That Won’t Work
What to Know: The city of Austin is struggling to implement its plan to turn hotels into long-term housing for the homeless. Tourists are returning and fewer hotels are on the market—or within the city’s budget.
The TPPF Take: The city shouldn’t be leading homelessness assistance efforts.
“Aside from the unrealistic nature of the hotels-to-housing scheme, counties are chartered to deliver health and human services, including addressing the issue of homelessness,” says TPPF’s Michele Steeb. “Counties have many ongoing funding streams from both the federal and state governments to draw from, and the personnel infrastructure, that cities do not.”
For more on homelessness, click here.
CPS Reporting Reform
What to Know: An Austin mom was investigated by CPS for simply allowing her 6-year-old play outside.
The TPPF Take: It’s time to reform CPS reporting rules, and ban anonymous reporting.
“National data shows that anonymous reports are consistently of poorer quality,” says TPPF’s Andrew Brown. “According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reports to CPS in jurisdictions that allow for anonymous reporting are found to be inaccurate nearly three times as often as reports in jurisdiction that require reporters to identify themselves. Another study published in the Catholic University Law Review only 1.5% of anonymous reports went on to indicate abuse or neglect.”
For more on CPS reporting, click here.
Funding the Crime Spree
What to Know: Billionaire George Soros has penned an op-ed explaining why he continues to fund district attorneys who are soft on crime.
The TPPF Take: Real prosecutorial reform means ensuring public safety.
“Right On Crime’s prosecutorial innovation in America supports prosecutors willing to think outside the normal prosecutorial box with common-sense and data-driven innovations which reduce crime and recidivism but never compromise public safety,” says Right on Crime’s Kurt Altman. “A risk-based approach which strengthens the Rule of Law is essential to conservative criminal justice reform.”
For Right on Crime’s latest podcast, click here.