Kincaid’s Strategy to End Homelessness

Three Crises, Three Solutions: A New Approach to Homelessness

Current homelessness policy has failed. It is time for an honest, structured, and compassionate response . One that matches the cause to the cure.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” By that definition, the way America deals with homelessness is insanity. Turning the streets into the new asylums is insanity. Allowing people to set up drug dens on the sidewalk is insanity. Allowing people with severe mental illness to live on the sidewalk is insanity. An elderly woman lost her eye because of this insanity. Many innocent people have been killed because of this insanity. Almost daily, we encounter people showing signs of mental illness or who are under the influence of drugs on the streets, on buses, on trains. This is obviously a threat to public safety. It is insanity. It is not compassion for the homeless. It is not compassion for the elderly woman who lost her eye. It is insanity.

DECADES OF FAILURE

For decades, government agencies from HUD to city and county programs have spent billions of dollars to fight homelessness. But despite the money and the promises, the problem keeps getting worse. Why? Because most of our current programs are built on theories that don’t work in reality.

In theory, if you have a thousand homeless people, you build a thousand housing units and the problem is solved. In reality, it doesn’t work that way.

Some people are struggling with addiction. Others have untreated mental illness. And others simply cannot afford rent in an overpriced market. You cannot put all three groups under one roof and expect stability or safety. People with severe mental illness require specialized care and structure. People in active addiction, without proper treatment, will gravitate toward familiar behaviors that undermine any shared living environment. And for those without addiction or mental illness people facing only financial hardship. Living alongside these groups without proper support systems would become an unbearable daily struggle.

CASE IN POINT

Look at programs like Plymouth Housing in Bellevue. Their hearts may be in the right place, but the results tell the truth. Police and fire are called there constantly for overdoses, assaults, and mental health crises. It is not compassion to ignore that. It is negligence.

A NEW APPROACH: SEPARATE BY CAUSE, NOT CONVENIENCE

We need a new approach one that separates by cause, not by convenience.

For those struggling with addiction, we need long term, secure rehabilitation centers, isolated from drug access, where recovery takes months, not days. After that, we can transition them into supportive housing where they continue to receive treatment and counseling.

For those with severe mental illness, we need permanent care facilities again. Decades ago, the government shut them all down. Now our streets have become the new institutions. Yes, the old system was broken and inhumane but today, we have the technology, transparency, and public oversight to do it right. Every facility should be subject to regular inspections, not just by government, but by the media, religious organizations, and community volunteers. When care falls short, the public will know immediately.

For those who are simply down on their luck, we can provide short term housing, job training, and rent support for up to a year, with the goal of getting them back into the workforce and off government dependency.

THREE CRISES. THREE RESPONSES.

Homelessness is not one problem with one solution. It is three separate crises that require three separate responses. Addiction, mental illness, and economic hardship. If we face each one honestly with compassion and accountability. We can begin to rebuild lives, restore safety, and reclaim our public spaces.

That is the future I am fighting for. One where compassion is real, accountability is firm, and taxpayers finally see results.

THE HUMAN COST OF INACTION

CASE STUDY: THE IRYNA ZARUTSKA TRAGEDY

Consider the case of Decarlos Brown Jr., who stabbed and killed Iryna Zarutska on a train in North Carolina. He had a long history of mental illness, a lengthy criminal record, and was homeless at the time of the attack. Instead of allowing dangerous individuals with severe psychiatric conditions to remain on the streets, the legislation I am proposing would place them in appropriate psychiatric facilities with proper care, oversight, and treatment. This is the responsible path forward. Trump is calling for the death penalty for Decarlos Brown. My legislation would have saved two lives. This strategy protects public safety. It protects people from being randomly attacked. But it also protects the homeless themselves. Every day across America, many homeless women with mental illness are sexually assaulted, repeatedly and systematically. These crimes often go unreported because the victims are unable to report them. This is not simply a matter of isolated attacks in many cases, it involves organized criminal networks and human trafficking, in which these women are exploited over and over again.

We cannot call ourselves a compassionate society while leaving the most vulnerable among us to suffer and die on the streets.

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

— MAHATMA GANDHI

The Homeless Recovery and Rehabilitation Act (HRRA)

Rough draft of legislation

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Homeless Recovery and Rehabilitation Act of 2027.”

SECTION 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE

(a) Congressional Findings

Congress finds that:

1. Federal, state, and local homelessness programs have failed to produce measurable reductions in homelessness despite unprecedented funding. 2. The current “housing first” model does not adequately address addiction and severe mental illness, which together account for a majority of chronic homelessness. 3. Reestablishing secure, medically supervised treatment and mental health facilities operating under modern oversight can restore lives and reduce community harm. 4. Compassion and accountability are not mutually exclusive they are both essential to achieving lasting recovery. 

(b) Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to:

1. Classify homelessness by primary cause addiction, mental illness, or economic hardship. 2. Create a national framework for treatment based recovery programs. 3. Establish standards for long term mental health and rehabilitation facilities. 4. Require transparency, inspection, and performance based funding for all homelessness programs receiving federal funds. 

SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Act:

• “Rehabilitation Campus” means a secure, long term residential facility designed to treat substance addiction for a period of 9–12 months or longer. • “Mental Health Care Facility” means a licensed, long term treatment facility for individuals with severe or chronic mental illness who cannot safely live independently. • “Economic Assistance Program” means a short term housing or rental assistance program designed to restore financial stability and workforce participation. • “Qualified Oversight Entity” means an organization approved by HUD and HHS that includes representatives from media, religious, and community organizations. 

SECTION 4. SEPARATION BY CAUSE

(a) Classification Requirement — All federal homelessness programs shall categorize participants by primary cause at intake (addiction, mental illness, or economic hardship) for appropriate placement.

(b) Facility Placement

• Individuals with addiction shall be referred to secure rehabilitation campuses. • Individuals with severe mental illness shall be referred to long term mental health care facilities. • Individuals experiencing economic hardship shall be referred to short term housing and workforce programs. 

SECTION 5. REHABILITATION AND MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY STANDARDS

(a) Creation of Facilities

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall work with state and local governments to:

1. Reopen or construct modern, humane, federally licensed rehabilitation and mental health facilities. 2. Ensure security, transparency, and public oversight through mandatory quarterly inspections. 3. Require that facilities be located in industrial or low impact zones, not within 1,000 feet of residential neighborhoods or schools. 

(b) Oversight

Each facility shall:

• Be inspected at least once every 90 days by a Qualified Oversight Entity. • Publish results of inspections and outcomes (overdose rates, employment placement, relapse rates, etc.) on a public dashboard. 

SECTION 6. FUNDING AND PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY

(a) Funding Sources

Reallocate a portion of existing HUD Continuum of Care and HHS block grant funds to support qualified facilities and programs.

(b) Performance-Based Funding

Federal funding shall be contingent upon measurable outcomes, including:

1. Reduction in relapse or overdose rates. 2. Increase in successful program completions and employment placements. 3. Reduction in repeat homelessness. 

(c) Matching Grants

States that construct or operate compliant facilities shall be eligible for a 75% federal cost match for facility construction and operation.

SECTION 7. NATIONAL HOMELESS OVERSIGHT BOARD

(a) Establishment

There is hereby established the National Homeless Oversight Board (NHOB) within HUD.

(b) Membership

The Board shall include:

1. Representatives from HUD, HHS, and DOJ. 2. At least three members from public charities, religious organizations, or nonprofit treatment providers. 3. Two members representing law enforcement and emergency services. 

(c) Duties

The Board shall:

• Monitor compliance with facility standards. • Maintain the national performance dashboard. • Recommend funding adjustments based on verified results. 

SECTION 8. PROHIBITIONS

No federal funds shall be used to support facilities or programs that:

1. Allow ongoing illegal drug use without mandatory treatment. 2. Fail to meet quarterly inspection or reporting requirements. 3. Fail to provide secure access control, medical supervision, and on site counseling. 

SECTION 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary to carry out this Act, with initial funding not to exceed $5 billion annually for fiscal years 2027–2031.

SECTION 10. EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act shall take effect 180 days after enactment.

For some of this to happen. The state of Washington and every other state. Would need to change or update their civil commitment laws . Below is a rough draft of what that might look like.

Model State Bill

The State Mental Health Restoration and Oversight Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “State Mental Health Restoration and Oversight Act.”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS

The Legislature finds that:

1. The closure of state operated long term mental health hospitals has left thousands of severely mentally ill individuals without adequate care or supervision. 2. Many individuals with chronic, untreated mental illness now live in unsafe conditions on the streets or in jails, creating harm to themselves and the public. 3. Advances in medical treatment, facility design, and public oversight make it possible to provide humane, transparent, and accountable long term care. 4. It is the policy of this State to reestablish secure, medically supervised facilities for those whose conditions make independent living unsafe or impossible. 

SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Act:

• “Severe Mental Illness” means a chronic or acute psychiatric condition that substantially impairs a person’s ability to provide for their own basic needs or results in repeated endangerment to self or others. • “Long-Term Mental Health Facility” means a licensed and accredited inpatient facility providing continuous care, treatment, and supervision for individuals with severe mental illness. • “Involuntary Commitment” means a judicial order for placement in a long-term facility after due process and medical evaluation. • “Qualified Oversight Entity” means a nonprofit or governmental body authorized by the State Department of Health to conduct inspections and report publicly. 

SECTION 4. AUTHORIZATION OF LONG TERM FACILITIES

(a) The State Department of Health, in coordination with the Department of Social and Health Services, is authorized to:

1. Construct, reopen, or license long term mental health care facilities. 2. Contract with qualified nonprofit or private operators that meet all licensing and oversight requirements. 3. Locate such facilities in industrial, medical, or low density zones to minimize community impact. 

(b) Each facility must provide:

• 24-hour medical and psychiatric care. • Secure access control and on site supervision. • Rehabilitation, occupational, and therapeutic services. • Periodic evaluation for patient progress and potential discharge. 

SECTION 5. INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT AND DUE PROCESS

(a) A person may be ordered into long term treatment if:

1. Two licensed psychiatrists or psychologists certify that the person suffers from severe mental illness and cannot safely live independently, or poses a recurring danger to self or others. 2. A superior court judge finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that long term treatment is necessary. 

(b) Commitment orders shall be reviewed:

• Every 6 months for medical reassessment. • Every 12 months for judicial review of continued placement. 

(c) Patients shall have the right to legal representation, medical review, and family visitation.

SECTION 6. OVERSIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY

1. Every facility shall be inspected at least once every 90 days by a Qualified Oversight Entity. 2. Inspection reports shall be publicly available online within 30 days. 3. Oversight entities may include representatives from health departments, licensed nonprofits, religious charities, and local news media. 4. Abuse or neglect shall be immediately reported to the Attorney General and made public within 72 hours. 

SECTION 7. FUNDING

1. The State may receive federal funds under the Homeless Recovery and Rehabilitation Act (HRRA) or other federal programs to construct and operate such facilities. 2. Facilities shall be eligible for up to 75% federal cost matching. 3. The Legislature may appropriate additional funds for staffing, medical supplies, and transportation. 

SECTION 8. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Health shall submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature detailing:

• Number of individuals served. • Recovery outcomes and discharge rates. • Complaints, violations, and corrective actions. • Fiscal expenditures and cost per patient. 

SECTION 9. SEVERABILITY

If any provision of this Act is held invalid, the remaining sections shall remain in effect.

SECTION 10. EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act shall take effect 90 days after enactment.