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freshwest

(53,661 posts)
6. “If you want to end homelessness, you put people in housing...”
Sun Apr 19, 2015, 03:46 PM
Apr 2015

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.

And pretty soon, the newly-homed are in positions to become contributing members of society. Octafish Apr 2015 #1
Well, Octafish, my pleasure. You flatter me! Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #2
Yep. Sometimes there are simple answers. hifiguy Apr 2015 #41
San Francisco could easily do this yeoman6987 Apr 2015 #3
Yeah, true blue SF hasn't thought of this? Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #7
Seattle did. They were widely dissed by talk radio for building a 'drunk motel' for people who were freshwest Apr 2015 #9
And, that's the rub...the puritan mind-twist is so strong in the 'Murcan psyche. Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #10
Yes, and I need to spell check there! When in a hurry, mistakes happen. freshwest Apr 2015 #11
What is this 'social Darwinism' you speak of? Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #12
Social Darwinim is the survival of the fittest economically, eugenics by wealth. Very Ayn Rand but freshwest Apr 2015 #18
I was trying to be ironic, fresh. I guess I should have used Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #19
I suspected you were using it, but wanted to explain it in case some were NEVER taught about it. freshwest Apr 2015 #25
Punitive, petty, conservative mindset. Exactly. Enthusiast Apr 2015 #26
Right wingers judgmental and punitive as always treestar Apr 2015 #36
It must be a cultural thing. The expression was Christianity 101 when I was growing up. freshwest Apr 2015 #45
.... LittleBlue Apr 2015 #39
we don't have vacant homes in San Francisco CreekDog Apr 2015 #20
I believe you addressed this to the wrong person? Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #21
I didn't take it as "shaming" San Francisco... where I also live and (luckily) own a home. deurbano Apr 2015 #23
Thank you. K&R woo me with science Apr 2015 #4
You're welcome. This system should become best practice in all Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #5
“If you want to end homelessness, you put people in housing...” freshwest Apr 2015 #6
^^^This!^^^ Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #8
You know, I bet we could solve hunger the same way. dixiegrrrrl Apr 2015 #35
I understand the popularity of this story, but it is not applicable everywhere. maxsolomon Apr 2015 #13
I see you are of the 'glass half empty' school. Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #16
Well said, Surya Gayatri! And thank you for this thread. Enthusiast Apr 2015 #28
My pleasure, Enthusiast! Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #31
that hardly follows reddread Apr 2015 #42
book marking for later reading Liberal_in_LA Apr 2015 #14
LA is doing this Liberal_in_LA Apr 2015 #15
Well, if they can't ELIMINATE homelessness in one go, I guess Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #17
just beware that people are using the rubric of housing first reddread Apr 2015 #22
Would that not be fraudulent use of federal monies? Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #24
is there any other kind? reddread Apr 2015 #33
Sorry, was this intended as an answer to my question about the Utah Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #34
I cannot speak to the Utah experience reddread Apr 2015 #40
I worked for a homeless agency for eight years. JDPriestly Apr 2015 #27
When will we learn to invest in human potential rather than Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #29
Exactly! JDPriestly Apr 2015 #30
What an excellent post! Enthusiast Apr 2015 #32
That also goes against the right wing meme treestar Apr 2015 #37
Very well said... Surya Gayatri Apr 2015 #38
The image of the man in the snow storm should go viral, like the story. freshwest Apr 2015 #43
Yes, spread the word. Many grateful people there. libdem4life Apr 2015 #44
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