Question

Deinstitutionalization and decriminalization policies ________ the ranks of the homeless in America.

1) increased the ranks of the homeless in America
2) decreased the ranks of the homeless in America
3) eliminated the ranks of the homeless in America
4) did not affect the ranks of the homeless in America

Answer 1

Deinstitutionalization and decriminalization policies contributed to an increase in the homeless population in America, due to the closure of state-run mental health facilities and cuts to social programs in the 1980s.

Step-by-step explanation:

Deinstitutionalization and decriminalization policies increased the ranks of the homeless in America. These policies, initiated during Ronald Reagan's tenure as governor of California, sought to protect the rights of the mentally ill but led to the closure of state-run facilities and the subsequent relocation of patients to often substandard private facilities. With the new freedom to leave these facilities, many patients became homeless or incarcerated. The federal government's attempts to address the crisis during the late 1970s were curtailed with drastic budget cuts to social programs in the 1980s, further exacerbating the issue. Decriminalization efforts in other areas, such as marijuana possession, aimed to alleviate disproportionate incarceration rates and associated overcrowding but did not directly address the homeless crisis.