> Most people who deal in processes understand treating the root cause it paramount
I think that over-simplifies this type of wicked problem where consequences become causes. For example, poverty and under-housing causes abusive childhoods, mental health and substance use issues.
The challenge is not to identify a leaky pipe to stop a flood but to intervene in a complex dynamical system and convert doom cycles into virtuous upward spirals of improvement.
I'm familiar with GiveDirectly. It seems like a good organization on the whole, but I've only seen a few studies related to it and (due to modifications in evaluation criteria) it's no longer recommended by GiveWell.
>I think that over-simplifies this type of wicked problem
I disagree. It's acknowledging it's a very complicated problem. As such, we shouldn't get fooled by thinking that if we just focus on this aspect (housing), it will lead to a sustainable solution. You may have to address proximate causes, but you absolutely have to focus on the root cause if you want to make a lasting improvement. Otherwise, it is likely to just turn into a bottomless pit to dump resources. This is like practically any other complex system that needs improvement. There are rarely simple "hacks" to solve the problem, and they take an understanding of the entire system dynamics. But that's not to say the focus shouldn't still be on the root cause.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GiveDirectly
> Most people who deal in processes understand treating the root cause it paramount
I think that over-simplifies this type of wicked problem where consequences become causes. For example, poverty and under-housing causes abusive childhoods, mental health and substance use issues.
The challenge is not to identify a leaky pipe to stop a flood but to intervene in a complex dynamical system and convert doom cycles into virtuous upward spirals of improvement.