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Most of these people had homes and jobs once, but prefer drugs and alcohol over the rules and expectations of those who provided said homes and jobs. Homelessn

Most of these people had homes and jobs once, but prefer drugs and alcohol over the rules and expectations of those who provided said homes and jobs. Homelessness is not a sudden condition, it is the result of thousands of choices to indulge in selfish behavior. Inflicting family oriented communities with shelters for these people is the wrong approach. We need to provided a path out of homelessness that enforces sobriety, sets behavioral expectations, and demands they get jobs. Sadly, such shelters exist and yet most prefer to stay drunk on the streets.

makecheck 9y ago
How do you know this about these people? Frankly I think the population is far too large to come to one conclusion across the board. And what is a “family oriented” community? Is that just code for making other people deal with the problem and not taint your backyard? And you think you can just expect people to “get a job”, like that is straightforward? Like there’s just so much opportunity out there, with more than enough income from one job to survive in these crazy-expensive places? (Hint: No way.)
olliej 9y ago
For instance it could be the result of ptsd from being in Iraq. Or Vietnam. Or Afghanistan. Where is the support for veterans? It could be mental health - if you can’t afford healthcare you may not be able keep a job. Once you don’t have a job you very quickly end up homeless. Now you don’t have a home, how do you possibly get treatment or a job? Eventually you are arrested and go to jail, where you can get treatment but now you’re an excon so can’t get a job so end up homeless without treatment. You were kicked out of your home when you came out as a teenager - you’re homeless, may not have even finished school, and many jobs these days have minimum age rules. So now you’re stuck unless you’re one of the lucky few who manages to get support and a home before drugs and alcohol become the only “escape” Same as above but you’re a kid abused by a family member, foster family, ... Note how all of these paths eventually put you in a position where you cannot escape homelessness. You cannot get healthcare or a job without somewhere to live unless you’re very lucky. So instead you end up cycling through prison, which in just a small amount of time costs much more than covering the cost of housing in the first place.
m0llusk 9y ago
That is a popular narrative, but not an accurate or effective description. We have always had lazy and crazy people around but we now have a generation starving for opportunity and purpose and families with kids on the streets. Something has changed so that blaming all homelessness on fun seeking is no longer sufficient.

makecheck 9y ago

How do you know this about these people? Frankly I think the population is far too large to come to one conclusion across the board. And what is a “family oriented” community? Is that just code for making other people deal with the problem and not taint your backyard? And you think you can just expect people to “get a job”, like that is straightforward? Like there’s just so much opportunity out there, with more than enough income from one job to survive in these crazy-expensive places? (Hint: No way.)

olliej 9y ago

For instance it could be the result of ptsd from being in Iraq. Or Vietnam. Or Afghanistan. Where is the support for veterans? It could be mental health - if you can’t afford healthcare you may not be able keep a job. Once you don’t have a job you very quickly end up homeless. Now you don’t have a home, how do you possibly get treatment or a job? Eventually you are arrested and go to jail, where you can get treatment but now you’re an excon so can’t get a job so end up homeless without treatment. You were kicked out of your home when you came out as a teenager - you’re homeless, may not have even finished school, and many jobs these days have minimum age rules. So now you’re stuck unless you’re one of the lucky few who manages to get support and a home before drugs and alcohol become the only “escape” Same as above but you’re a kid abused by a family member, foster family, ... Note how all of these paths eventually put you in a position where you cannot escape homelessness. You cannot get healthcare or a job without somewhere to live unless you’re very lucky. So instead you end up cycling through prison, which in just a small amount of time costs much more than covering the cost of housing in the first place.

m0llusk 9y ago

That is a popular narrative, but not an accurate or effective description. We have always had lazy and crazy people around but we now have a generation starving for opportunity and purpose and families with kids on the streets. Something has changed so that blaming all homelessness on fun seeking is no longer sufficient.