Is homelessness a visible problem where you are?

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
I rarely come into the city center this early, 7.30 am. Circumstances dictated that I did this morning.
In the 400 meters from the Bus Port to this coffee shop I counted 11 vagrants sleeping in shop alcoves.
Australia has twice as many homeless, per capita than the US. (48 per 10,000 v 23)
UKs figures are 56 homeless per 10,000
I have written often about the inequality of Australia, and though we are looked on as a "Rich" Country, only a few are up there in the comfortable level.
The rest? Totally ignored and shunned by society
 

Not where I live it isn't... in the nearby otwns there's a tiny sprinkiling maybe one or 2 shop doorways where I've seen bedding there but no-one near it.. and a few months ago I gae money to a man who was sitting on a bench with his dog, he seemed to be sober, and he told me his story how he became homeless... but otherwise no there are none here....

20 miles away in the great metropolis... I couldn't even begin to tell you how many are homeless on the streets of London.

They come here they think the streets are paved with gold... they're not.. so why they don't just go back to where they came from knowing nothing is going to get better here in our Capital city..I don't know..

The homeless society say that 1 in 51 people in London are homeless, that's around 180,000 people
 
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Yes. We are in a more suburban area of Dallas. Homelessness used to be confined to the downtown area but now it is down the street. I feel so bad for these people when our temps hit over 100 degrees, but I've been advised there are shelters and some don't want to go because there are curfews and strict alcohol and drug policies.

Several years ago, I went to my local dry cleaners and there was a woman sitting on the sidewalk right outside. I felt so bad for her, and she wasn't pan-handling so I gave her $20. I went inside the dry cleaners and the manager told me the police had offered on numerous occasions to take her to a shelter but she had refused. :(
 
We have approx 1,200 in our three county area.

It’s a mixed bag from teens or young couch surfers to the hardcore homeless.

The hardcore homeless tend to set up camps in the wild fringe areas and keep to themselves.

The younger folks blend in and are difficult to spot.

The population that we usually come into contact with are the mentally ill or substance abusers.

We have many services available for shelter, food, medical, and even a day labor program targeted specifically at the homeless.

Nothing works until people are ready for a hand up and when that happens there always seems to be two new people to take their place.

Our three county area homeless population has doubled since 2023.
 
In St Louis city there are homeless and there are beggars, some aggressive. Often walking up to cars at stoplights, and approaching when you are putting groceries in your car. I live somewhat rural for a few years now, and don't go into the city. As said above, there are free meals and safe places to sleep at night but they are often refused because of no alcohol and drugs allowed. Some of the homeless are just severely mentally ill and I think the hospitals that used to be available closed.
 
Not that I know of. But at certain intersections where traffic has to stop for red lights, there are people standing and holding signs saying they are homeless, asking for donations. Sometimes if I have time before the light changes, I hand them a dollar or two. I'm more likely to give them something if they are obviously handicapped. (Some of them are amputees.) Very sad problem.
 
We have a few people who spend their disability or their welfare on drugs and claim homelessness. However there is a motel downtown that is no longer a motel, now it houses the so called homeless for free. We have real winters so we do not have real homeless, welfare doesn't allow it.
 
Aunt Bea said:
We have approx 1,200 in our three county area.

It’s a mixed bag from teens or young couch surfers to the hardcore homeless.

The hardcore homeless tend to set up camps in the wild fringe areas and keep to themselves.

The younger folks blend in and are difficult to spot.

The population that we usually come into contact with are the mentally ill or substance abusers.

We have many services available for shelter, food, medical, and even a day labor program targeted specifically at the homeless.

Nothing works until people are ready for a hand up and when that happens there always seems to be two new people to take their place.

Our three county area homeless population has doubled since 2023.
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This mostly sums up Nashville, TN, which is about 90 minutes from me. Their homeless situation is on the news at least twice monthly.

I live in an Ag County with a population of ~53,000. I was shocked to see the homeless count is ~10,500. I expected a lot less. I googled .gov to get this info🤠
 
Yep, especially in the more densely populated areas of this state, you've got people who work full-time at jobs that pay at least a little more than minimum wage yet still can't afford to live anywhere other than in their cars. Why don't they move to where the housing costs less, you may ask? Because they'd have to move so far away from where their jobs are that they couldn't afford the gas for the commute. So why don't they get jobs where the housing costs less, you may ask? What jobs?

An since this is an area where housing costs only a little less (it's a university town so since they can charge the students outrageous prices we all pay more) and there aren't many jobs that pay above minimum wage, they can't afford cars so have to live in tents. Which are pretty visible. Until something is done about housing prices, this will continue. You might be able to increase jobs but until there is enough affordable housing, the problem will not go away.
 
Quite a few in town... I always try, met a fella that was down in the dumps, pushing his shopping cart around, with all his belongings...with his dog following... I told him to have a seat on the bench, and that I will be right back... went to the grocery store, got a can of food for his dog... and then to Subway, got him a sandwich... and a drink, came back...gave it to him, and probably $50 in my wallet...

Told him here's my number, call me later tonight, and I will talk to the wife, and see if it's ok, if you and your dog move it, and maybe help ya get back on your feet... Lorie was all for it, but wanted to meet him... I said he's going to call tonight, and we;ll meet somewhere... My phone rang for about a week wanting to buy drugs, or sell me drugs, and never saw this fellow and his dog ever again... Think my number was sold for money... I just wanted to help...
 
Here in the St. Louis area we have organized panhandling. Same people working
4 hour shifts, carrying a backpack, all have limps, ages 20 - 70, maybe a shopping
cart or a wheel-chair sitting there. Some of the girls are young and there have to
be Truck Drivers a looking.

I once gave a $5 to a panhandler working Spruce Hills Drive and 10 years later
saw him working a Corner in Norcross, Fla. Santa Rosa County in Feb.
No Taxes problems here.

I was in a secondhand store and sitting on the floor is a backpack with a new SOG hatchet.
The gentleman said he needed it to cut firewood for his campfire out at his tent. Backpack
was new too.
 
Bretrick said:

Is homelessness a visible problem where you are?​

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"Visible"? No. Social services keep them fed and sheltered. I was in Hamburg last year where many homeless are visible. Next to the railway station I saw a man lying in the gutter who was so filthy and tattered that I nearly stepped over him without being able to distinguish him from the rubbish. I've seen corpses lying about in the streets of India but this somehow seemed worse.
 
mike4lorie said:
Quite a few in town... I always try, met a fella that was down in the dumps, pushing his shopping cart around, with all his belongings...with his dog following... I told him to have a seat on the bench, and that I will be right back... went to the grocery store, got a can of food for his dog... and then to Subway, got him a sandwich... and a drink, came back...gave it to him, and probably $50 in my wallet...

Told him here's my number, call me later tonight, and I will talk to the wife, and see if it's ok, if you and your dog move it, and maybe help ya get back on your feet... Lorie was all for it, but wanted to meet him... I said he's going to call tonight, and we;ll meet somewhere... My phone rang for about a week wanting to buy drugs, or sell me drugs, and never saw this fellow and his dog ever again... Think my number was sold for money... I just wanted to help...
Click to expand...
It is instances like yours that forces us to stop trying to be kind and helpful.
How many times do we need to be kicked in the guts before we say "no more"
 

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