I heard a news article today on NPR that really got me a-thinking. It was a report coming out of Atlanta. Come to find out, last October the Public Housing Authority of Atlanta set June 30 of this year as the date where you can be evicted out of public housing if you are an able-bodied person and are not working, in a training program, or at school. In other words, if you don't have a job and you're on public housing, then you're liable to get kicked out of your home.

Interestingly enough, most of the interviews NPR performed were with people who objected to the policy--current residents and various officials in Atlanta. The only person they allowed airtime to defend the policy was a representative of the Housing Authority. The arguments against the ruling are pretty obvious--you'll seemingly be creating an epidemic of homelessness, you'll be putting innocent children on the streets, folks will never be able to get a job if they don't have a place to stay, there just aren't enough jobs out there, etc. The representative from the Housing Authority stated that they've had job training programs in place for quite some time in the actual neighborhoods where these people live, so that if they don't take them up on the offer it's their own fault. On top of that, they even offer free childcare!

I've flip-flopped on my opinion over the whole matter today. When I first heard the story, I nearly applauded Atlanta's Housing Authority for their ingenuity and initiative. Then I eased off, knowing that this could end up doing more harm than good. Right now, I'm stuck in the middle. I admire this tough policy designed to get folks off the recliner and behind a desk, but I also realize that a generation of children could end up even more bitter and cold towards today's lawmakers.

I don't know...any thoughts out there?