GoFundMeIn order to combat California’s never-ending homelessness problem, an activist group has revealed plans for a $3 billion private city.
According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, California has – as of January 2018 – an estimated 129,972 residents experiencing homelessness on any given day.
Forging ahead with a ground-breaking solution, ‘a new and unique solution for every chronic homeless adult is coming’.
GoFundMeDaune Nason, founder of Citizens Again, announced proposals on Thursday, December 19, for a single city in the Golden State devoted to housing its homeless population.
The group have launched a GoFundMe page with an initial target of $50,000 – appealing to people to donate as ‘politicians and leaders can’t solve this crisis in our lifetime’.
The GoFundMe page explains:
For decades, our government has been building small shelters all across America to house our chronic homeless. But at the current placement rate, it will take about 200 years to house them all.
It’s time to think differently: instead of building 4,000 more shelters, Citizens Again will build one city, catering towards America’s entire chronic adult homeless population. It will cost billions less than current efforts; be built in about 11 years; and the homeless will want to live there.
GoFundMeThe proposed 300-acre city will be fitted with a wide array of amenities: a dedicated hospital and full healthcare services, housing, entertainment and activities, parks, a movie theatre ‘and much more’.
In addition, there’ll be facilities that cater to people’s specific needs, whether it be lockers for personal possessions or a visitor centre and hotel for visiting families.
The page outlines that while chronic homeless adults are only around 15% of the entire homeless population, ‘they consume 70% of the annual federal homeless budget ($3.7bn from $4.3bn)’. According to the group’s calculations – using ‘analogous and parametric estimates’ – the city will cost ‘billions less’ in the long run.
GoFundMeThe page adds:
After a long process, I’ve identified the ’20 Building Blocks of Humanity’ – which every person needs to thrive, not just survive. The chronic homeless have none. So in order to solve the problems they cause society, we must first solve their problems.
But this can’t be done with today’s fractured efforts. It needs to be exponentially more. In short, a complete solution requires a complete city.
This is down to economies of scale – ensuring distribution of living goods and amenities over a single location, rather than targeting smaller, distinct areas across the state, and furthermore, the country. This will reportedly allow for a ‘93% reduction of what is spent per person today ($3,000-per-year vs $80k)’.
GoFundMeQualified citizens will be allowed to live in the city – the criteria of which has not been outlined so far – and are free to leave as and whenever they please.
Nason writes on the page that he’s tried to instigate conversations with more than 50 leaders associated with homelessness, but to no avail. ‘Simply put: I have a vision of a better future for all. But to make this happen, I need your help,’ he adds.
If you’d like to find out more information about the city for the homeless, visit the GoFundMe page where you can also donate to the cause.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.