I have a concept to reduce homelessness. And I’ve been thinking about it a lot as I pass by homeless people on the street who seem perfectly capable, and willing, to work.
Steps
- Rent a section of a town. It must include living quarters, a general store, a restaurant, and a small factory.
- Print fake money, lets call them NPDs. This will be the only allowed currency in town.
- Assume the factory builds something physical, like furniture. Hire 2-3 experts to run the factory. And a few others to run the restaurant and the
- Invite anyone who is homeless to move to the town – starting with 10-20 people. Pay for their transit into town.
- Have these people work at the factory. Pay them in NPDs.
- Sell the goods at a premium since they are: handmade, American made, and helping a good cause. Keep 100% of profits in the growth of the factory.
- Scale operation to more and more people, and more and more factories.
Rules
1 NPD is worth 1 USDNPD’s can be traded for USD’s once a person leaves the townYou are only permitted to leave town once. This is to prevent people from spending their earned money on drugs, alcohol or other substances which may have affected their homeless situation
I know there are issues with this plan and similarities with old “company towns” – but wouldn’t it afford any person who wants a job to get one easily? And wouldn’t it help ensure illicit substances don’t easily penetrate the town?
As far as I can tell, this is a way to privatise and help alleviate a problem, with little to no significant downside.