Homeless

Public Awareness.
So many people are quick to assume the homeless "want to be homeless, it's their choice so let them be". False. Homelessness is vast and touches all walks of life even more now with this nasty economy down turn.
We need to stop generalizing and understand there are so many reasons why people are homeless and that there has to be a huge variety of programs out there to help the homeless. Of course this ends up being public funding but good gracious... one day it could be a someone you know personally that has ended up homeless. I can't imagine anyone taking away my right to donate to the homeless person I wish to help.
 
I remember at my old job there was a sign put up one day..." One of our employees is about to become homeless, please help". That illustrates what big corporate has done to workers. Back in the day if you were working at an average job, if things got rough they might find you a bunch more hours you could work. Nowadays they have set available hours. Even if you work there all they can do is ask your co-workers to pass the hat.
 

You are right when you say there are MANY reasons these people are homeless. Some prefer to live that way, some are addicts, some are mentally ill and some are just passing through during economic down-times. But, there are also those few that make a living this way. I know, for a fact, several journalists have gone under-cover downtown and have mixed with these people and done some research. There are a few - in every city - that pan handle on the corner then walk a few blocks, at the end of the day, get in a big fancy car and drive home to their nice house in the suburbs.

My issue with all of this is - how do you know??? You want to help but your money goes for drugs or cigarettes or gasoline to get home. Someone suggested that they always donate actual food - buy them a meal. If they refuse, they probably don't need it. It is a hard call to make.

I like the suggestion about the Salvation Army. I know someone who was helped significantly by them. I also know that United Way has had its issues but they require every non-profit that belongs to their group to file massive reports every year and prove they are who they say they are. The worst of this are the Veterans-that is truly sad. I am hoping that my husband and I can get involved in some kind of Veterans aid group once we are situated in retirement.

Would love to hear about other groups that help locally.
 
I read a book some time ago and I am kicking myself for forgetting the title. It was based on fact about a man who I believe chose to live among the homeless in a "tent town". It was I think in Toronto, and it was a large empty lot on the water front and there were all kinds of shanty homes thrown up by the homeless and they lived there pretty much making do with what they could scrounge and steal. This tent town was there for quite a number of years and it was basically accepted as part of the area. What appealed to me was the fact that it was it's own community, it allowed the homeless a "place". And the homeless governed themselves to a certain degree. Then Sadly along came a big corporation and they protested the ugliness of the site because they were about to build near by or on the actual site. This meant this whole community was to scattered throughout the city and became disjointed and more alone. Many of the people from this tent town were homeless for many many different reasons.

Book is called, Down To This, Squalor & Splendour In A Big City Shantytown. Author Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall
 
Ruthanne said:
Fur, yes, all of the things you mentioned are needed. The politicians are always talking about helping the middle class, well that's good but what about the homeless? They need all the help they can get. I think Bernie Sanders has mentioned them. Like you said, they need good treatment programs for mental illness as well and follow up care all the time. Maybe if they would take some of the billions of dollars they give to other countries and help our own people on the streets it would get better. There are so many who are stuck in the cycle of poverty and just can't get out. Education is the answer for some but not all.
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Maybe if they would take some of the billions of dollars they give to big business in the form of tax breaks, fine corporations for closing plants here and off-shoring them, crack down on corporations that...and people who...off-shore their money in tax-free accounts, they could use the considerable excess to renovate closed malls, schools, apartment buildings and hotels to provide housing for the homeless, services for those needing them, education to prepare those who are able to work.

Ah...but that would make it too easy. It wouldn't provide layer upon layer of red tape and people to administer the red tape and big bucks to pay them. Darn.
 
I think it's partly (at least) a case of the "haves" having no desire to share anything with the have-nots. When I read comments on sites such as FB (including from people I know) who absolutely hate and despite the poor (forget the homeless!), many of the "haves" think the poor are poor through our own fault and that therefore we don't deserve a life. There would be no point in giving a homeless person a home, or a job, because s/he would not appreciate it and would probably just trash it and move on. The homeless are homeless because they are shiftless and don't want to work or live in a decent place, so we certainly don't want them moving into our neighborhood! I think that is the attitude of many of the privileged people. Goodness knows you deserved what you get; if you didn't get a good deal out of life, it's your fault. Because of course, as we all know, the rich who inherited their wealth and never had to work for their trust funds deserve it by right of birth. They were handed worldly riches on a silver platter but they're not gonna hand any on to anyone outside the pale because hey -- if those people want money they need to go make it just like great-granddad who came to this country with the rags on his back and a screwdriver in his pocket and worked his way up from odd-job man to owner of Odd-Jobs, Inc., a multinational corporation trading on every stock market on earth and now run by a board of directors consisting of five great-grandsons including the ne'er-do-well drug addict who is just kept on board because his mother would die of shame if the neighbors saw him shooting up at the end of their driveway.

Sure, the great families endow chairs and buildings and scholarships, but those are for the deserving masses, not the homeless.
 
Something good needs to happen ....soon. Its getting way out of hand here. When a homeless person comes up to me and demands a dollar , not spare change mind you.... i think not and im usually right. Its hard enough taking care of yourself. I do feed someone that looks hungry to me though and thats few and far between. No $$ given to them either because im not their cig/beer enabler and that seems 90% of the prob. here. The cardboard sign that ive seen countless times on numerous corners - " Why Lie , I Need A Beer" infuriates me to no end. About 2-3yrs ago i gave this guy two dollars , he had a sign that said "insult me - 50 cents" I laid into this poor sap because it was a long red light. I never saw him again after that stop light discussion. Hopefully he dint top himself , but i dont think so. Sometimes the truth is brutal.
 
Well, here's a clue. Of the 34 prior post, I haven't seen anybody step up and state what THEY are going to do to help solve the issue. Mostly just finger pointing at those "evil rich people" and "evil big corporations" or "evil Government", etc. How much are YOU willing to pay in extra taxes to help the homeless. How about moving some homeless folks into the un-occupied homes in your neighborhood? Etc. Just sayin'.....
 
Ruthanne said:
Thanks for posting this Gemma. :)
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You're welcome Ruthanne.
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Ruthanne said:
Well, I haven't seen you step up and say what you are going to do. I don't pay taxes, I am exempt. I pointed out someone's articles in post #33 that are very good ideas, did you read them? No one has called anyone "evil" but you.
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(a) The evil was implicit (b) You are exempt from taxes. How nice. I am not. I'm in the process of sending IRS about $20k for 2015. (c) as for doing my part, see (b). Also, I don't think that there is a solution for the homeless, so I feel no need to propose solutions. Are you willing to pay taxes if that money went directly to helping the homeless?
 
Thank you all for your thoughtful posts on the things that can be done to make funding possible for the homeless. The 2 articles posted by AprilT are fine examples of how a good many of major cities have greatly reduced homelessness with their programs. If you didn't read them please consider reading them. They really made me feel there is hope for the homeless now. I know in my city there are programs for people who were addicted to alcohol and or drugs and homeless. They choose the ones who they think are going to do well and give them free housing and they have the choice of some pretty nice housing. They are tested monthly to see if they are drinking or drugging. If they are tested positive for either they have to go into treatment but don't lose their housing. There is at least one man living at the apt. place where I live who is in the program. Many people where I live have donated furniture and things to him. I gave him some jobs to do and paid him what I could. Didn't have a lot to give him, though. Others are helping him out now as I really can't afford to.
 
Hoot N Annie said:
Well, here's a clue. Of the 34 prior post, I haven't seen anybody step up and state what THEY are going to do to help solve the issue. Mostly just finger pointing at those "evil rich people" and "evil big corporations" or "evil Government", etc. How much are YOU willing to pay in extra taxes to help the homeless. How about moving some homeless folks into the un-occupied homes in your neighborhood? Etc. Just sayin'.....
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I'm just sayin' I don't know of any unoccupied homes in my neighborhood. I do however have a neighbor who has a friend who is homeless who sleeps in empty houses in some neighborhood. She has him in to stay sometimes, take a shower, she does his laundry. I hope he is the not the one who brought bed bugs into the building awhile back. I hope he does not bring lice.

I would not mind being taxed to build a home for the homeless but I would rather my taxes went to extending Medicaid or Medicare to everyone (yes, including me). I would rather my taxes went to one of these than to the military (the more so because they don't take very good care of their own vets).

Just sayin'.
 
Guitarist said:
I'm just sayin' I don't know of any unoccupied homes in my neighborhood. I do however have a neighbor who has a friend who is homeless who sleeps in empty houses in some neighborhood. She has him in to stay sometimes, take a shower, she does his laundry. I hope he is the not the one who brought bed bugs into the building awhile back. I hope he does not bring lice.

I would not mind being taxed to build a home for the homeless but I would rather my taxes went to extending Medicaid or Medicare to everyone (yes, including me). I would rather my taxes went to one of these than to the military (the more so because they don't take very good care of their own vets).

Just sayin'.
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Thanks for your response. Glad to see that the homeless are not really a priority for you either.

Sorry about the bedbugs. When I was in Home Depot yesterday I did notice that they are selling spray cans that are supposed to kill the bed bugs.
 
See where we live it's weird. Pander to the folks who can't afford Manhattan but the people sleeping on the street in Irvington or Newark?...Arrest them for vagrancy? Nah, just move along. But instead of safe subsidized housing, just more over-priced housing for city commuters...bastards
 
Just want to thank everyone for their ideas about things we can do for the homeless like giving them shelter and food that one person pointed out. Those are the most important things. Then the rehab programs and medical care are also very important like many have said. As elderly and disabled many of us are tax exempt, at least I am. Some of us do things in private to help others and don't tell anyone about it, too.

So, if any of you who have come to this thread recently want to add what he or she would do in order to help the homeless go ahead.
 
I have been homeless. If I had not received help I would not have a PHD, and be in the position to be a psychotherapist and work with vets and refugees, as I currently do. Living in Canuckistan, I already pay higher taxes than the majority of my

American neighbours. However, tax me again if it will help the homeless. What have I done for them lately? Are they a
priority for me? Well, I have donated food, clothing, and supplies to the local homeless shelter. I have donated my services to


counsel peeps going through hard times. One lady stayed with me for two months until she could accrue enough money to get an apt. It is convenient to label all homeless with the unfortunate few who scam the system. That way, it absolves us from

giving a damn. For some I guess, compassion is just too expensive. It is far easier to sail the good ship self righteous, and apply blame. I actually know homeless people---I have met many over the years. The majority are good folks, who want the same as the rest of us. Almost half of them are vets.
 
Shalimar said:
I have been homeless. If I had not received help I would not have a PHD, and be in the position to be a psychotherapist and work with vets and refugees, as I currently do. Living in Canuckistan, I already pay higher taxes than the majority of my

American neighbours. However, tax me again if it will help the homeless. What have I done for them lately? Are they a
priority for me? Well, I have donated food, clothing, and supplies to the local homeless shelter. I have donated my services to


counsel peeps going through hard times. One lady stayed with me for two months until she could accrue enough money to get an apt. It is convenient to label all homeless with the unfortunate few who scam the system. That way, it absolves us from

giving a damn. For some I guess, compassion is just too expensive. It is far easier to sail the good ship self righteous, and apply blame. I actually know homeless people---I have met many over the years. The majority are good folks, who want the same as the rest of us. Almost half of them are vets.
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Thank you for what you have done for the homeless Shali!
 
Shalimar, you obviously feel passionate about the plight of the homeless, but just because some of us don't support homeless charities, doesn't mean that we lack compassion. None of us can solve all the world's problems but we do something for charities that are closer to ourselves.
 
Shalimar said:
Capt, I hear you, and I have no problem with you. My beef is with those who malign both the homeless, and those who are looking for ways and means to help them.
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Sorry but I don't understand what you mean here. For one thing I don't know what malign means.
 

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