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You lattermost accusation is based on the idea that we label them 'crazies' to dismiss them, rather than noting that some homeless people are homeless because t

You lattermost accusation is based on the idea that we label them 'crazies' to dismiss them, rather than noting that some homeless people are homeless because they suffer mental illness and are displaced from any place that would otherwise care for them, while other homeless people are homeless for very different reasons. I would neither recommend lumping homelessness into a single category like that, nor assuming that the vast majority of people call all homeless people 'crazies'. Neither generalization is helpful.

DoreenMichele 7y ago
I don't quite know how to engage your comment. I frequently try to give voice to those who so often have no voice. A lot of people here recognize me and the role I try to play in that regard. I'm guessing you have no idea who I am. Years ago, I had a college class on Homelessness and Public Policy. I also spent 5.7 years homeless, during which time I was quite open on HN and elsewhere about my situation and views. I got back into housing September 8, 2017. I continue to write about homelessness. A paid piece I did while still homeless: https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/getting-a-bank-account-can-be-tricky-when-youre-homeless-so-heres-how-i-did-it/ https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/getting-a-bank-account-can-be-t... A piece a college student wrote about me after I got off the street: http://alexandralindelof.com/story-package/ http://alexandralindelof.com/story-package/ An article where I was interviewed, then misquoted and misgendered: https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2017/sep/08/stringers-plastic-bag-ban-led-hep-health-crisis/ https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2017/sep/08/stringers-pl... (Related correction written by me: https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/2017/09/for-record.html https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/2017/09/f...) My old homeless blog, most of it written while I was homeless: https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/ https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/ I don't remotely have a one dimensional view of homelessness. My observation that homeless people are often assumed to all be "crazies" as a dismissive tactic is based on years of experience with the topic.
- bsder 7y ago
  > I don't remotely have a one dimensional view of homelessness. My observation that homeless people are often assumed to all be "crazies" as a dismissive tactic is based on years of experience with the topic. It is dismissive, but more than 50% of the homeless population have mental health or substance abuse issues, so it's not entirely incorrect either. The problem is that the general population doesn't generally encounter the 50% of the homeless that don't have these issues since those folks are busy working and simply trying to exist.
  - DoreenMichele 7y ago
    Many housed people have mental health issues. They aren't treated like they can't be fixed, etc. I tried to write some about that here: https://streetlifesolutions.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-people-first-model-for-addressing.html https://streetlifesolutions.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-people-fi...
    - bsder 7y ago
      > Many housed people have mental health issues. They aren't treated like they can't be fixed, etc. Actually, they mostly get ignored. I'm not sure that is much different. I can assure you from personal experience that getting someone mental health treatment against their will is very difficult even if they are housed. In some ways, it's more difficult as being "housed" is considered some level of competence mitigating against forced treatment. The US has a remarkably high standard before we decide to force people into treatment or hospitalization. As for the 50% of homeless who don't have substance or mental issues, I happen to agree that the US healthcare system absolutely needs to be fixed (this would help both the housed and homeless). As for a "job", we're probably not going to see eye to eye--I simply do not believe that there are enough jobs to go around regardless of "housed" or "homeless" and we need to start having the conversation as a country as to what the solution here is. People requiring an "income" in order to validate their "existence" is an idea that needs to end.

DoreenMichele 7y ago

I don't quite know how to engage your comment. I frequently try to give voice to those who so often have no voice. A lot of people here recognize me and the role I try to play in that regard. I'm guessing you have no idea who I am. Years ago, I had a college class on Homelessness and Public Policy. I also spent 5.7 years homeless, during which time I was quite open on HN and elsewhere about my situation and views. I got back into housing September 8, 2017. I continue to write about homelessness. A paid piece I did while still homeless: https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/getting-a-bank-account-can-be-tricky-when-youre-homeless-so-heres-how-i-did-it/ https://www.ecnmy.org/engage/getting-a-bank-account-can-be-t... A piece a college student wrote about me after I got off the street: http://alexandralindelof.com/story-package/ http://alexandralindelof.com/story-package/ An article where I was interviewed, then misquoted and misgendered: https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2017/sep/08/stringers-plastic-bag-ban-led-hep-health-crisis/ https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2017/sep/08/stringers-pl... (Related correction written by me: https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/2017/09/for-record.html https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/2017/09/f...) My old homeless blog, most of it written while I was homeless: https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/ https://sandiegohomelesssurvivalguide.blogspot.com/ I don't remotely have a one dimensional view of homelessness. My observation that homeless people are often assumed to all be "crazies" as a dismissive tactic is based on years of experience with the topic.

bsder 7y ago
> I don't remotely have a one dimensional view of homelessness. My observation that homeless people are often assumed to all be "crazies" as a dismissive tactic is based on years of experience with the topic. It is dismissive, but more than 50% of the homeless population have mental health or substance abuse issues, so it's not entirely incorrect either. The problem is that the general population doesn't generally encounter the 50% of the homeless that don't have these issues since those folks are busy working and simply trying to exist.
- DoreenMichele 7y ago
  Many housed people have mental health issues. They aren't treated like they can't be fixed, etc. I tried to write some about that here: https://streetlifesolutions.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-people-first-model-for-addressing.html https://streetlifesolutions.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-people-fi...
  - bsder 7y ago
    > Many housed people have mental health issues. They aren't treated like they can't be fixed, etc. Actually, they mostly get ignored. I'm not sure that is much different. I can assure you from personal experience that getting someone mental health treatment against their will is very difficult even if they are housed. In some ways, it's more difficult as being "housed" is considered some level of competence mitigating against forced treatment. The US has a remarkably high standard before we decide to force people into treatment or hospitalization. As for the 50% of homeless who don't have substance or mental issues, I happen to agree that the US healthcare system absolutely needs to be fixed (this would help both the housed and homeless). As for a "job", we're probably not going to see eye to eye--I simply do not believe that there are enough jobs to go around regardless of "housed" or "homeless" and we need to start having the conversation as a country as to what the solution here is. People requiring an "income" in order to validate their "existence" is an idea that needs to end.