An unconventional approach to dealing with homeless alcoholics.

San Francisco is looking into adopting "wet houses" similar to the government-subsidized housing project in Seattle that "caters exclusively to 75 hard-core alcoholics who came from the streets and are allowed to keep drinking, snub treatment and still keep a roof over their heads". This may sound counterintuitive, but according to a study of the project conducted by the University of Washington the city has saved more than $4 million in its first year of operation due mostly to fewer ER visits and periods of incarceration, and reduced stays in subsidized rehab programs. Researchers followed 95 residents and found that on average they each racked up $42,964 in health care and incarceration bills in the year prior to moving into the "wet house",  compared with $13,440 during their first year of residency. Furthermore, residents' daily alcohol consumption has dropped from 15.7 drinks a day to 10.6.