6 ms·

This is very similar to the homeless situation where I live. We had to recently break up a camp in one of the beach communities too. Many, many drug addicts (es

by 20years 11y ago

This is very similar to the homeless situation where I live. We had to recently break up a camp in one of the beach communities too. Many, many drug addicts (especially meth) and mentally ill (possibly due to drugs). Simply providing shelter is not the solution imo. The challenge is so much bigger than that. Drug rehab services need to be provided or even required. The easy access to drugs also needs to be addressed. I am all for helping people that need our help. I am not for enabling certain behaviors though such as drug use. It is going to be hard to empower drug addicted homeless people if they can't hold down a job or relationships due to their addiction. I am not saying this is the case for all homeless but at least in my area, it is the majority. If we want to solve this problem, we need to provide shelter along with drug rehab services & require weekly clean drug tests as a requirement to keep the shelter. Now the costs for all of that, I am sure is just as big of a challenge.

iamnothere 11y ago
This is directly contrary to what has been found to work in practice. Mental illness and drug addiction can take years to treat successfully, and it's impossible to treat people who don't live in a fixed location. "Housing first" policies treat housing as the first priority, necessary for even gaining access to help people with other problems. Without housing, many of these people gradually become worse off and eventually die. Housing should be treated as a human right, without any special conditions imposed.
- 20years 11y ago
  "we need to provide shelter along with drug rehab services"
  - iamnothere 11y ago
    Yes, but treatment should be sought voluntarily, not imposed as a condition of housing. *edit: Treatment should be readily available and highly encouraged, obviously.
    - 20years 11y ago
      I am curious why you feel it should be voluntarily? If we are doing our part by providing resources and money for shelter/food/rehab, shouldn't they be doing their part to get & stay clean? We need to be accountable in providing shelter, food, rehab. They need to be accountable for staying clean. Otherwise, I fear it will not work. It should be a 2 way street.
      - iamnothere 11y ago
        People need a home before any kind of treatment would be effective. Unfortunately, treatments for both mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse require a long time to work, and relapses are extremely common. Further, these treatments aren't usually effective unless the recipient feels that any needed lifestyle changes are made of their own volition; if they feel "forced" into it, treatment won't work long-term. This "housing first" approach, when implemented properly, has proven effective in many areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_First https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_First
        20years 11y ago
        I appreciate your view point. Thanks!
adwf 11y ago
> If we want to solve this problem, we need to provide shelter along with drug rehab services & require weekly clean drug tests as a requirement to keep the shelter. Yes and no. The question is, are people becoming homeless because they're drug addicts or becoming drug addicts because they are homeless? If it's the former then yes, clean drug tests - as a requirement to compel them to get better - might help. If it's the latter however, you're just going to drive away the very people that you are trying to help. I venture to say that most drug addicts don't actually want to be that way. So throwing them a lifeline and then taking it away because they're addicted? Seems callous and unhelpful. You'll never solve the problem that way.
- 20years 11y ago
  "I venture to say that most drug addicts don't actually want to be that way" I agree with this which is why I think we should offer the support they need to get better. I also feel that people need to be held accountable. If you are not held accountable for staying clean when you are provided the support you need, it will be easy to go right back into it.
  - adwf 11y ago
    That might be fine for the mental addiction side of it, but is absolutely not for the physical side. It's why addiction is such a serious problem. People seriously cannot just will themselves clean.

by 20years 11y ago

iamnothere 11y ago

This is directly contrary to what has been found to work in practice. Mental illness and drug addiction can take years to treat successfully, and it's impossible to treat people who don't live in a fixed location. "Housing first" policies treat housing as the first priority, necessary for even gaining access to help people with other problems. Without housing, many of these people gradually become worse off and eventually die. Housing should be treated as a human right, without any special conditions imposed.

20years 11y ago
"we need to provide shelter along with drug rehab services"
- iamnothere 11y ago
  Yes, but treatment should be sought voluntarily, not imposed as a condition of housing. *edit: Treatment should be readily available and highly encouraged, obviously.
  - 20years 11y ago
    I am curious why you feel it should be voluntarily? If we are doing our part by providing resources and money for shelter/food/rehab, shouldn't they be doing their part to get & stay clean? We need to be accountable in providing shelter, food, rehab. They need to be accountable for staying clean. Otherwise, I fear it will not work. It should be a 2 way street.
    - iamnothere 11y ago
      People need a home before any kind of treatment would be effective. Unfortunately, treatments for both mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse require a long time to work, and relapses are extremely common. Further, these treatments aren't usually effective unless the recipient feels that any needed lifestyle changes are made of their own volition; if they feel "forced" into it, treatment won't work long-term. This "housing first" approach, when implemented properly, has proven effective in many areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_First https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_First
      - 20years 11y ago
        I appreciate your view point. Thanks!

adwf 11y ago

> If we want to solve this problem, we need to provide shelter along with drug rehab services & require weekly clean drug tests as a requirement to keep the shelter. Yes and no. The question is, are people becoming homeless because they're drug addicts or becoming drug addicts because they are homeless? If it's the former then yes, clean drug tests - as a requirement to compel them to get better - might help. If it's the latter however, you're just going to drive away the very people that you are trying to help. I venture to say that most drug addicts don't actually want to be that way. So throwing them a lifeline and then taking it away because they're addicted? Seems callous and unhelpful. You'll never solve the problem that way.

20years 11y ago
"I venture to say that most drug addicts don't actually want to be that way" I agree with this which is why I think we should offer the support they need to get better. I also feel that people need to be held accountable. If you are not held accountable for staying clean when you are provided the support you need, it will be easy to go right back into it.
- adwf 11y ago
  That might be fine for the mental addiction side of it, but is absolutely not for the physical side. It's why addiction is such a serious problem. People seriously cannot just will themselves clean.