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For anyone wondering what they can do to help homeless people, a first step (that costs you nothing) is to simply treat them like normal people. If they speak t

For anyone wondering what they can do to help homeless people, a first step (that costs you nothing) is to simply treat them like normal people. If they speak to you, reply like you would any other person. If they ask you for money, respond to them politely. Don't simply ignore them as if they don't exist. Don't be afraid to smile and make eye contact. Just be nice, and remember that they're people too. There isn't much, other than luck and some privilege, which separates most of us elites from someone who finds themselves living on the street.

humanrebar 9y ago
> There isn't much, other than luck and some privilege, which separates most of us elites from someone who finds themselves living on the street. It's not entirely random. This might be a good reminder to get good disability insurance, life insurance, and a living will to protect your family if something big happens like a car accident or the development of a mental health disorder.
- taneq 9y ago
  Maybe a nice society-wide way to do this would be to have a government-supported healthcare system which doesn't beggar people for an MRI or some simple meds.
- Chris2048 9y ago
  Not genetics then? The high number of homeless with mental disorders is entirely environmental? Or do you tautologically include that as "luck" and/or "privilege"?
  - humanrebar 9y ago
    I was encouraging everyone to protect their loved ones in any case. There are some things we can be proactive about. Whether someone has a life insurance policy and a will specifying custody for their kids isn't luck. Whether (at least white collar) people have long-term disability insurance isn't luck either.
- zimpenfish 9y ago
  > get good disability insurance, life insurance The ability to afford those probably comes under "some privilege" since if you're in the lower economic stratas, those tend to be luxuries.
  - humanrebar 9y ago
    I presume that most people discussing issues on HN can afford these things. I'm not telling homeless people to go out and buy long term disability insurance.
giancarlostoro 9y ago
> If they ask you for money, respond to them politely. Offering them food instead wont hurt if you truly want to help them but don't trust them with your money. If they circle back to money just politely decline and move on. I've ran into a couple different types. Some want any help, others want money.
- yodsanklai 9y ago
  > if you truly want to help them but don't trust them with your money? why not?
  - a13n 9y ago
    Drugs
    - lsiebert 9y ago
      5 dollars or whatever you give doesn't really buy much in terms of drugs, I suspect.
      - ryguytilidie 9y ago
        There's a reason the term nickel bag exists.
      - mkane848 9y ago
        I suspect you haven't particularly looked very hard, then
  - cx1000 9y ago
    They may spend it on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc. Or even be exaggerating/faking their circumstances.
    - CaptainZapp 9y ago
      They may spend it on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs Sure, but so what? Doesn't a person have a right to escape his miserable circumstances for a short time? Sure, food or shelter are certainly the more wholesome option. But who am I to judge a person's morality for what he does with a couple francs that I just gave him?
ajeet_dhaliwal 9y ago
I agree with the general sentiment and indeed do everything you suggest. Based on my experience 99% of the time this is the right approach but there is a small minority of people who are severely damaged. I live in London, UK and despite being polite I've had homeless people be aggressive to me, loud swearing and yelling, but nothing physical so far. Also there was a recent story where a kind woman tried to help a homeless person and invited him to live in her home and tragically he ended up murdering her, her son, and almost the husband (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41484206 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41484206). Obviously that particular incident is extremely rare but the point, yes everyone is a human, yes everyone should be treated with respect but be cautious, it's impossible to know how damaged and ill someone might be and I think it's best to keep interactions to a minimum but be polite.
- hyperbovine 9y ago
  Small minority is understating it by quite a bit, though I appreciate your tact. Over half of homeless people suffer some form of mental illness, and a quarter are severely mentally ill. (Perhaps in the UK the figures are less extreme owing to better public health care.) http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/Mental_Illness.pdf http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/Mental_Illness.pd...
justin66 9y ago
> For anyone wondering what they can do to help homeless people, a first step (that costs you nothing) is to simply treat them like normal people. If they speak to you, reply like you would any other person. If they ask you for money, respond to them politely. Don't simply ignore them as if they don't exist. Don't be afraid to smile and make eye contact. Just be nice, and remember that they're people too. And be prepared for any of the things you are suggesting to backfire in some exciting ways.
archagon 9y ago
I've had some truly fascinating (and heart-wrenching) conversations with homeless people just standing around on the BART. Sometimes people just start talking to me. Even years later, I still remember many of those talks. It makes me so sad that we just discard these people, step over them, joke about the Tenderloin and refer to them as if they were trash, in one of the richest and most "liberal" cities in the world. Recently, I sat with a homeless woman who was mugged and beaten for her last remaining belongings. She cried because somebody had finally noticed her pain and helped her call an ambulance instead of standing on the opposite side of the platform. We have more resources than we know what to do with but can't even help people who are literally dying on our doorstep.
- ryandrake 9y ago
  > We have more resources than we know what to do with but can't even help people who are literally dying on our doorstep. Who's this "we?" The vast majority of people are barely getting by, and are a handful of missed paychecks away from poverty. The middle class is shrinking fast. There are a small number of people who "have more resources than they know what to do with". But, they're off yachting over to Belize to buy their fifth vacation home and figuring out how to shelter their wealth so their families remain perpetually among the elite. Ask them to fix homelessness--the rest of us are busy trying to survive. I'm tired of being asked to sacrifice while the ultra-rich are buying their pet dogs $20K diamond encrusted iPhones.

humanrebar 9y ago

> There isn't much, other than luck and some privilege, which separates most of us elites from someone who finds themselves living on the street. It's not entirely random. This might be a good reminder to get good disability insurance, life insurance, and a living will to protect your family if something big happens like a car accident or the development of a mental health disorder.

taneq 9y ago
Maybe a nice society-wide way to do this would be to have a government-supported healthcare system which doesn't beggar people for an MRI or some simple meds.
Chris2048 9y ago
Not genetics then? The high number of homeless with mental disorders is entirely environmental? Or do you tautologically include that as "luck" and/or "privilege"?
- humanrebar 9y ago
  I was encouraging everyone to protect their loved ones in any case. There are some things we can be proactive about. Whether someone has a life insurance policy and a will specifying custody for their kids isn't luck. Whether (at least white collar) people have long-term disability insurance isn't luck either.
zimpenfish 9y ago
> get good disability insurance, life insurance The ability to afford those probably comes under "some privilege" since if you're in the lower economic stratas, those tend to be luxuries.
- humanrebar 9y ago
  I presume that most people discussing issues on HN can afford these things. I'm not telling homeless people to go out and buy long term disability insurance.

giancarlostoro 9y ago

> If they ask you for money, respond to them politely. Offering them food instead wont hurt if you truly want to help them but don't trust them with your money. If they circle back to money just politely decline and move on. I've ran into a couple different types. Some want any help, others want money.

yodsanklai 9y ago
> if you truly want to help them but don't trust them with your money? why not?
- a13n 9y ago
  Drugs
  - lsiebert 9y ago
    5 dollars or whatever you give doesn't really buy much in terms of drugs, I suspect.
    - ryguytilidie 9y ago
      There's a reason the term nickel bag exists.
    - mkane848 9y ago
      I suspect you haven't particularly looked very hard, then
- cx1000 9y ago
  They may spend it on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc. Or even be exaggerating/faking their circumstances.
  - CaptainZapp 9y ago
    They may spend it on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs Sure, but so what? Doesn't a person have a right to escape his miserable circumstances for a short time? Sure, food or shelter are certainly the more wholesome option. But who am I to judge a person's morality for what he does with a couple francs that I just gave him?

ajeet_dhaliwal 9y ago

I agree with the general sentiment and indeed do everything you suggest. Based on my experience 99% of the time this is the right approach but there is a small minority of people who are severely damaged. I live in London, UK and despite being polite I've had homeless people be aggressive to me, loud swearing and yelling, but nothing physical so far. Also there was a recent story where a kind woman tried to help a homeless person and invited him to live in her home and tragically he ended up murdering her, her son, and almost the husband (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41484206 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41484206). Obviously that particular incident is extremely rare but the point, yes everyone is a human, yes everyone should be treated with respect but be cautious, it's impossible to know how damaged and ill someone might be and I think it's best to keep interactions to a minimum but be polite.

hyperbovine 9y ago
Small minority is understating it by quite a bit, though I appreciate your tact. Over half of homeless people suffer some form of mental illness, and a quarter are severely mentally ill. (Perhaps in the UK the figures are less extreme owing to better public health care.) http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/Mental_Illness.pdf http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/Mental_Illness.pd...

justin66 9y ago

> For anyone wondering what they can do to help homeless people, a first step (that costs you nothing) is to simply treat them like normal people. If they speak to you, reply like you would any other person. If they ask you for money, respond to them politely. Don't simply ignore them as if they don't exist. Don't be afraid to smile and make eye contact. Just be nice, and remember that they're people too. And be prepared for any of the things you are suggesting to backfire in some exciting ways.

archagon 9y ago

I've had some truly fascinating (and heart-wrenching) conversations with homeless people just standing around on the BART. Sometimes people just start talking to me. Even years later, I still remember many of those talks. It makes me so sad that we just discard these people, step over them, joke about the Tenderloin and refer to them as if they were trash, in one of the richest and most "liberal" cities in the world. Recently, I sat with a homeless woman who was mugged and beaten for her last remaining belongings. She cried because somebody had finally noticed her pain and helped her call an ambulance instead of standing on the opposite side of the platform. We have more resources than we know what to do with but can't even help people who are literally dying on our doorstep.

ryandrake 9y ago
> We have more resources than we know what to do with but can't even help people who are literally dying on our doorstep. Who's this "we?" The vast majority of people are barely getting by, and are a handful of missed paychecks away from poverty. The middle class is shrinking fast. There are a small number of people who "have more resources than they know what to do with". But, they're off yachting over to Belize to buy their fifth vacation home and figuring out how to shelter their wealth so their families remain perpetually among the elite. Ask them to fix homelessness--the rest of us are busy trying to survive. I'm tired of being asked to sacrifice while the ultra-rich are buying their pet dogs $20K diamond encrusted iPhones.