In a bizarre attempt to tackle the city’s homelessness crisis, New York City officials have announced plans to relocate individuals to mobile home parks near the Canadian border, equipped with virtual reality (VR) headsets. Because, clearly, what the homeless really need is a more immersive experience of living on the outskirts of society.

The proposal involves transporting people in need to remote mobile home parks, far from the city’s resources and support services, and providing them with VR headsets to transport them to a world of make-believe comfort and security. Who needs actual affordable housing or community integration when you can have a virtual roof over your head?

Proponents of the plan claim it will provide a “temporary solution” to the city’s homelessness epidemic. Temporary, of course, being the key word – as in, until the next election cycle or funding opportunity.

Critics argue that this “solution” is nothing more than a form of modern-day exile, ignoring the root causes of homelessness: lack of affordable housing, mental illness, and poverty. But hey, who needs to address those pesky underlying issues when you can just ship people off to the Great White North?

But hey, at least NYC is trying to put a trendy spin on it. Compare this to Texas, where the homeless are simply rounded up and bused from one desolate location to another, like human cargo. Now that’s what I call a “solution” – said no one ever. At least NYC’s VR-equipped mobile homes offer a fleeting glimpse of a better life, even if it’s just a simulation. So, kudos to NYC for trying to put a virtual band-aid on a very real problem.

The city’s homeless population must be thrilled to learn they’ll soon have the opportunity to trade in their cardboard boxes for a virtual mansion – all while still struggling to access basic necessities like healthcare and employment. It’s a bold move, NYC. Let’s just hope the VR experience includes a virtual bus pass.