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What is a Wet House?

A  wet house  is a residential facility for chronically alcoholic and homeless men and women. Here, the homeless alcoholics eat, sleep, and drink as much as they want. Residents are not required to submit to counseling or treatment. It is a place with little expectation that residents will ever get sober. In fact, many of these residents eventually drink themselves to death. In a recent year, one large city reported that 70% of the deaths of homeless men and women were alcohol related.  Why does such a facility exist? Pundits have a number of reasons for the existence of wet houses. The first reason is the matter of economics. A study at a leading university reported that the cost of housing a resident in a wet house was significantly less than leaving homeless alcoholics on the streets where they heavily burden social, legal, and medical services. Homeless alcoholics are seen in emergency rooms more than any other segment of the population. A number of wet houses have medical professionals nearby to treat the sick and injured in-house rather than in a hospital emergency room. This is more cost effective and frees up needed emergency and hospital room space. The annual cost to house a resident can be several thousand dollars less than the cost of hospitalization and/or incarceration.  Another reason cited for the success of the wet house is that removing homeless alcoholics from the street reduces crime. These people are often victims of an assortment of street crimes. The wet house provides the homeless alcoholic a safe harbor. Although most crimes committed by homeless alcoholics are minor in nature, the rate of drunk and disorderly or public intoxication calls has decreased significantly in areas where wet houses have been established.  While residents are allowed to continue to drink, several  wet houses  report that their residents often moderate their drinking. Some houses claim a victory when a resident switches from whiskey to beer. A number of treatment providers consider this line of thinking ineffective and even dangerous. Rehabilitation is discussed in many wet houses, but it is never a condition of residency.  There are concerns with the establishment of wet houses. The obvious question is whether the government should be funding these facilities. From an economic standpoint, it may make good sense. Simply put, the cost of a wet house program is much less expensive than incarceration or hospitalization. When choosing between expensive treatment and much less expensive preventative care, wet houses may be worth considering.  The physical location of wet houses can be problematic. Not surprisingly, not many neighborhoods are not welcoming, and for good reason. Alcoholics may be found roaming around, accosting pedestrians, passing out in doorways, staggering into streets, wandering into businesses, and generally upsetting the community. Some businesses have relocated when a wet house was established nearby. Before making a decision on the cost effectiveness of wet houses, it might be prudent to look at the long term cost to the community.  A third area of concern is whether the government is acting morally and responsibly when it funds wet houses. Critics on both sides of the argument recognize the severity of the problem of homelessness in America, particularly as it relates to alcoholics. They are divided, however, on the effectiveness and propriety of wet houses.