4 ms·

You obviously need to address the core issues of homelessness first. But then what? Once someone has marketable skills, mental health treatment and is in a bett

by netfire 11y ago

You obviously need to address the core issues of homelessness first. But then what? Once someone has marketable skills, mental health treatment and is in a better condition to contribute to society, do you ask them to leave the city because there isn't anywhere they can afford to live? Unaffordable housing may not be the reason someone is on the street, but its definitely a problem on the path away from that situation.

jff 11y ago
> You obviously need to address the core issues of homelessness first. But then what? Once someone has marketable skills, mental health treatment and is in a better condition to contribute to society, do you ask them to leave the city because there isn't anywhere they can afford to live? There are plenty of jobs in the rest of the state or the country, places where you can get an apartment for a couple hundred bucks a month. Given a choice between living on the streets in San Francisco or working minimum wage in Turlock, I know which I'd choose.
- netfire 11y ago
  Agreed, that's what I would choose as well, but would the people that are already homeless make that decision as well? It seems like part of getting someone off the street is building a support system to help them stay on the path to recovery. If you establish that system in the bay area (maybe with local friends, family, social workers, etc) and then ship that person out of the city or state, what are the chances that they will return to homelessness when things get tough?
fredkbloggs 11y ago
> do you ask them to leave the city because there isn't anywhere they can afford to live? I would expect most people in that situation to make that call on their own. Personally, if my choices were to live in a homeless shelter in SF or in an apartment in Cleveland, I'd head east. But the point is that the City does have a lot of programs to help people who have a job and family in SF but can't afford market-rate housing. Someone in that situation has many options, of which leaving the City is only one. Someone lying in a pool of vomit on Tehama St. waiting for his fourth SFFD pickup of the day doesn't have any of those options.
tsotha 11y ago
>Once someone has marketable skills, mental health treatment and is in a better condition to contribute to society, do you ask them to leave the city because there isn't anywhere they can afford to live? Why not? There are a lot of people outside the city who would move there if they could afford it.

by netfire 11y ago

jff 11y ago

> You obviously need to address the core issues of homelessness first. But then what? Once someone has marketable skills, mental health treatment and is in a better condition to contribute to society, do you ask them to leave the city because there isn't anywhere they can afford to live? There are plenty of jobs in the rest of the state or the country, places where you can get an apartment for a couple hundred bucks a month. Given a choice between living on the streets in San Francisco or working minimum wage in Turlock, I know which I'd choose.

netfire 11y ago
Agreed, that's what I would choose as well, but would the people that are already homeless make that decision as well? It seems like part of getting someone off the street is building a support system to help them stay on the path to recovery. If you establish that system in the bay area (maybe with local friends, family, social workers, etc) and then ship that person out of the city or state, what are the chances that they will return to homelessness when things get tough?

fredkbloggs 11y ago

> do you ask them to leave the city because there isn't anywhere they can afford to live? I would expect most people in that situation to make that call on their own. Personally, if my choices were to live in a homeless shelter in SF or in an apartment in Cleveland, I'd head east. But the point is that the City does have a lot of programs to help people who have a job and family in SF but can't afford market-rate housing. Someone in that situation has many options, of which leaving the City is only one. Someone lying in a pool of vomit on Tehama St. waiting for his fourth SFFD pickup of the day doesn't have any of those options.

tsotha 11y ago

>Once someone has marketable skills, mental health treatment and is in a better condition to contribute to society, do you ask them to leave the city because there isn't anywhere they can afford to live? Why not? There are a lot of people outside the city who would move there if they could afford it.