The provincial government should buy condo towers, stock them with a cafeteria, addiction and mental health treatment professionals, job hunting support and basic first aid - no drugs or alcohol allowed.  The requirement for social assistance (welfare) is to live in one of these places.  No cheques, less overdoses in hospitals, less need for first responders, clean up the downtown eastside.

This would work in any community, not just the DTES, the only difference is that the number depending on the welfare rolls would dictate the size of the building the government set up.

Wouldn't this be cheaper and more humane?  Doling out cheques that are often used for drugs, alcohol and tobacco upon which there's not enough money to live on for even a responsible clean person and filling in the gap in police and first responder services plainly isn't working.

Time for a different approach.  This approach is nuts.

Rights?  Dont these people have a right to be well and be part of society?