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> What ends up happening is they generally just destroy the living space in a variety of ways. Citation very much needed here. This certainly does happen. But,
by peatmoss 4y ago
> What ends up happening is they generally just destroy the living space in a variety of ways.
Citation very much needed here. This certainly does happen. But, I don’t believe this the general (i.e. typical) outcome. From what I understand talking to acquaintances who work in this area, wrecking the place is not the typical outcome. And property damage is generally cheaper to address than the constant provision of emergency services.
I agree that mental health (and substance use) are major factors in homelessness, but those issues are more or less impossible to address when people are living on the street with no permanent address and no place to keep e.g. a cell phone without it being stolen.
- vorpalhex 4y agoAt least a data point here - my city of Austin is buying a hotel to convert into housing for the homeless. This has gone badly. The property sees intense vandalism and destruction, the neighbors are afraid for their safety, and the whole thing is an amazingly expensive boondoggle. [0]: https://www.foxnews.com/us/austin-hotel-purchased-homeless-shelter-vandalized-nearly-every-door-bashed-damage https://www.foxnews.com/us/austin-hotel-purchased-homeless-s... [1]: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/05/16/austin-homeless-hotel-candlewood-suites-vandalism/9748773002/ https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/05/16/austin-homel...
- Vvector 4y agoThat's a bad example. The unoccupied hotel was vandalized before the homeless were moved in. Yes, it a boondoggle, but nothing to do with homeless.
- vorpalhex 4y agoI don't think it was the local homeowners stealing live copper from the walls.
- threatofrain 4y agoSounds like it could be a ring of criminals who are connected to those who can buy copper.
- HWR_14 4y agoBut it also wasn't homeless people being legally housed there. If your point is "people who live there take better care of the space", then that's what Austin is trying to do. Convert squatters stealing copper to the kind of people who live there.
- Ardon 4y agoWe also don't know it was the homeless, that kind of thing is often actual gang activity
- heavyset_go 4y agoWhere do you suspect that homeless are storing their caches of copper? Do you think they're carrying them around with them at all times?
- vorpalhex 4y agoOh they sell it as soon as they can (copper is easy to recycle and carries direct value) and then use the money for whatever. The risk of course is that you are ripping potentially live circuits out of a building. It usually requires you to already be impaired and desperate to do it. It's that fun combo of illegal and dangerous.
- zuminator 4y agoSeems like a bad situation. But follow the timetable: 1) Austin buys the property 2) Begins renovations on vacant premises 3) Vandalism takes place --------------- 4) The conversion is complete 5) Property officially offered to homeless residents Steps 4 and 5 haven't happened yet. So homeless people who "generally just destroy the living space" isn't a good fit for what's going on. This is simply a situation of an unsecured construction site that has attracted squatters and vandals.