3 ms·

The piece mentions Single-Room Occupancies (SROs), which used to be where a lot of people in similar situations would live. I agree that this doesn't solve the

by jefftk 5y ago

The piece mentions Single-Room Occupancies (SROs), which used to be where a lot of people in similar situations would live. I agree that this doesn't solve the problem for everyone, and there's also a place for publicly funded mental health hospitals. But I also don't think everyone who is currently homeless in CA is in as bad shape as the ones you most notice.

ummonk 5y ago
"But I also don't think everyone who is currently homeless in CA is in as bad shape as the ones you most notice." There is a difference between the technically "homeless" and the visibly homeless who camp out on sidewalks etc. which is what most people are talking about when the "homeless problem" is mentioned.
- austinheap 5y ago
  Handful of interesting/data-driven organizations in the Bay Area dispel exactly this. It was eye opening to me to attend some of their public events where they run through their data.
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
> But I also don't think everyone who is currently homeless in CA is in as bad shape as the ones you most notice. The low hanging fruit is usually picked first. So let’s focus on picking the low hanging fruit if we aren’t already (they might already do a good job here), while the chronic homeless problems will be tough to solve.
scruple 5y ago
> But I also don't think everyone who is currently homeless in CA is in as bad shape as the ones you most notice. I beg to differ. I've spent significant time around what could be broadly categorized as "the homeless" in California, specifically in LA and OC, over the last 13 years. As recently as 3 days ago, I was searching for a mentally ill and homeless family member in LA. Last I heard he was on the coast, but I wasn't able to find anyone who knew or had seen him. This is an annual or bi-annual occurrence for me. Sure I'm not out there every day, but I feel as though I am competent on the subject. I certainly have more time in rank than most people that speak up on this one. If you offered an SRO to most of the people that I've come across in the last 10 years, they'd tell you to go fuck yourself.
- tony0x02 5y ago
  > If you offered an SRO to most of the people that I've come across in the last 10 years, they'd tell you to go fuck yourself. Why? Sorry if question is dumb..
  - scruple 5y ago
    Many of them prefer their perceived freedom living on the street vs. being placed into a living situation they didn't chose. In the handful of cases I am familiar with, including my brother in law, it's owed to untreated/neglected/self-medicated mental illness that manifests itself as a deep paranoia and distrust of authority types.
    - mbrodersen 5y ago
      Other countries (Finland I think?) have had success getting 80% of the homeless population off the street. 80% is a lot better than 0%.
      - scruple 5y ago
        I agree with you, and I love what the Finnish are doing on multiple fronts, but I don't think you're going to learn too much by comparing Finland to the United States.

by jefftk 5y ago

ummonk 5y ago

"But I also don't think everyone who is currently homeless in CA is in as bad shape as the ones you most notice." There is a difference between the technically "homeless" and the visibly homeless who camp out on sidewalks etc. which is what most people are talking about when the "homeless problem" is mentioned.

austinheap 5y ago
Handful of interesting/data-driven organizations in the Bay Area dispel exactly this. It was eye opening to me to attend some of their public events where they run through their data.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

> But I also don't think everyone who is currently homeless in CA is in as bad shape as the ones you most notice. The low hanging fruit is usually picked first. So let’s focus on picking the low hanging fruit if we aren’t already (they might already do a good job here), while the chronic homeless problems will be tough to solve.

scruple 5y ago

> But I also don't think everyone who is currently homeless in CA is in as bad shape as the ones you most notice. I beg to differ. I've spent significant time around what could be broadly categorized as "the homeless" in California, specifically in LA and OC, over the last 13 years. As recently as 3 days ago, I was searching for a mentally ill and homeless family member in LA. Last I heard he was on the coast, but I wasn't able to find anyone who knew or had seen him. This is an annual or bi-annual occurrence for me. Sure I'm not out there every day, but I feel as though I am competent on the subject. I certainly have more time in rank than most people that speak up on this one. If you offered an SRO to most of the people that I've come across in the last 10 years, they'd tell you to go fuck yourself.

tony0x02 5y ago
> If you offered an SRO to most of the people that I've come across in the last 10 years, they'd tell you to go fuck yourself. Why? Sorry if question is dumb..
- scruple 5y ago
  Many of them prefer their perceived freedom living on the street vs. being placed into a living situation they didn't chose. In the handful of cases I am familiar with, including my brother in law, it's owed to untreated/neglected/self-medicated mental illness that manifests itself as a deep paranoia and distrust of authority types.
  - mbrodersen 5y ago
    Other countries (Finland I think?) have had success getting 80% of the homeless population off the street. 80% is a lot better than 0%.
    - scruple 5y ago
      I agree with you, and I love what the Finnish are doing on multiple fronts, but I don't think you're going to learn too much by comparing Finland to the United States.