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It's sad that the lack of response to this thread indicates how little people care about those living on the streets. Even more sad is that many seem to feel that refugees from another country are more deserving of our resources than our own citizens.
You are assuming the vast majority of posters here are serious is why.
I'm assuming that you are implying that if the homeless don't like where they are, they should just move- right? Fair enough but tell me how they might be able to do that.
There are a number of homeless young people - sometimes called "disaffected youth" -who seasonally travel to different parts of the country. e.g. they infest Portland in the summer and are probably in California this time of year. They're sometimes called "travelers".
I've worked with the homeless and I believe that the only feasible solution is to offer supportive housing like the Housing First program in SLC .
^ Homeless First is a simple concept, a permanent solution to end chronic long term homelessness- no strings attached.
Long term homelessness is defined as being homeless for more than a year.
It's a national initiative, although Utah has recieved the most attention because of the Church of JC of the Latter Day Saints- an army of volunteers , ready, willing and able to volunteer to achieve the goal.
As your link says, 90% of the funding for the construction of new housing came from the fed. The remainder came from the state and church.
Tenants are not required to get sober, seek or comply with mental health care or get a job. Support services, including healthcare, are available but no one is required to use such services. Each tenant pays rent, a percentage of their SDI, SSDI and TANF incomes. The fed picks up the rest via Section 8.
Instead of condemning those " on the dole" the community celebrates achieving the goal of eliminating chronic homelessness and creating optional opportunities for the homeless. It takes a special community to suspend judgment.
From a bottom line standpoint, they determined it's more cost effective to house the homeless, no strings attached than it was to operate temporary shelters/ soup kitchens and ER visits.
If federal funding were eliminated, the entire thing shuts down.
I am curious if and how potential tenants are vetted and what Utah does that prevents permanent homeless housing from becoming a ghetto.
There's another active thread ( as there usually is ) bashing welfare mamas. Last I checked, there's was a consensus to cut the leeches and their spawn off.
And here we are talking about how the federal government does not do more for homeless people.
1. Quitting school and running away from home to become a "model"
2. Taking drugs and skipping school
3. Getting knocked up
4. Going to college and majoring in something that the marketplace does not need more of
5. Having a police record by the time you are 18.
You forgot " knocking up". It takes a man and woman to engage in unprotected sex to create a baby.
Go talk to your fellow cons. They don't give two hoots about homeless. Come on this forum, they're constantly insulting the homeless. Maybe you should give them a nice lecture, they're the ones who need the help in becoming compassionate & helping others, not the dems. Hell, just read this very thread. I guarantee the ones making the off handed, insulting remarks are from cons. In fact, I'll bet on it.
So if cons don't care no one else needs to?
My fellow cons? One thread I'm called a con the next a lib go figure.
I thought you wanted to talk about the homeless, after all that is the title of the thread and this is what you said:
It is disingenuous to start a thread claiming it is about one thing when it reality it is nothing more than another Obama bash fest.
So I'm not allowed to reply to a post? I'm sorry if you think Obama has been perfect and is above reproach. I think Obama has been disingenuous in regard to both the refugees and our homeless. I think people who are so willing to turn a blind eye to the faults of our elected reps based upon what party they support are also disingenuous.
there was the movie Purge- many secretly may not actually go hurt someone-- but be glad it happen--- MANY do not want to know about anyone's suffering- hunger - after all its their own fault isn't it? There are kind people-and some do a lot for others but, It shames me to know the vets are in such dire need for so long-- and still----
Bear in mind, 2/3rds of Americans are 2 paychecks away from being homeless, thus, let's not write the majority of them off as mentally ill or with drug problems.
Back in the mid-70's, a coworker of mine, with 2 college degrees (mind you!) voluntarily became homeless, fed up with the rat race. She's ideally cut out for the homeless lifestyle. She's the first to enter a library in the morning, and the last to leave! She could read and read and read ad infinitum!
When she called me in the early 90's, she had traveled so widely, she knew all the best homeless shelters in a good part of the country.
Back in the Middle Ages, when you wanted to get off the merry-go-round of life, wanted to take a long breather, you'd merely head for the nearest monastery, drop out for awhile, and while there you had some daily chores to do, but very little if any pressure. When recouped, ready to join the world again, you'd leave!
Now, with the diagnosed mentally ill person it may be difficult (ya know the one hollering and talking to the air with the devilish look on their face, feet going a mile a minute yet not moving an inch) but for the rest why couldn't shelters be put up that they do chores in? Gets them the basics necessities of life.
We really need to step up funding for mental health and addiction. If I had to choose one I would rather have heart disease than be a paranoid schizophrenic. At least there is treatment without the shame and negative stigma in heart disease.
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