Czech Study Finds Supporting Homeless People Can Save Public Money
A Czech experiment in which homeless people received CZK 100,000 with no conditions attached suggests that early financial support can reduce some of the costs associated with homelessness. The project, known as New Leaf, was carried out by the Czech organization Neposeda in cooperation with researchers from Charles University. The findings indicate that the state spends an average of about CZK 200,000 a year on each person experiencing homelessness, with healthcare, social services and police work accounting for a significant share of the total. The researchers concluded that leaving people without support can ultimately be more expensive for public finances than providing targeted assistance. How the New Leaf experiment worked The project ran from summer 2024 until the end of 2025 and was inspired by a similar initiative in Canada. Researchers focused on people who had been living on the streets for no more than two and a half years. The aim was to examine whether intervention at an earlier stage of homelessness could prevent longer-term problems. Participants were divided into several groups. Forty people received CZK 100,000 without restrictions on how the money could be used. Another 20 were offered the support of a personal social worker instead, while... The post Czech Study Finds Supporting Homeless People Can Save Public Money appeared first on Prague Morning .