8 ms·

Homelessness in America is our biggest problem. It's just going to get worse. I don't know why politicians/people are in such denial? I don't have any sure f

Homelessness in America is our biggest problem. It's just going to get worse. I don't know why politicians/people are in such denial? I don't have any sure fire answers, but right now every county should have a piece of land reserved for homeless individuals. Just a place you can pitch a tent, access to out house, and portable washing facilities. Right now most counties/town will ticket you for living in you car, and campgrounds are not available, nor cost effective.(Where are they suspose to go?) Every county that does not comply will forfeit all funds from the federal government--period. That is if we can get a president/congress really interested in solving the problem? As to the fear of crime and drug use in these designated areas--if there's a problem police can always be called. I'm sure they can be dragged away from revenue collection? To the person I am replying to--apply to section 8 housing. It will be awhile, but get on the list if it's even open? Hang in there. We do care! I think most of us are in a state of denial? I do know this--I know too many homeless former Programmers? This community should be discussing the problem?

Mz 11y ago
but right now every county should have a piece of land reserved for homeless individuals. Just a place you can pitch a tent, access to out house, and portable washing facilities There is no way in hell I would camp there. FWIW, I was working on becoming an urban planner when life got in the way. My incomplete bachelor's is in Environmental Resource Management with a concentration in Housing and I took a class on Homelessness and Public Policy as part of that. I was a subforum moderator and active participant for a time on the world's foremost planning forum. I will reiterate that changing a lot of government policies will have to happen so that housing costs can come down. Right now, we have a lot of really crappy policies that actively inflate housing sizes and prices and create a growing divide between the haves and have nots. To the person I am replying to--apply to section 8 housing. Yeah, that's not going to happen. I will suggest that people like you are part of the problem. The only thing you know about me is that I am homeless, so you think a one off suggestion from you can solve significant and complicated problems. You are doing exactly what I described above: Assuming I am inept. That will not help me. It will not help anyone. It only deepens the problem. We do care! There are people who genuinely do care. You aren't exactly coming across as one of them.
- powera 11y ago
  Why are you both saying "we need to work on putting together a better social safety net and we need to work on making a whole lot more affordable housing available" and dismissing Section 8 Housing, which, as far as I can tell from a reading on Wikipedia, is a social safety net that provides affordable housing? Is there something specifically wrong with Section 8?
  - Mz 11y ago
    Section 8 housing is rental housing. Like a high percentage of homeless people, part of why I am on the street is that I have a serious medical condition. I don't want to ever rent again. Having a high degree of control over my home is necessary for me to stay healthy and off drugs. I would rather remain homeless than give up my agency by entering a shelter or a government program that sets a low bar for quality of life because they figure that "beggars can't be choosers." I am talking about a social safety net for citizens that first and foremost respects them as people with a right to choose and a right to expect a high standard of living. Most American welfare programs are designed in a way that is enormously disrespectful and expects people to accept some pretty crappy things because in order to get help, you first need to be defined as poor. That's a terrible way to create a social safety net. Other countries have a better track record of providing a safety net for their citizens that allows them to access benefits while still middle class or regardless of their social class. America is pretty bad about not doing anything for you until after you are poor and then doing things that help keep your poor and actively discourage upward mobility. Edit: I have no idea why this has been downvoted, but my medical condition is deadly and torturous. It is also incredibly expensive to treat with conventional medicine, like $100k/year and up. Compared to that, sleeping in a tent is a minor inconvenience. I have done much better since walking away from a crappy, mold-infested apartment. So I have no plans to go back to renting. Ever.
    - bane 11y ago
      > It is also incredibly expensive to treat with conventional medicine, like $100k/year and up. I've read some of your posts with interest. Apologies if I'm making too much of an assumption, but how do you afford to pay for your medical condition without a job and how can you take proper care of it without housing? The kind of money you talk about in your blog is measured in fractions of dollars, not hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to properly care for yourself. I'm sure I'm missing part of the story here and would be interested to know more.
Snesker 11y ago
>Homelessness in America is our biggest problem. LOL. Not the military industrial complex? Not pollution? Not corrupt politicians? Not murder, assault, rape, fraud? Not wall-street? Even autism is arguably much more important. You could even wrap it up in poor American education. >every county should have a piece of land reserved for homeless individuals. So crime-ridden slums that would attract only violent alcoholics and thieves. These people can't be 'saved' and are homeless because of their vices and inability or distaste for adapting to society. >As to the fear of crime and drug use in these designated areas--if there's a problem police can always be called. I'm sure they can be dragged away from revenue collection? Thinking the police have nothing better to do is one of the lamest excuses for wanting to create crime I've ever seen.
- muhfuhkuh 11y ago
  Homelessness is a basic physiological necessity, like food, water, and others in the Maslow's Hierarchy. So, yes, it's more important than the industrial complex or "autism" (what the hell does that even mean? What about "autism"?) >and are homeless because of their vices and inability or distaste for adapting to society I knew when you said that you were just a troll. Most homeless have mental problems and many are veterans with shellshock.
  - Snesker 11y ago
    What do you mean, what about autism? It's a problem more important than homelessness. Having a home is not a physiological necessity, having a shelter is and only in adverse conditions (note that clothing can often do the job). Also, 'Most homeless have mental problems' confirms the sentence you quoted. You're either intentionally misunderstanding it because you think I'm a mean person or, as it also seems, you have a poor understanding of English. Having mental problems that result in homelessness have also resulted in an inability or distaste for adapting to society as you, the government and everyone else demand people have residences. (Edited to remove a stray period and add a newline if it lets me. I'm having a formatting problem.) Edit again: It's unacceptable to go around accusing people who make statements you disagree with trolls. In these instances, you're often wrong and you look like a fool to outside observers(who don't also do it habitually).

Mz 11y ago

but right now every county should have a piece of land reserved for homeless individuals. Just a place you can pitch a tent, access to out house, and portable washing facilities There is no way in hell I would camp there. FWIW, I was working on becoming an urban planner when life got in the way. My incomplete bachelor's is in Environmental Resource Management with a concentration in Housing and I took a class on Homelessness and Public Policy as part of that. I was a subforum moderator and active participant for a time on the world's foremost planning forum. I will reiterate that changing a lot of government policies will have to happen so that housing costs can come down. Right now, we have a lot of really crappy policies that actively inflate housing sizes and prices and create a growing divide between the haves and have nots. To the person I am replying to--apply to section 8 housing. Yeah, that's not going to happen. I will suggest that people like you are part of the problem. The only thing you know about me is that I am homeless, so you think a one off suggestion from you can solve significant and complicated problems. You are doing exactly what I described above: Assuming I am inept. That will not help me. It will not help anyone. It only deepens the problem. We do care! There are people who genuinely do care. You aren't exactly coming across as one of them.

powera 11y ago
Why are you both saying "we need to work on putting together a better social safety net and we need to work on making a whole lot more affordable housing available" and dismissing Section 8 Housing, which, as far as I can tell from a reading on Wikipedia, is a social safety net that provides affordable housing? Is there something specifically wrong with Section 8?
- Mz 11y ago
  Section 8 housing is rental housing. Like a high percentage of homeless people, part of why I am on the street is that I have a serious medical condition. I don't want to ever rent again. Having a high degree of control over my home is necessary for me to stay healthy and off drugs. I would rather remain homeless than give up my agency by entering a shelter or a government program that sets a low bar for quality of life because they figure that "beggars can't be choosers." I am talking about a social safety net for citizens that first and foremost respects them as people with a right to choose and a right to expect a high standard of living. Most American welfare programs are designed in a way that is enormously disrespectful and expects people to accept some pretty crappy things because in order to get help, you first need to be defined as poor. That's a terrible way to create a social safety net. Other countries have a better track record of providing a safety net for their citizens that allows them to access benefits while still middle class or regardless of their social class. America is pretty bad about not doing anything for you until after you are poor and then doing things that help keep your poor and actively discourage upward mobility. Edit: I have no idea why this has been downvoted, but my medical condition is deadly and torturous. It is also incredibly expensive to treat with conventional medicine, like $100k/year and up. Compared to that, sleeping in a tent is a minor inconvenience. I have done much better since walking away from a crappy, mold-infested apartment. So I have no plans to go back to renting. Ever.
  - bane 11y ago
    > It is also incredibly expensive to treat with conventional medicine, like $100k/year and up. I've read some of your posts with interest. Apologies if I'm making too much of an assumption, but how do you afford to pay for your medical condition without a job and how can you take proper care of it without housing? The kind of money you talk about in your blog is measured in fractions of dollars, not hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to properly care for yourself. I'm sure I'm missing part of the story here and would be interested to know more.

Snesker 11y ago

>Homelessness in America is our biggest problem. LOL. Not the military industrial complex? Not pollution? Not corrupt politicians? Not murder, assault, rape, fraud? Not wall-street? Even autism is arguably much more important. You could even wrap it up in poor American education. >every county should have a piece of land reserved for homeless individuals. So crime-ridden slums that would attract only violent alcoholics and thieves. These people can't be 'saved' and are homeless because of their vices and inability or distaste for adapting to society. >As to the fear of crime and drug use in these designated areas--if there's a problem police can always be called. I'm sure they can be dragged away from revenue collection? Thinking the police have nothing better to do is one of the lamest excuses for wanting to create crime I've ever seen.

muhfuhkuh 11y ago
Homelessness is a basic physiological necessity, like food, water, and others in the Maslow's Hierarchy. So, yes, it's more important than the industrial complex or "autism" (what the hell does that even mean? What about "autism"?) >and are homeless because of their vices and inability or distaste for adapting to society I knew when you said that you were just a troll. Most homeless have mental problems and many are veterans with shellshock.
- Snesker 11y ago
  What do you mean, what about autism? It's a problem more important than homelessness. Having a home is not a physiological necessity, having a shelter is and only in adverse conditions (note that clothing can often do the job). Also, 'Most homeless have mental problems' confirms the sentence you quoted. You're either intentionally misunderstanding it because you think I'm a mean person or, as it also seems, you have a poor understanding of English. Having mental problems that result in homelessness have also resulted in an inability or distaste for adapting to society as you, the government and everyone else demand people have residences. (Edited to remove a stray period and add a newline if it lets me. I'm having a formatting problem.) Edit again: It's unacceptable to go around accusing people who make statements you disagree with trolls. In these instances, you're often wrong and you look like a fool to outside observers(who don't also do it habitually).