The homeless in my city.

[Ray9]

As the weather turns bitterly cold, attention is turned to the homeless in the city. These souls belong to every age but there seem to be many more of them than in the past rivaling the Great Depression when hobo camps were commonplace. Some of these people just have serious issues like mental illness and drug addiction and some just checked out of society decades ago and never checked back in.

If you review homelessness you will notice that many of these people have elaborate and bizarre accounts of how they ended up homeless. That’s when you realize that something’s not right and it becomes crystal clear that most of them can’t be held morally or spiritually responsible for their dire circumstances.

We’re not talking about temporary homelessness here where a person is just down on his or her luck via job loss, divorce or whatever. Chronic homelessness is a nationwide issue and it’s growing at a time when it shouldn’t be.

I don’t pretend to know what the answer is but I know what it isn’t. Someone suggested that we convert a huge, empty industrial complex into a homeless shelter. It sounds good superficially but there are problems, not the least of which is that the site contamination and air quality there is about one notch above a nuclear waste dump.

Even if it were feasible to find a large homeless shelter it would be unwise. It would advertise the city as a Mecca for the homeless and the busses would start rolling in from surrounding towns. The result could be that in time it would be cheaper just to round up all the homeless and give them round trip tickets to Hawaii every six months.

Homelessness should be studied. Maybe we could start by taking a long, hard look at some of these health professionals with “pain Management” attached to their moniker. Making a comfortable living by peddling chemicals that rewire the brain is definitely part of problem. And of course the impending legalization of marijuana is another clever idea fostered by professionals that will likely expand homelessness to even higher levels.

What happened to families? That’s another thing the experts have been working to eliminate with great success. Many of the homeless have nowhere to go; dad and mom are out there playing the field. Maybe another beer joint would help.

I don’t have answers; just suspicions.

 

[WillPower]

Countless empty buildings in every city could be used to get them in out of the weather and a sandwich in their bellies in lieu of the shelters being crowded and run by gangs. I know the problems are difficult and money is in short supply but I'd think some kind of safe, basic shelter for them isn't asking for the moon.

 

[Rambunctious]

80% of homeless people that refuse aid are struggling with mental disorders and or addiction....if you want help and want to get off the streets there are places you can go....In my town there are fewer homeless than in the recent past...most are single men....the homeless families we saw over the last 6 or 7 years are fewer in number...they are seeking and getting help....we need more mental health centers...and care facilities....bring it up at your next town hall meeting....

 

[WillPower]

80% of homeless people that refuse aid are struggling with mental disorders and or addiction....if you want help and want to get off the streets there are places you can go....In my town there are fewer homeless than in the recent past...most are single men....the homeless families we saw over the last 6 or 7 years are fewer in number...they are seeking and getting help....we need more mental health centers...and care facilities....bring it up at your next town hall meeting....

Public toilets would be a good place to start...when they have to go they have to go, be it on a sidewalk or in a port-a-john.....that wouldn't cost that much and cities wouldn't be required to hose down the sidewalks ala San Fran these days.

 

[candycorn]

I certainly cannot speak for every homeless person and of course can't speak for every city of course but in the large (and smaller) towns I have lived in, there are resources that the homeless simply do not avail themselves of because they can not or do not want to abide by the rules of the shelter, church, charity, etc... Some require a clean criminal background. Many homeless do not have one. Some of the homeless have pets which amazes me to no end. Many shelters won't take the pets so the pet owner will not go there.

It's not always a case of society turning it's back on them; in a lot of cases, they have turned their back on society.

 

[OldLady]

Countless empty buildings in every city could be used to get them in out of the weather and a sandwich in their bellies in lieu of the shelters being crowded and run by gangs. I know the problems are difficult and money is in short supply but I'd think some kind of safe, basic shelter for them isn't asking for the moon.

A lot of homeless folks don't want to get involved in programs to help them find housing or work. They don't want that do-gooder interference forced on them. ALL of the shelters I know of are pretty much social work run and have rules up the wazoo for getting these people some kind of "security." But many of the homeless don't want all the red tape and endless bureaucratic rules and jumping through hoop after hoop. Or the preaching. They just want a cot when it's cold. A shower, maybe, once in awhile. That kind of relief will never be forthcoming, not if there are government funds involved.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

There are countless homeless in my metro area of about 300,000 which is comprised of two cities that border each other along with the outlying area. . The downtown of the larger, more affluent city is absolutely filled with homeless who clog the streets. The downtown of the smaller, less affluent city has a few homeless, but they are far fewer in number.

I bet if one were to perform a survey of the two places, one would find that the homeless of the smaller city are from the area and the homeless of the larger city are primarily from out of state. The larger city has more services for homeless than the smaller, and so it acts as an attractant. The more a city does for the homeless, the more homeless are drawn to that city and so it creates a bit of a catch 22 in that the more a city does for the homeless, the greater its homeless problem.

It seems to me that the answer lies in taking preventive measures BEFORE they become homeless. We have virtually NO working mental health system in this country thanks to the courts which have taken away the ability of mental health institutions to deal with the severely mentally ill and placed responsibility upon law enforcement, which has to deal with the resulting disturbed behavior. It's just catch and release as the mentally ill are not given any help that would help alleviate their problem, and are simply let loose to function on their own.

 

[Ray9]

80% of homeless people that refuse aid are struggling with mental disorders and or addiction....if you want help and want to get off the streets there are places you can go....In my town there are fewer homeless than in the recent past...most are single men....the homeless families we saw over the last 6 or 7 years are fewer in number...they are seeking and getting help....we need more mental health centers...and care facilities....bring it up at your next town hall meeting....

If you build it they will come but it doesn't get to the root of th

Countless empty buildings in every city could be used to get them in out of the weather and a sandwich in their bellies in lieu of the shelters being crowded and run by gangs. I know the problems are difficult and money is in short supply but I'd think some kind of safe, basic shelter for them isn't asking for the moon.

If you build it some will come and some will be taken by force until they are incarcerated for being violent. It's worse on the East Coast because the cold is a killer. It's sociology/politics 101. We need to take a look at leadership.

 

[pismoe]

lots of homeless in my area and many are young . They sleep in the woods in camps or alone until they are moved out . There are 3 little seperate towns with a combined population of about 12 thousand in a string of about 12 - 15 mile long. [Very rural ] . I don't know the answer but i have thought that a large field of platforms , maybe used pallets to pitch tents on and some portable toilets and a dumpster . Course i suppose that we'd get more homeless but they don't bother me . ---------------------------- about 6 months ago i saw a 20 - 30 year old kid walking through town . He had a homebuilt small trailer big enough for him and probably the dog to squeeze into and sleep in and be enclosed . Trailer held supplies , sleeping gear , stove and was pretty neat . And it was pulled by a big dog .

 

[MarathonMike]

The number of homeless in my city is dropping. Many of the homeless here are Vets with mental problems and there are more services for them and a fairly large volunteer force that reaches out to them to get them off the street. So even though new homeless show up all the time, I'm not seeing the big groups hanging out in the parks I used to. And yes a lot of the homeless here have dogs. For the most part the dogs seem to be in good health not skinny and limping at least.

 

[percysunshine]

The number of homeless in my city is dropping. Many of the homeless here are Vets with mental problems and there are more services for them and a fairly large volunteer force that reaches out to them to get them off the street. So even though new homeless show up all the time, I'm not seeing the big groups hanging out in the parks I used to. And yes a lot of the homeless here have dogs. For the most part the dogs seem to be in good health not skinny and limping at least.

Did they all move to California?

 

[WillPower]

There are countless homeless in my metro area of about 300,000 which is comprised of two cities that border each other along with the outlying area. . The downtown of the larger, more affluent city is absolutely filled with homeless who clog the streets. The downtown of the smaller, less affluent city has a few homeless, but they are far fewer in number.

I bet if one were to perform a survey of the two places, one would find that the homeless of the smaller city are from the area and the homeless of the larger city are primarily from out of state. The larger city has more services for homeless than the smaller, and so it acts as an attractant. The more a city does for the homeless, the more homeless are drawn to that city and so it creates a bit of a catch 22 in that the more a city does for the homeless, the greater its homeless problem.

It seems to me that the answer lies in taking preventive measures BEFORE they become homeless. We have virtually NO working mental health system in this country thanks to the courts which have taken away the ability of mental health institutions to deal with the severely mentally ill and placed responsibility upon law enforcement, which has to deal with the resulting disturbed behavior. It's just catch and release as the mentally ill are not given any help that would help alleviate their problem, and are simply let loose to function on their own.

There used to be flop house hotel rooms in the cities a bum could rent for a night or a week. But the democrats decided to gentrify those areas, took the developer bribes, and tore them down. No nuthouses anymore either...a few bad apples and the democrats demanded they be closed so now the nuts and bums are roaming around with no place to sleep or have a few hours of privacy. The rehab programs aren't working because the touchy-feely crap doesn't work with meth-heads...they need to be tossed into detox and kept there until they can function without the poison. I believe there are plenty of private resources and charitable and forgiving people to organize and get these homeless some relief from the streets. I always thought if I lost everything and was destitute, I'd be a roof-dweller...above it all on some building, with a ladder I'd pull up at night for safety while I slept.....nice view, privacy, maybe a few pigeons to talk to.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

I certainly cannot speak for every homeless person and of course can't speak for every city of course but in the large (and smaller) towns I have lived in, there are resources that the homeless simply do not avail themselves of because they can not or do not want to abide by the rules of the shelter, church, charity, etc... Some require a clean criminal background. Many homeless do not have one. Some of the homeless have pets which amazes me to no end. Many shelters won't take the pets so the pet owner will not go there.

It's not always a case of society turning it's back on them; in a lot of cases, they have turned their back on society.

This is true especially with religious organizations. You have to be sober to stay in their facilities and many of the homeless are not.

 

[pismoe]

correct about the 'flop houses' and 'bum or hobo jungles' as i heard about them as i was growing up .

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

80% of homeless people that refuse aid are struggling with mental disorders and or addiction....if you want help and want to get off the streets there are places you can go....In my town there are fewer homeless than in the recent past...most are single men....the homeless families we saw over the last 6 or 7 years are fewer in number...they are seeking and getting help....we need more mental health centers...and care facilities....bring it up at your next town hall meeting....

Years ago this subject came up at a family doing. My late Uncle worked at a hotel downtown. He told me of these two guys he worked with. They were homeless, but worked just as good as any other employee. They came to work on time, clean, and did the job as expected.

He said every Friday when they got paid just before lunch, the two homeless guys ran down to the train tracks and disappeared until after lunch. He said he had no idea where they went or what they did with their paychecks, but what he did know is they made enough money together to easily afford an apartment somewhere.

It's an illness is all.

 

[pismoe]

your post number 15 reminds me of when as an 18 year old in 1967 [or so] i worked in the Ritz Plaza hotel on Collins Ave in Miami Beach Ray . I was a young adult and just married and i was the Kitchen Steward or Boss of the Kosher kitchen though i did not boss around the Chef that came in to cook dinner . I didn't boss around the Rabbi either . I think i made 60 dollars a week . i was also the salad man . I was the Boss of the dishwasher , the breakfast cook and 2 - 3 other old guys that were all DRUNKS . These drunks all lived in employees quarters in the basement of the nice residential Hotel and they usually showed for work in the morning . Anyway , it was a good deal for these old guy drunks . I lived with my wife in a nice but tiny apartment on 1st street near the 'dog track' and ocean in Miami Beach for 40 bucks a month Ray in Cleveland . -

 

[jwoodie]

"Homelessness" is a term that is deliberately used to suggest the loss of a home due to some disaster (fire, flood, etc.) rather than the actual reasons most people live on the streets or in camps (mental illness, addiction, etc.). Virtually all of these people have permanent shelter available to them, but they choose otherwise. This may not be their fault, but to convince them otherwise is a fool's errand. There are only two practical choices regarding people who demonstrate an inability or unwillingness to care for themselves: Protective custody or barely restrained chaos.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

We had less of a problem with this years ago. We used to commit people who demonstrated they were unable to care for themselves or a danger to others.

A police officer or family member would get a hearing to have a person committed. The judge made the ruling and if positive, the subject in question was hauled off to a facility.

In the 70's, Geraldo was just making the scene and scored a prime time weekly news show. He did a segment on those committed and claimed it was totally unconstitutional. He called them crime-less prisoners and we are locking up people who desire to be free.

It wasn't long after that he followed up on his series with shelters who were forced by the court to unlock their doors. These people were allowed to stay if they desired, but they were no longer allowed to hold them against their will. They are still roaming our streets today, and because it's virtually impossible to have somebody committed when they are out of their minds, some get their hands on guns and kill as many students in a school that they can.