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Lots of homeless people have drug addictions, mental health problems that make it exceptionally hard for them to do 20 hours of work a week. Fetishing work isn'

by octo_t 12y ago

Lots of homeless people have drug addictions, mental health problems that make it exceptionally hard for them to do 20 hours of work a week. Fetishing work isn't the way to do this.

bokonist 12y ago
Many of those people would actually like jobs, but the gap between where they are, and what is required to even work at McDonald's is huge. That is why the job needs to be community provided, guaranteed, and tailored for that person. Even most people with problems can start by doing something. If they really are far gone than supportive housing or an institution might be required. The dorm living shouldn't be the only option, case workers need to have good judgement about what is realistic for a particular person.
- pessimizer 12y ago
  And working at McDonald's isn't remotely sufficient to prevent homelessness.
  - Omniusaspirer 12y ago
    Maybe not in San Fransico, but it's more than enough in nearly every small town in the midwest. I've had rents as low as $225/month w/ all utilities included (newly furnished/redone kitchen, no obvious problems). That's low enough that ~ 1 week of McDonald's work will have paid for your rent, the other 3 weeks of monthly income can go to food ($100-150) and assorted needs like toiletries ($20-50). That still leaves you with ~$500/month after essentials which is honestly more than most people making $30-50k/yr actually put away into savings. The issue with the homeless isn't that the jobs don't pay enough to keep them off the streets, it's that they lack the mental faculties to hold onto even the most basic of jobs. Alternatively they're just exploiting suckers for easy money- a reality that many feel-good white evangelists like to pretend isn't a significant reality.
Someone1234 12y ago
Yeah. The person above is seriously out of touch. There's a reason why ex-military are disproportionately homeless. These aren't lazy people or people who don't know the meaning of hard work. These are people who have sometimes serious mental health issues (e.g. PTSD, depression, alcohol addiction, etc) which make holding a job difficult or impossible. 20 hours of work might be difficult for many. Also who is going to live in a dorm with addicts, people with other assorted mental health issues, and people with various criminal records? There's a reason a lot of homeless people avoid "shelters," those places are sometimes MORE dangerous than prison (wanna get stabbed? Because going to a homeless shelter is a good way to get stabbed). Honestly there isn't a "one size fits all" solution to homelessness. All homeless people are homeless for different reasons. All we as a society can do is start dealing with SOME of those problems one at a time. If you do want to do the dorm thing then security has to be priority number one. For homeless people the streets can actually be safer than living with some of their peers.
- bokonist 12y ago
  I actually agree with you 100%. My dorm living proposal was a simplification. There would have to be different forms of living based on what the individuals could handle. I should have said, there should be government funded, permanent living, appropriate for the individual. The homeless should be provided with cheap living, with a lock on the door, where there is security, and where the other people around them are semi-permanent residents, not transients. There would need to be different types of living for the mentally ill or for drug addicts versus those trying to go clean.

by octo_t 12y ago

Lots of homeless people have drug addictions, mental health problems that make it exceptionally hard for them to do 20 hours of work a week. Fetishing work isn't the way to do this.

bokonist 12y ago

Many of those people would actually like jobs, but the gap between where they are, and what is required to even work at McDonald's is huge. That is why the job needs to be community provided, guaranteed, and tailored for that person. Even most people with problems can start by doing something. If they really are far gone than supportive housing or an institution might be required. The dorm living shouldn't be the only option, case workers need to have good judgement about what is realistic for a particular person.

pessimizer 12y ago
And working at McDonald's isn't remotely sufficient to prevent homelessness.
- Omniusaspirer 12y ago
  Maybe not in San Fransico, but it's more than enough in nearly every small town in the midwest. I've had rents as low as $225/month w/ all utilities included (newly furnished/redone kitchen, no obvious problems). That's low enough that ~ 1 week of McDonald's work will have paid for your rent, the other 3 weeks of monthly income can go to food ($100-150) and assorted needs like toiletries ($20-50). That still leaves you with ~$500/month after essentials which is honestly more than most people making $30-50k/yr actually put away into savings. The issue with the homeless isn't that the jobs don't pay enough to keep them off the streets, it's that they lack the mental faculties to hold onto even the most basic of jobs. Alternatively they're just exploiting suckers for easy money- a reality that many feel-good white evangelists like to pretend isn't a significant reality.

Someone1234 12y ago

Yeah. The person above is seriously out of touch. There's a reason why ex-military are disproportionately homeless. These aren't lazy people or people who don't know the meaning of hard work. These are people who have sometimes serious mental health issues (e.g. PTSD, depression, alcohol addiction, etc) which make holding a job difficult or impossible. 20 hours of work might be difficult for many. Also who is going to live in a dorm with addicts, people with other assorted mental health issues, and people with various criminal records? There's a reason a lot of homeless people avoid "shelters," those places are sometimes MORE dangerous than prison (wanna get stabbed? Because going to a homeless shelter is a good way to get stabbed). Honestly there isn't a "one size fits all" solution to homelessness. All homeless people are homeless for different reasons. All we as a society can do is start dealing with SOME of those problems one at a time. If you do want to do the dorm thing then security has to be priority number one. For homeless people the streets can actually be safer than living with some of their peers.

bokonist 12y ago
I actually agree with you 100%. My dorm living proposal was a simplification. There would have to be different forms of living based on what the individuals could handle. I should have said, there should be government funded, permanent living, appropriate for the individual. The homeless should be provided with cheap living, with a lock on the door, where there is security, and where the other people around them are semi-permanent residents, not transients. There would need to be different types of living for the mentally ill or for drug addicts versus those trying to go clean.