Beyond Homeless: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes, Transformative Solutions

Entire neighborhoods in cities across the United States have become open-air asylums, drug markets, and impoverished wastelands—where death, misery, crime, addiction, encampments, fires, disease, and even human waste aren't just tolerated but normalized. How is this possible when billions of taxpayer dollars have been funneled into homelessness initiatives such as "Housing First"?

The truth is that the money poured into this issue from taxpayers, non-profits, and private charities alike has mostly made homelessness worse overall. And governments' failures haven't just wasted taxpayer dollars—it has cost lives and undermined human dignity.

This isn't just incompetence.

It's immoral and unjust.

And it must end.

In Beyond Homeless: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes, Transformative Solutions, Mary L. G. Theroux, Lawrence J. McQuillan, Adam B. Summers, and other scholars present a better approach rooted in proven solutions. This groundbreaking new book, based on years of research, is exactly what's needed to address the crisis.

With forewords from acclaimed addiction medicine specialist and TV host Dr. Drew Pinsky, and licensed master social worker Scott Ackerson, the book gathers experts on every aspect of homelessness to present a stirring condemnation of the status quo—and an inspiring vision for the future. Drawing on real-life stories, cutting-edge research, and alternative programs with metric-driven successes, they make the case for individualized, holistic interventions that actually work.

Discover:

• How "Housing First" initiatives have become governments’ default response to homelessness—and why they fail
• Why permanent supportive housing (PSH) isn't just ineffective but dangerous
• How political interests fuel the homelessness-industrial complex resulting in ever-increasing spending while falling further behind
• The inspiring success of real alternatives such as Haven for Hope in Texas and Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles
• Policy changes that would truly ease the crisis for the unhoused and housed alike—without breaking the bank
• The difference between responsible and irresponsible forms of harm reduction
• And much, much more…

At the heart of this crisis are real people—those experiencing homelessness and the residents who see their neighborhoods crumble. Both have paid a high price for failed policies. Both deserve better.

The good news? We can do better. Beyond Homeless: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes, Transformative Solutions shows us how.

Mary L. G. Theroux is Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Chief Executive Officer, of the Independent Institute. Having received her A.B. in economics from Stanford University, Ms. Theroux is Managing Director of Lightning Ventures, L.P., a San Francisco Bay Area investment firm, and Vice President of the C.S. Lewis Society of California. She is former Chairman and a life Member of the Advisory Board of the San Francisco Salvation Army and is the Chairman of the Alameda County Salvation Army. She served on the National Advisory Board of The Salvation Army from 2003-2022.

Lawrence J. McQuillan is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Entrepreneurial Innovation at the Independent Institute. He received his Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University, and he has served as Chief Economist at the Illinois Policy Institute, Director of Business and Economic Studies at the Pacific Research Institute, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Founding Publisher and Contributing Editor of Economic Issues. He lives in Fremont, California.

Adam B. Summers is a former Research Fellow at the Independent Institute. He previously worked as an editorial writer and columnist at the Orange County Register and its ten sister newspapers in the Southern California News Group, and a Senior Policy Analyst at the Reason Foundation.