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Homelessness induced by mental health challenges. I know this isn't exactly what you were asking, but this is an area in which creating engineering solutions ca

Homelessness induced by mental health challenges. I know this isn't exactly what you were asking, but this is an area in which creating engineering solutions can go a long way. As suggested - think geographically local. Improvements in the way our society handles these issues, proven to work on a local scale, can be adapted and replicated globally.

david927 9y ago
That's solved in every industrialized country besides America. It's an issue of political will. I think it's a great thing to work on, and desperately needed in the US, but it's not a question of how to implement it but rather the political change to implement it. Edit: it's not even, strictly speaking, nation-wide. Idaho for example, does a great job on this. California had most of its mental health facilities shut down during the 1960's when Reagan was Governor to save costs.
- 09bjb 9y ago
  How? Is there a simple solution that would work in the U.S. as well? Most people I've heard that are reasonably informed about it here invariably end up with, "It's complicated, because it's a combination of issues spanning mental health, law enforcement, drug policy, etc..."
- mojomark 9y ago
  >>That's solved in every industrialized country besides America. Whoa. That's an interesting unsubstantiated statistic. A quick (albeit unnecessary) Google search begs to differ: https://homelessworldcup.org/homelessness-statistics/ https://homelessworldcup.org/homelessness-statistics/
  - david927 9y ago
    It's really not. First, I said industrialized. I know that homelessness is high in some poorer countries. I'm talking about the wealthy countries such as most EU countries. Switzerland, for example, doesn't remotely have this problem.
    - marak830 9y ago
      Australia has the same issue. Unless you can argue Australia isn't a 1st world country.
      - david927 9y ago
        Did you read the full comment? Australia, I'm guessing, is more similar to Idaho than California.
        marak830 9y ago
        I commented before the edit, but even after the edit I don't agree. (As someone who volunteered assisting mentialy handicapped homeless for 3 years).
        crispinb 9y ago
        Homeless is increasing fast in Australia, largely a consequence of property speculation. It's also increasing in every European country except Finland (https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/sep/14/lessons-from-finland-helping-homeless-housing-model-homes https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/sep/14/less...).
    - jbg_ 9y ago
      I can only assume you haven't spent a lot of time in the EU... Switzerland (which is not in the EU) is the only European country I've been to that does not have a very visible population of homeless people.
      - david927 9y ago
        20 years in Europe. I've never never never never tripped over crazy homeless. It's all I do in Berkeley and SF. It's not a small, nuanced difference but literally night and day. Have you really seen tents downtown in any city in Europe? I'm American but most Europeans I know struggle with living in the Bay Area because it's such a shock for them.
- frightfulfalcon 9y ago
  I've tripped over plenty of spaced out homeless in Barcelona. Particularly in touristy/nightlife places like Port Olympic and La Rambla, but on the block of every hotel I've stayed in as well. I haven't seen you mention what legislation and support Idaho has for the homeless that California doesn't. Are you saying Boise has more access to mental health facilities than SF? My general sense is cities in Idaho, like a lot of places that aren't the Bay Area, prosecute the homeless until they move somewhere less visible but haven't improved their situation at all, can you enlighten me?
PaulHoule 9y ago
Plus suicide, disability, etc.
mercer 9y ago
I'd go further and slightly more abstract by focusing on countering loneliness and/or on fostering community. I strongly suspect that technological and societal developments have increased loneliness in a worrying degree. At least based on my research and personal experience homelessness is very often a 'symptom' of loneliness, or lack of a tribe/community. I also believe that mental health or lack thereof is, sadly, often a symptom of waning communal life. Even more specifically, high-functioning autism might well be, in part, a symptom of a less 'cohesive' society. Theory aside, I think our work as programmers has significantly changed the way society communicates and interacts. For better and worse. Would it not make sense that we continue this work, but more towards solving the issues we perceive, whether self-created or not? I propose programmers spend more time talking to friends about challenges in their life that might be 'programmed' away, and less time on ads, tracking, manager checklist #321, or anything fundamentally centered around Business, because, let's be fair, on the whole, at least in 'the west', we as programmers have it incredibly good, so we can afford to be ideological.

david927 9y ago

That's solved in every industrialized country besides America. It's an issue of political will. I think it's a great thing to work on, and desperately needed in the US, but it's not a question of how to implement it but rather the political change to implement it. Edit: it's not even, strictly speaking, nation-wide. Idaho for example, does a great job on this. California had most of its mental health facilities shut down during the 1960's when Reagan was Governor to save costs.

09bjb 9y ago
How? Is there a simple solution that would work in the U.S. as well? Most people I've heard that are reasonably informed about it here invariably end up with, "It's complicated, because it's a combination of issues spanning mental health, law enforcement, drug policy, etc..."
mojomark 9y ago
>>That's solved in every industrialized country besides America. Whoa. That's an interesting unsubstantiated statistic. A quick (albeit unnecessary) Google search begs to differ: https://homelessworldcup.org/homelessness-statistics/ https://homelessworldcup.org/homelessness-statistics/
- david927 9y ago
  It's really not. First, I said industrialized. I know that homelessness is high in some poorer countries. I'm talking about the wealthy countries such as most EU countries. Switzerland, for example, doesn't remotely have this problem.
  - marak830 9y ago
    Australia has the same issue. Unless you can argue Australia isn't a 1st world country.
    - david927 9y ago
      Did you read the full comment? Australia, I'm guessing, is more similar to Idaho than California.
      - marak830 9y ago
        I commented before the edit, but even after the edit I don't agree. (As someone who volunteered assisting mentialy handicapped homeless for 3 years).
      - crispinb 9y ago
        Homeless is increasing fast in Australia, largely a consequence of property speculation. It's also increasing in every European country except Finland (https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/sep/14/lessons-from-finland-helping-homeless-housing-model-homes https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2016/sep/14/less...).
  - jbg_ 9y ago
    I can only assume you haven't spent a lot of time in the EU... Switzerland (which is not in the EU) is the only European country I've been to that does not have a very visible population of homeless people.
    - david927 9y ago
      20 years in Europe. I've never never never never tripped over crazy homeless. It's all I do in Berkeley and SF. It's not a small, nuanced difference but literally night and day. Have you really seen tents downtown in any city in Europe? I'm American but most Europeans I know struggle with living in the Bay Area because it's such a shock for them.
frightfulfalcon 9y ago
I've tripped over plenty of spaced out homeless in Barcelona. Particularly in touristy/nightlife places like Port Olympic and La Rambla, but on the block of every hotel I've stayed in as well. I haven't seen you mention what legislation and support Idaho has for the homeless that California doesn't. Are you saying Boise has more access to mental health facilities than SF? My general sense is cities in Idaho, like a lot of places that aren't the Bay Area, prosecute the homeless until they move somewhere less visible but haven't improved their situation at all, can you enlighten me?

PaulHoule 9y ago

Plus suicide, disability, etc.

mercer 9y ago

I'd go further and slightly more abstract by focusing on countering loneliness and/or on fostering community. I strongly suspect that technological and societal developments have increased loneliness in a worrying degree. At least based on my research and personal experience homelessness is very often a 'symptom' of loneliness, or lack of a tribe/community. I also believe that mental health or lack thereof is, sadly, often a symptom of waning communal life. Even more specifically, high-functioning autism might well be, in part, a symptom of a less 'cohesive' society. Theory aside, I think our work as programmers has significantly changed the way society communicates and interacts. For better and worse. Would it not make sense that we continue this work, but more towards solving the issues we perceive, whether self-created or not? I propose programmers spend more time talking to friends about challenges in their life that might be 'programmed' away, and less time on ads, tracking, manager checklist #321, or anything fundamentally centered around Business, because, let's be fair, on the whole, at least in 'the west', we as programmers have it incredibly good, so we can afford to be ideological.