A sensible approach to "problem kids"

This is how the British are more civilized than Americans. Under the US law, tenants are routinely evicted from subsidized housing for misbehavior on the part of relatives and guests in their home. It makes no difference if it's a grammy who didn't know her grandchildren were taking drugs or if, as in one case recently, a woman's home health care worker entered her home when she was away and committed a drug violation there. These folks are out on the street in a few weeks.

In Britain, a similiar plan was recently proposed and firmly rejected by landlords and the public.

...the man responsible for taking eviction action against nuisance tenants in Barnsley, Paul Brannan, today said the policeman was wrong and no such action will be taken.

"We will - and we do - take action against tenants whose behaviour causes fear, alarm or distress to others," he said. "If people are using drugs in or around their home and their behaviour causes a nuisance to other residents we have a responsibility to act and we will do so.

"However, on this occasion taking action to evict their parents would not be appropriate and would not be proportional to the misbehaviour.

Now that's civilized.