Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I agree completely, but I'm not sure about solutions. The Projects that were part of the urban renewal polices of the Great Society programs remind me a lot of UBI. the problem is that just giving people money sends an implicit message of "You are worthless; you have no skills abilities or knowledge that anyone would want. You can't contribute to anything, so we'll give you this pittance so you don't starve."

I think we have a inherent need to contribute to something greater than ourselves. Without an opportunity to do that people become victims of the maladies you mention -- drug addition, despair, lack of social networks -- that leads to entire communities developing anti social values. Look to our inner city urban centers to see the result. Having babies just to feel needed and purposeful, then ignoring them when they start to become independent. Those kids look to gangs if they are male and more babies if they are female to satisfy that need for purpose. Social decay perpetuates.

That's my take; I'd be very interested to hear your perspective.

Shared economic prosperity would go a long way to solve these problems, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.