Best Ways To Reduce The High Cost Of Homelessness? (legal, death, racism)
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I could search for a lot longer, but I won't. Adding in the cost of jail is not a fair argument. People don't go to jail just for being homeless, and it certainly skews the numbers.
If it really is about "the numbers" then you will need to peg the hidden cost of homelessness as well as those obvious dollar expenditures. And yes many in the jail population become homeless and have restrictions on their freedom after their sentence is served, parole violations are often used to get back into jail simply for the food and shelter aspect of incarceration.
It is true that our present policies regarding the homeless include a welcoming to jail. Many are arrested when sleeping in areas they are forbidden to occupy, often, being uncooperative leads to resisting arrest, and that is the main charge brought against the homeless. The homeless are in constant face to face confrontations with police, and that is how so many of the mentally ill become incarcerated rather than treated. On a cold winter night, getting arrested isn't all that difficult, jail beats the streets sometimes.
I'm not so sure that "the numbers" have much significance when looking for cures for our social ills, lets try to agree that whatever the dollar amount spent on the homeless, the totality of it hasn't provided much relief to society with regard to the presence of a large populace of the homeless, nor has it provided much in the way of housing or establishing any hope of sustainable employment for these people. Like many well meaning aid programs, many serve to perpetuate the problem when the funds are used to provide a day to day existence in the same situation that required help, and that minimal help becomes a way of life.
Wars that have no real mission beyond the usual monetary gains associated with war.
Help for veterans after their return from wars.
Bailouts as a reward for a demonstrated unmitigated greed that ruined lives and impoverished people.
Subsidies to the largest and wealthiest entities on the planet.
Who pays for all of that?
People will tell you that these expenditures bring a certain prosperity to America, and most know that statements such as that will be hotly debated. The cost of living in a decent society includes the dollars spent on the well being of those who are struggling.
We complain of the mess the homeless create when living like animals, but humans can't survive as a feral species, we use a lot of products that generate a lot of garbage, living conditions such as those found in the homeless camps can easily become the breeding ground for serious health considerations, ours, as well as the homeless. This isn't all about the homeless, your own health and security are at risk when society allows this population to grow to unmanageable proportions.
use a long term hotel to, get your foot in the door.
It beats not having a roof over your head but the disadvantage is that you can't save anything that way. The same hole-in-the-wall studio that would rent for $400/month will cost you over $1000/month as a hotel (month to month) vs leasing.
Most homeless people don't have good credit scores so they may be asked to pay an entire 6 month lease + deposit up front.
Add to that the fact that if you can't pass a background check (history with felony convictions) it cuts out about 90% of your renting options.
It's a never ending cycle. Of course not getting yourself in the situation to begin with is ideal but that ship has sailed.
Wars that have no real mission beyond the usual monetary gains associated with war.
Help for veterans after their return from wars.
Bailouts as a reward for a demonstrated unmitigated greed that ruined lives and impoverished people.
Subsidies to the largest and wealthiest entities on the planet.
Who pays for all of that?
People will tell you that these expenditures bring a certain prosperity to America, and most know that statements such as that will be hotly debated. The cost of living in a decent society includes the dollars spent on the well being of those who are struggling.
We complain of the mess the homeless create when living like animals, but humans can't survive as a feral species, we use a lot of products that generate a lot of garbage, living conditions such as those found in the homeless camps can easily become the breeding ground for serious health considerations, ours, as well as the homeless. This isn't all about the homeless, your own health and security are at risk when society allows this population to grow to unmanageable proportions.
I am for a stronger military. I will agree that we need to pick our battles based on those nations that are enemies of the USA. If they come after us we have an obligation to go after them. Now I am talking serious threats here. Taking care of Veterans is an honor. These are people that have served this nation of ours.
Bailouts should also be regarded on a case by case basis. Realize that many of these companies have lots of people working there. Producers. I am not for bailouts just because they seem like a good idea.
For the most part you have a better return on your money with a corporate bailout and subsidy then you will ever have giving homeless people money. Saying that, even giving should be done on a case by case basis. I know of able bodied men that get welfare. I know others that scam the system. I know many more that take nothing from the taxpayer and work hard for what they have.
There is no return on giving someone a free lunch. Now teaching them to catch their own lunch, there is a return on that. Having people work for what they get, their is a return on that. You help no one by giving them free stuff.
I am for a stronger military. I will agree that we need to pick our battles based on those nations that are enemies of the USA. If they come after us we have an obligation to go after them. Now I am talking serious threats here. Taking care of Veterans is an honor. These are people that have served this nation of ours.
Bailouts should also be regarded on a case by case basis. Realize that many of these companies have lots of people working there. Producers. I am not for bailouts just because they seem like a good idea.
For the most part you have a better return on your money with a corporate bailout and subsidy then you will ever have giving homeless people money. Saying that, even giving should be done on a case by case basis. I know of able bodied men that get welfare. I know others that scam the system. I know many more that take nothing from the taxpayer and work hard for what they have.
There is no return on giving someone a free lunch. Now teaching them to catch their own lunch, there is a return on that. Having people work for what they get, their is a return on that. You help no one by giving them free stuff.
Attempting to align the entire homeless population with those who have failed themselves allows a rosy picture of an economy that is all inclusive, poor and rich alike, all getting their fair share of opportunity. Most people, regardless of where they come down on the issues surrounding homelessness can admit the fact of our economy as a thing greatly altered by the introduction of highly mechanized processes coupled with a penchant for exporting jobs to foreign low wage nations.
Many among the homeless are people who have been cast aside as the human residue of those changes. I agree that we will need to look at these people on a individual basis and provide some aid only when the homeless person is willing to respond positively to those aid efforts. And, I am personally put off by the feeding programs that leave these people to sleep under a bridge after consuming their free meal. I'm also against housing the homeless without requiring their participation in work programs for those able to work.
As for the argument that there is a better ROI on bailout money, I'll assume that the same people who gained from such bailouts will understand the necessity to have huge filthy homeless encampments in their midst, not to mention that we weren't speaking of "giving homeless people money." The admonishment regarding the dangers of a free lunch should also apply to those among the wealthy who took our money and left us with the social ills we could have addressed with that same money. And, I'm certain that Lloyd Blankfein has by now learned to pay for his own lunch.
On a more serious note though, I'm left to wonder how we will deal with the growing hordes of the homeless, drug addicted, mentally ill, criminal kind, and those underfunded elderly people destined for the economic scrapheap, all hopelessly abandoned for lack of national concern, and worse, admonished by a skewered cheapness that chastises the poor for their plight, but allows a robbery by the wealthy. There seems to be an inverted sense of morality here, rich, respected folks, running slipshod over society are excused for the fact that they "share" their tax supported spoils with their employees while the poor are somehow seen as being in need of a morals lesson with regard to self responsibility.
It beats not having a roof over your head but the disadvantage is that you can't save anything that way. The same hole-in-the-wall studio that would rent for $400/month will cost you over $1000/month as a hotel (month to month) vs leasing.
Most homeless people don't have good credit scores so they may be asked to pay an entire 6 month lease + deposit up front.
Add to that the fact that if you can't pass a background check (history with felony convictions) it cuts out about 90% of your renting options.
It's a never ending cycle. Of course not getting yourself in the situation to begin with is ideal but that ship has sailed.
I'd demand a discount for up front payment. Slumlords think homeless people never heard of Present Value, let alone understand the concept.
Put them on farms out in the country living, sleeping, and dining communualy. Have them grow their own produce, raise their own livestock, and become self-sustaining and even sell the excess to pay for what has to be bought. It's how people USED to survive. Why is this so hard? Relieves the taxpayer burden, and they themselves would be a hundred million times better off. No, they won't have Internet, smart phones, cars, fast food, and/or cigarettes. Also offer GEDs and job training. If they want better, they can do better, but it doesn't get much better.
It beats not having a roof over your head but the disadvantage is that you can't save anything that way. The same hole-in-the-wall studio that would rent for $400/month will cost you over $1000/month as a hotel (month to month) vs leasing.
Most homeless people don't have good credit scores so they may be asked to pay an entire 6 month lease + deposit up front.
Add to that the fact that if you can't pass a background check (history with felony convictions) it cuts out about 90% of your renting options.
It's a never ending cycle. Of course not getting yourself in the situation to begin with is ideal but that ship has sailed.
I think the average person faced with the possibility of becoming homeless does that math and it's scary. I think that is why many continue to pay exorbitant rents more than 50% of their income - because the alternatives are even worse.
The only way that I can see to end homelessness is to stop feeding the homeless. We see people asking for money all the time and some of these people can become violent in nature. At the same time I see large farms asking for help. None of the homeless are heading over to take any of those jobs though. Many large farms around here even offer rooms that the workers can live in.
You want to give to someone on the street? Why not give to an organization that takes care of homeless people. Too many homeless panhandlers using the money that they get for drugs, smokes, alcohol, and other habits that i don't want to support.
Except that we've reached the point, sadly, where people will steal and even kill for what they feel entitled to (your money) rather than work for it, which they would consider a debasing form of servitude... Can't put the toothpaste back in the tube at this stage...
I feel compelled to post on here. I was homeless at one point. I was medically retired from the U.S. Navy due to a severe work injury. My retirement was $425.00 a month. Due to some severe physical limitations, I wasn't able to work the fallback jobs of fast food or retail. I applied for V.A. benefits, but at that time, the average wait for approval was over a year. I lived in base housing so the second I was retired, I had no place to live. As an E-5 with 2 years of active duty service, I had very little saved. It took me 2 months to finally find an office job. The entire time I rotated between living in my car, and living on friends coaches. After a month of minimum wage salary, I tried to rent an apartment, but I couldn't get approved because I didn't have any rental history. It took an additional 4 months to finally find a land lord that would approve me, even though at that point I had plenty of money in the bank. I finally got my own place, but I spent a good 6 months homeless. The current rental system excludes people trying to get back on their feet. It is becoming more difficult to qualify for rentals. This is going to force more people out on the street. The last apartment my wife and I rented, you would have thought we were applying to guard Ft. Knox. We needed 2 rental references, 3 times the rent in monthly income, were required to have a $25,000.00 renters insurance policy, they checked our credit, did a criminal background check, and confirmed our employment with our employers. All to rent an apartment for $875.00 per month. They also required a huge deposit.
So I ask you, how many people struggling to regain their life after a major financial emergency will have all of this? I have recently seen a huge increase in the campers that sit inside pickup truck beds around town. I wonder how many are actually living in them year round?
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