General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The surprisingly simple way Utah solved chronic homelessness and saved millions [View all]freshwest
(53,661 posts)This is what I've always said. Stop doing studies and praising make do solutions for homeless people. Stop acting like you are doing them a favor by supporting a hodge-podge of help driven by the desire to feel good.
Just stop homelessness. With a house.
Then whatever their problems are, they will have the self-respect and mental ease of being able to work things out in private, like most people do and not begging feeding and housing on schedules that doesn't match their condition to stay alive. How is a person supposed to have the superhuman stamina of not being able to sleep safely, being broke and not able to get to social services or in a line for help?
People that are homeless are treated as feral animals dependent on the kindness of some, but in a position to be abused at any time. And they are forced to live outdoors, and scramble for baths, toilet facilities, food, water, sleep and the privacy most take for granted... And is there any wonder when that part of Maslow's pyramid is denied them, that they don't meet social standards?
Gimme a break. Walk a mile in their shoes.
That is a beautiful town, and I'm hoping he never has to wheel himself in a snow storm to get shelter again. These are the people that Libertarians and the GOP want to die.
According to Rand Paul, he's a slacker. Just take a look at that pic... who would volunteer to be in a wheel chair if they didn't need one, as it's an invitation to being assaulted, or be in the snow like that because he is poor and disabled, when it's obviously painful and not good for his health?
I am sure mental illness accounts for some of the problems, but being on the street with no way out would cause such severe anxiety due to a lack of sleep or privacy in the normal activities of a person, they'd be sure to develop a condition. They aren't safe at any time from other people. Imagine no place to get away from criminal activity by anyone. It'd kill or drive anyone over the edge.
Instead by leaving them out in public, they might as well live in a zoo where people gawk at them and say callous and uncalled for things. The folks in Utah have my gratitude for seeing beyond the alleged 'sins' of the poor and disabled and accepting them as part of the human family.
Thanks for another excellent thread.