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I like what Rick Steves is doing. His initial approach targeted a specific demographic serviced by a specific charity and it seems like this model is working.

I like what Rick Steves is doing. His initial approach targeted a specific demographic serviced by a specific charity and it seems like this model is working. That specific demographic -- single moms going through the YWCA most likely is also targeting local people needing help. Having lived in Santa Cruz for 27+ years, it's a compassionate community on the coast and is very expensive to live in. It also has exacerbated levels of homelessness, crime, and drug issues not experienced by other cities in the county (to the same degree) -- it doesn't know when to say "no". It has become a destination for the homeless, those wanting to live by their own rules, and those seeking to getaway -- some even claim people are put on a bus in other communities to get out of town and go to Santa Cruz. A story in the local paper -- http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/lifestyle/20171225/a-tale-of-two-homeless-people-in-santa-cruz-dining-at-the-mah-on-christmas http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/lifestyle/20171225/a-tale-o... Highlighted are someone homeless for 20+ years not from Santa Cruz but living there and one recently from Ohio. The city recently set up a "camp" near the river in town. The first OD death in the camp (there have been two) was someone recently from out of the area. My point? Homelessness and mental illness and drug issues are problems. However, tolerant attitudes like those in Santa Cruz attract people from out of area that make it next to impossible to actually deal with the shear numbers. Yet, local compassionate policies refuse to try and handle the obvious problem -- you can't help everyone. A city of 60k can only do so much. This is an issue that needs to be solved regionally. While people are free to move about, every community should not be obligated to put the needs of the newly arrived ahead of those who have been facing challenges locally.

dba7dba 9y ago
My point? Homelessness and mental illness and drug issues are problems. However, tolerant attitudes like those in Santa Cruz attract people from out of area that make it next to impossible to actually deal with the shear numbers. Yet, local compassionate policies refuse to try and handle the obvious problem -- you can't help everyone. A city of 60k can only do so much. Hawaii is another place that has exploding homeless problem. Another place with compassionate policies and warm weather. http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2016-6-insane-realities-being-homeless-in-hawaii.html http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2016-6-insane-re... Between my visit in early 2010 and 1016 to Oahu, I was shocked to see so much more homelessness in 2016.
joe_the_user 9y ago
However, tolerant attitudes like those in Santa Cruz attract people from out of area that make it next to impossible to actually deal with the shear numbers. There are no cities "tolerant of homelessness" though there may be cities less tolerant than others. If you think that tolerance is a source of the problem, do you imagine an intolerance race as the solution? I mean, as far as I can tell, the intolerance race is already happening and it's only making America more awful all around. Constant police harassment is the norm as a means of dealing with homelessness nearly everywhere - given that it's essentially illegal to live without a home in the US. And even with an intolerance race, cities with nice weather are going to be at a disadvantage. If no cities offer services, it's still nicer to be rousted from the side of the road at 3:00 am from a place with nice weather and pleasant views. So, instead of viscous, mean-spirit carping, perhaps we could think about how to actually solve this problem.
- jmspring 9y ago
  Tolerance: - camping ban lifted - “petty” crimes often not even given a citation — most property crimes - bike theft not even investigated — police need to witness - drug crimes not cited - parking violations not cited if vehicle known to be a homeless person - city sanctioned Camp was supposed to have rules, instead people shoot up and other things with no ramifications In a sense the city has set up a two tier system of enforcement - cite those that can pay, don’t for those that can’t unless the crime is violent. This includes bail levels for the same crime, most drugged out tweakers are caught and released where a working stiff will have a hefty bail amount to deal with. The problem can be more easily solved by helping those who are local and sending those who aren’t back to where they are from (or a system to charge the originating towns).
  - joe_the_user 9y ago
    The problem can be more easily solved by helping those who are local and sending those who aren’t back to where they are from (or a system to charge the originating towns). Really? How would sending them back work? Establish an "internal passport" system for the US so immigration from Iowa to California would perhaps require someone to provide address to the proper authorities? They have a system like that in China. And yeah, there is a reason people don't want to be homeless in Iowa in the winter. Edit: and yeah, what you describe is so much "tolerance" as what happens when the legal system can't afford to jail every single homeless person. So really, you sort of need to actually solve the problem which indeed can't be just put on local governments.

dba7dba 9y ago

My point? Homelessness and mental illness and drug issues are problems. However, tolerant attitudes like those in Santa Cruz attract people from out of area that make it next to impossible to actually deal with the shear numbers. Yet, local compassionate policies refuse to try and handle the obvious problem -- you can't help everyone. A city of 60k can only do so much. Hawaii is another place that has exploding homeless problem. Another place with compassionate policies and warm weather. http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2016-6-insane-realities-being-homeless-in-hawaii.html http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2016-6-insane-re... Between my visit in early 2010 and 1016 to Oahu, I was shocked to see so much more homelessness in 2016.

joe_the_user 9y ago

However, tolerant attitudes like those in Santa Cruz attract people from out of area that make it next to impossible to actually deal with the shear numbers. There are no cities "tolerant of homelessness" though there may be cities less tolerant than others. If you think that tolerance is a source of the problem, do you imagine an intolerance race as the solution? I mean, as far as I can tell, the intolerance race is already happening and it's only making America more awful all around. Constant police harassment is the norm as a means of dealing with homelessness nearly everywhere - given that it's essentially illegal to live without a home in the US. And even with an intolerance race, cities with nice weather are going to be at a disadvantage. If no cities offer services, it's still nicer to be rousted from the side of the road at 3:00 am from a place with nice weather and pleasant views. So, instead of viscous, mean-spirit carping, perhaps we could think about how to actually solve this problem.

jmspring 9y ago
Tolerance: - camping ban lifted - “petty” crimes often not even given a citation — most property crimes - bike theft not even investigated — police need to witness - drug crimes not cited - parking violations not cited if vehicle known to be a homeless person - city sanctioned Camp was supposed to have rules, instead people shoot up and other things with no ramifications In a sense the city has set up a two tier system of enforcement - cite those that can pay, don’t for those that can’t unless the crime is violent. This includes bail levels for the same crime, most drugged out tweakers are caught and released where a working stiff will have a hefty bail amount to deal with. The problem can be more easily solved by helping those who are local and sending those who aren’t back to where they are from (or a system to charge the originating towns).
- joe_the_user 9y ago
  The problem can be more easily solved by helping those who are local and sending those who aren’t back to where they are from (or a system to charge the originating towns). Really? How would sending them back work? Establish an "internal passport" system for the US so immigration from Iowa to California would perhaps require someone to provide address to the proper authorities? They have a system like that in China. And yeah, there is a reason people don't want to be homeless in Iowa in the winter. Edit: and yeah, what you describe is so much "tolerance" as what happens when the legal system can't afford to jail every single homeless person. So really, you sort of need to actually solve the problem which indeed can't be just put on local governments.