Homeless Study Deserves a Pulitzer--for FictionTommi Avicolli-Meccabyline‚ Aug. 01‚ 2008It’s amazing how much government tweaks the truth. It doesn’t out and out lie. It simply fits the truth it wants to tell to the facts it creates to prove that truth. Consider the first-of-its-kind study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on chronic homelessness in America. By now, you’ve seen the headlines: 15% drop in this type of homelessness since last year. A “chronically homeless” person, as defined by HUD, is someone who is disabled and homeless for at least a year or homeless four times in a period of three years. It’s great news. If it’s true. Which it may not be. At least not if you examine how HUD came up with this statistic ... |