The Christian Science Monitor reports today that the Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles has completed and opened its new $17 million state-of-the-art facility for the homeless, which has a full-sized gymnasium, library, playroom, hair salon, education center and professional kitchen.

Is this the best way to get the homeless off the streets? Bob Erlenbusch, vice president of the board for the National Coalition for the Homeless says that what these people need is affordable housing, not a way to institutionalize their homeless status.

I wonder what the result of spending $4 Million on a kitchen facility, and $13 Million on providing low-cost housing would have done for getting the homeless off the streets? Just a question.