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It's housing costs entertwined with mental problems and drug use. In many countries you can afford a shack with US equivalent of $100 a month. In rich countrie

It's housing costs entertwined with mental problems and drug use. In many countries you can afford a shack with US equivalent of $100 a month. In rich countries such shacks are illegal and all the regulation and land cost raises minimum rent far above that. At least 2/3 of homeless are addicted or mentally ill. The fraction that isn't typically doesn't live on the streets for more than a few months. In my experience you don't see many homeless in poorer countries because housing is cheap relatively speaking.

foobarian 5y ago
> In my experience you don't see many homeless in poorer countries because housing is cheap relatively speaking. I also wonder how much more likely certain countries are to quietly move mental health cases into clinics. This implies a whole lot of things about freedoms and due process.
skissane 5y ago
> In my experience you don't see many homeless in poorer countries because housing is cheap relatively speaking. India has well over a million homeless people, including (by some accounts) over 100,000 in the capital Delhi. I personally remember seeing quite a few people who appeared homeless in Delhi, including families squatting in historical sites (the Old Fort). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_India https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_India
- throwaway189262 5y ago
  Big cities in places like India and China are an exception. In these places average salary can be 10X higher than rural areas of the same province. Because the big cities are much father along towards being developed country than outskirts. So housing here is expensive and has the same result. There are people making $2000 a year living in heated somewhat comfortable homes. Homeless in the US make more than that just in welfare benefits but they live in tents on the streets
randomsearch 5y ago
> In many countries you can afford a shack with US equivalent of $100 a month. Not in Western Europe, which shows that it is a problem with the US.

foobarian 5y ago

> In my experience you don't see many homeless in poorer countries because housing is cheap relatively speaking. I also wonder how much more likely certain countries are to quietly move mental health cases into clinics. This implies a whole lot of things about freedoms and due process.

skissane 5y ago

> In my experience you don't see many homeless in poorer countries because housing is cheap relatively speaking. India has well over a million homeless people, including (by some accounts) over 100,000 in the capital Delhi. I personally remember seeing quite a few people who appeared homeless in Delhi, including families squatting in historical sites (the Old Fort). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_India https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_India

throwaway189262 5y ago
Big cities in places like India and China are an exception. In these places average salary can be 10X higher than rural areas of the same province. Because the big cities are much father along towards being developed country than outskirts. So housing here is expensive and has the same result. There are people making $2000 a year living in heated somewhat comfortable homes. Homeless in the US make more than that just in welfare benefits but they live in tents on the streets

randomsearch 5y ago

> In many countries you can afford a shack with US equivalent of $100 a month. Not in Western Europe, which shows that it is a problem with the US.