Current Events > What's your solution to the homeless problem?

(+) Yeah! (+)

As I see it, there doesn't really seem to be any actual solutions, and the ones that exist boil down to 3-4 different things. Government housing, forcing homeless out of the streets and out of sight (Bussing them to another location is basically the same thing), giving them money, putting them in concentration camps/jail.

Did I forget anything?

So do you have a solution that isn't simply a part of one of the 4 things I mentioned? I'd like to have a nuanced conversation about the homeless issue and ways we could resolve it.

The first step is to make the economy livable again. Make housing affordable, make groceries and medicine affordable, and bring back the concept of hard work for fair pay. This will only solve some of the issue. The rest? Idk

Cities (the places people want to live) need to build (and in some cases allow) more housing so that people can actually afford to live there. The government can do some of that, but in the US I imagine a lot of the construction will have to come from the private sector.

don't spend 2 trillion per year on defense

Kill em...

Not a great plan but it is a solution.

not being serious. I have a morbid sense of humor

Payzmaykr posted...

The first step is to make the economy livable again. Make housing affordable, make groceries and medicine affordable, and bring back the concept of hard work for fair pay. This will only solve some of the issue. The rest? Idk

This would be a good start. It will literally never happen though.

Martin v Boise.
Build enough shelter beds, and any jurisdiction can do whatever it wants to ban road-median camps, sidewalk sleepers, and panhandling.

There's no single solution, but I'd bet like 90% of it would be to make housing and mental healthcare significantly more affordable

ClayGuida posted...

As I see it, there doesn't really seem to be any actual solutions, and the ones that exist boil down to 3-4 different things. Government housing, forcing homeless out of the streets and out of sight (Bussing them to another location is basically the same thing), giving them money, putting them in concentration camps/jail.

Did I forget anything?

So do you have a solution that isn't simply a part of one of the 4 things I mentioned? I'd like to have a nuanced conversation about the homeless issue and ways we could resolve it.

don't like more than half of the homeless live in calif?

MC_BatCommander posted...

There's no single solution, but I'd bet like 90% of it would be to make housing and mental healthcare significantly more affordable

I'd probably go with giving them community service type jobs in exchange for housing food and a small bit of pocket change.

Fuck the people who get community service for committing petty crimes. Just fine their asses to help fund this

Smallville posted...

don't like more than half of the homeless live in calif?

Possibly, but it could also be that California goes through a heavy effort to actually count their homeless population, while other states either don't care or try to ship them elsewhere.

So while it may be true that California has many homeless, but they also have by far the biggest population in the country and actively try to get an accurate count for their homeless.

https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/why-counting-the-homeless-is-so-important-in-los-angeles/5a70ceef177dd47fe8436b55

Personally I would treat it like a Norwegian prison system. In Norway prisoners have 3 square meals a day, a place to sleep, access to computers, education and television, as well as some of them having part time jobs with local businesses.

They focus on rehabilitation rather than treating their prisoners like dirt. Same could be done with homeless. Give them a place to sleep, rehabilitate themselves, with proper mental health facilities as well as the option to work at local facilities for some income. With a place like Los Angeles where there is a surplus of garbage on the streets (from what I've read, as I've never been there), take those that can clean up the streets and have them remove the garbage and put it in dumpsters.

Obviously this isn't going to solve the entire problem, but it will solve some of it. There are many homeless that are homeless thanks to not being able to find a job and increased living costs. Build a place where that isn't a factor.

Just thinking out loud.

Smallville posted...

don't like more than half of the homeless live in calif?

do you think they have a choice? the weather in certain parts of cali is perfect and moderate year round.

the homeless people in some other cities deal with 0-10F in the winter and 85-90+F in the summer

Empirically the answer is to literally give houseless people houses and money.

Give everyone more money while your at it, especially those at risk of houselessness.

And tax any motherfucker who disagrees since they're the ones hoarding all of the fucking money.

I believe a major factor in the unaffordable housing is that empty buildings and empty lots make economic sense if you have lots of wealth and influence. Your holdings go up in value as housing becomes more in demand seems to imply there is an advantage to keeping housing tight for some real estate holders.

So maybe laws that allow fallow property to be used?

Any system that has streets full of homeless people and neighborhoods full of empty houses at the same time has fucking failed

CobraGT posted...

I believe a major factor in the unaffordable housing is that empty buildings and empty lots make economic sense if you have lots of wealth and influence. Your holdings go up in value as housing becomes more in demand seems to imply there is an advantage to keeping housing tight for some real estate holders.

So maybe laws that allow fallow property to be used?

More or less this. There are WAY MORE vacant houses that are perfectly livable than there are homeless people, by a huge margin. It was like 25 houses to 1 homeless person last I checked.

There is no good reason why anyone in the US shouldn't have their food and accommodation needs met thanks to the government. The resources are right there but they're being hoarded and/or wasted.

I said it a bit ago and I'll say it again. The amount it would take to solve global hunger is between 40 and 47 billion per year. The US on its own has 100 billion in perfectly edible food that's wasted per year. There is a blatant misallocation of resources and a widespread lack of interest in actually taking the steps to solve it, so instead we get apps to let us know which streets have too much literal shit in them for people to take if they can avoid it.

As case worker I work with many people who are unhoused or close to being unhoused or just out of homelessness.

Addressing this is not a small task it is something that is a multifaceted challenge that requires a comprehensive approach rooted in empathy and support. What this means is that you have to attack many aspects of it at once.

Mental Health Support: Initiating assistance for individuals grappling with mental illness is key. This support should extend to those who may also be dealing with substance abuse issues. Homelessness is often linked with mental health challenges, and addressing these issues is a vital first step toward rehabilitation. And address many different types of a substance abuse. There was this one lady that came in for help, and I assumed she was on something hard. But nope she just drank so much, it looked like it was something else.

Counseling Services: Ensuring readily available counseling services is essential. Homeless individuals may face trauma, addiction, or other complex issues. Offering accessible counseling can help them address underlying problems and work toward recovery.

Financial Assistance with little Means Testing: Like they have to be some means testing. You wouldn't want me to just go up and get someone of that sweet homeless money. However at the same time cut out some of the red tape. To help people have so many forms I have to fill out and it seems nuts.

Dignity and Respect: It's crucial to treat homeless individuals with the respect and dignity they deserve. Remember, their circumstances do not define their worth. Compassion and understanding can go a long way in restoring their confidence and self-esteem.

Foster System Reform:
I have been very professional up to this point so forgive me for this rant. Many people who abandon their children on the streets do so for trivial reasons. They reject their children for being gay, dating someone, or talking back. Some children run away from home to escape abuse and violence. These children end up homeless or in foster care or group homes. While there are many wonderful foster parents, some only care about the money they get from the system. Looking at these kids are nothing more than fucking pay check. These children deserve better. They deserve a loving and supportive home.

Active Listening: Listening to homeless individuals is a fundamental aspect of support. Their voices and experiences are invaluable in shaping effective policies and programs. By actively listening, we can gain insights that help tailor assistance to their specific needs.

All of these things have to be done, you just can't do one and say it is over.

PS: Giving them houses works too.

KajeI posted...

More or less this. There are WAY MORE vacant houses that are perfectly livable than there are homeless people, by a huge margin. It was like 25 houses to 1 homeless person last I checked.

There is no good reason why anyone in the US shouldn't have their food and accommodation needs met thanks to the government. The resources are right there but they're being hoarded and/or wasted.

Whomever owns the places should be compensated though.

I mean the government has no problem with imminent domain over other shit but they still have to offer them money

There is no solution to the homeless problem until we fix the bridging wealth gaps in the world at large. Were in the middle of a real life game of monopoly, with a few people and corporations slowly gaining control over more and more assets. Until this is resolved, it will just mean that the poverty line will slowly creep higher and higher.

The middle class is disappearing. There will be more homeless in 30 years than there are today. We need to solve the bigger problem at hand before we can have a shot at fixing homelessness in the long run.

Give me some place where Im allowed to be safe and alive

those are my terms

Sufferedphoneix posted...

Whomever owns the places should be compensated though.

I more or less agree.

who's going to upkeep all the houses we give them? buildings don't take care of themselves.

Free housing, free mental health care, and UBI.

Festive hats.

GuerrillaSoldier posted...

who's going to upkeep all the houses we give them? buildings don't take care of themselves.

Probably the same people who're doing that for all the vacant houses we have now.

The trades have a problem with getting new blood in because of how it's been run and stigmatized so far, but there's still a large workforce as is. It just so happens that a lot of them are BUILDING MORE FUCKING HOUSES (because that's where the money is atm).

(I work in the trades, thinking about this gets me extra heated.)

Just giving long term homeless people a house will not erase the problem of homelessness. Mental illness and drug abuse are very common in chronically homeless people, and just giving them a house wont fix those underlying issues which could cause them to struggle with keeping this new house.

This is why its such a hard problem to solve, as there isnt just a simple solution. We need a huge overhaul of our mental health industry and the way this country treats drug addicts if were going to make strides towards fixing homelessness

GuerrillaSoldier posted...

who's going to upkeep all the houses we give them? buildings don't take care of themselves.

Give them money to hire people that will do it?

Or just hire people to do it?

What kind of retort is this? We can't take care of houseless people because houses need maintenance?

ssb_yunglink2 posted...

Mental illness and drug abuse are very common in chronically homeless people, and just giving them a house wont fix those underlying issues

Living on the street is extremely not conducive to fixing issues. Whatever character flaws you may think these people have, stable housing is a pre-requisite to addressing them.

GuerrillaSoldier posted...

who's going to upkeep all the houses we give them? buildings don't take care of themselves.

the CEOs and companies that make tens of billions per year in profit

ssb_yunglink2 posted...

Mental illness and drug abuse are very common in chronically homeless people, and just giving them a house wont fix those underlying issues which could cause them to struggle with keeping this new house.

So what you're saying is that we need to give people houses and improve both our overall health care system and allow more people access to it

When do we get to the part that's not a good time?

ZMythos posted...

What kind of retort is this? We can't take care of houseless people because houses need maintenance?

Resurrect the concept of "projects"

Intro2Logic posted...

Living on the street is extremely not conducive to fixing issues.

well yeah, of course. But just placing a mentally ill drug addict into a house doesnt fix those issues. Im not saying giving homeless people a place to live isnt PART of the solution, only that it will not solve the problem alone

TMOG posted...

So what you're saying is that we need to give people houses and improve both our overall health care system and allow more people access to it

When do we get to the part that's not a good time?

Yes thats exactly what im saying we need.

ssb_yunglink2 posted...

well yeah, of course. But just placing a mentally ill drug addict into a house doesnt fix those issues. Im not saying giving homeless people a place to live isnt PART of the solution, only that it will not solve the problem alone

so we should be promoting psychology and social work more instead of trying to limit it like some states are.

thronedfire2 posted...

so we should be promoting psychology and social work more instead of trying to limit it like some states are.

Yes, of course.

move the shelters and safe injection sites to luxurious neighbourhoods, allow communities to opt-out with opt-in targetted taxation. This is to be administered by nonprofits with no ties to government, including but not limited to, future employment embargo

Decouple investments from property. Programs for providing basic homes to people.

Get rid of or limit landlording. Keep home maintenance services. Most homes will be bought, limit rentals to very specific instances with strict regulations.

Have programs to get them off the streets. If they have drug problems, get them clean. Help get them jobs and training. Oh, and counseling. Though I think non-homeless people need some of that stuff too.

Living wage, yet not as much as ppl expect - living wage shouldn't include an iota of entertaining/disposable enjoyment currency.
CEO's who are eroding humanity are the root cause. Don't let their million dollar charity cheques fool you - they made a million dollars while I typed this.

Give the mentally stable ones housing.

You'd think places like Walmart would push for this as they'd have plenty of employees to choose from that the government is subsidizing their miniscule paycheck. Amazon can't keep warehouse employees, but what if they could tap a new market? A demographic that will never escape their grasp.

This is incredibly evil, but somehow it's a better solution.

Everyone talks shit about the homeless having mental problems as if it isnt exactly the same with all other people. Were all fucking crazy, the people living outdoors are just more honest about it.

Just tell em to stop being homeless, easy.

World peace!

Working in social housing maintenance, there is more than just giving people homes to live in.

Yes, some of these people have hit hard times, most are on the streets because of other problems. Be it drug addiction, mental health or whatever else.

Straight up putting them in homes there is a high chance (I've seen first hand how some treat social housing.....it's not great, yes, it's a minority) these properties will be trashed and more money will be spent and potentially wasted in getting them back to standard again and the cycle repeats

For those that have those issues, they need the professional help, along with some kind of accountability to help keep them on track and working to make themselves better and overcome their demons.

Its a multi faceted thing that needs to be handled in many ways, there is no one stop solution to it.

Cheaper housing is step 1. Doesn't have to be government housing.

giiiiiiiiiiiiive, this person a job

Social housing
Mental healthcare

You don't have to 'solve' the homelessness problem. There will always be people who fall through the cracks.

Just make those cracks as small as possible.

And new, delicious Soylent Green the miracle food of high-energy plankton gathered from the oceans of the world. Because of its enormous popularity, Soylent Green is in short supply. Remember, Tuesday is Soylent Green Day.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

giiiiiiiiiiiiive, this person a job

How much an hour do they need to make to afford a 2k a month shit apartment? You need what, $24 an hour just to afford that and living expenses, like food, transportation, and so forth.

Starter apartments that are like 150-200 sq feet, intended for single, pet free living. You could potentiality have a common lounge area like a college dorm.

This is just one idea.