 1,242 beds at a staggering cost of $140,000,000.00. That equals approximately $100,000 per bed. Now take NY., its worse than LA and AZ combined times 10.  I think you get the point. 

To develop an effective plan to address a problem, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the problem. 

• Unlike NGOs or politicians, who may lack direct field experience, the Troy Ball Foundation West has employees who have lived among the homeless population. Some of our vet employees were homeless. This firsthand experience allows us to grasp the concerns of both the homeless individuals and the public regarding this issue.    Since 2018, TBFW has been dedicated to addressing the Homeless problem, conducting observational studies in Phoenix, Denver and Los Angeles.  After six years of extensive research, we have arrived at the following conclusions.   

• Treat the problem; don't try to solve it. We need to address the immediate needs of the homeless separately from finding a permanent solution to homelessness. There are two distinct issues. The primary goal should be to get them off the streets, provide hygiene, food, and place them in a safe, well-lit, and clean environment to sleep. They need to breathe. But first they need access to mental and medical healthcare and /or counseling.  Once they are treated, having consistent days of living like a human being will do wonders. Once they have had the opportunity to recover and stabilize, we can ease them back into society.

  The renowned social scientist Troy Ball, who extensively researched the issue of homelessness, once stated that "when individuals begin to accept filth, fear, and hunger as a normal part of life, they reach a point of insanity, and treatment will be required before they can live among society again".  

Real Causes of Homelessness include:  

• Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill, drug abuse, and the inability to set an alarm clock: In the 1960s and 70s, mental institutions were closed, and many people with mental illnesses were released into the community. Most people are homeless because they are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and most do not want to be controlled by a schedule set up by an alleged abusive employer. They would rather sleep in the streets than work 9-5 and be exploited. They just don't fit into our world, and they lack our values.

• False Reasons:   The Scam: The City and state scam to get funding and fail include city officials employing tactics to secure funding by focusing on issues that have persistently existed since the founding of the United States, which remain unsolvable. This creates a deceptive notion of a "work in progress." Such rhetoric enables cities and states to justify their failure to address homeless problems while continuing to receive funds for years without actually helping one homeless person off the streets. False reasons in most funding reports used by unethical city officials to obtain funding. The following are issues that have persistently existed since the founding of the United States. None of these excuses can be solved by homeless funds: 
• Economic Hardship
• Reduced Social Safety Net 
• Poverty
• Racial Disparities
• Incarceration
• Lack of Access to Health Care
• Domestic Violence
• Historical Context
• Lack of Affordable Housing excuse to funnel funding to campaign donating builders