Politics, Homelessness and the Lack of Affordable Housing

I came to Duluth in 1986 when the city had not yet recovered from what was called “The Reagan Recession” even though its roots were in the 70’s which ended with double digit inflation, high unemployment and an energy crisis. What I remember most vividly was reading a front page story here about a new paper mill that had 100 job openings and 13,000 job applicants. Another article at the time highlighted the problem of affordable housing.

In 2007 St. Louis County and our city kicked off a major program to eliminate homelessness titled End Homelessness In Ten (EHIT). Despite the fanfare surrounding this ambitious effort, a May story in the Duluth News Tribune stated that we have more homeless than ever in this county. The article, titled “Our Community Is In Need”: St. Louis County Hears Grim Report On Homelessness, stated “In 2020, 2,188 households, totaling 3,170 people, were served by programs for people experiencing homelessness, including 751 people homeless for the first time.”

Both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal produce an early morning eNewsletter highlighting the day’s top stories. The WSJ version ends The 10-Point with a question that readers can respond to. Yesterday’s question had to do with affordable housing. Or rather, the question was about soaring housing prices. Here are a few notes from…