Homeless people in Alaska? (Kenai: real estate, how much, incomes)

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by starlite9

The Economy in Alaska may be better than most of the lower 48, but it isn't great either. If a person is willing to get dirty, there are jobs that will tide one over, but if you have been making $20.00+ an hour and lost your job, some think it is demeaning to work for $9.00. It may not pay all the bills, but sitting on ones hands isn't the answer either.

Unemployment isn't something to look down on, it is something that you paid for when you work and comes out of your paycheck, it isn't welfare. It won't pay all the bills either, but it isn't suppose to either, it is a temporary fix/patch to what should be a short term issue.

Yes I've sure seen my share of those "working the system" -- every excuse in the book why they can't find work. I've heard well I want to live in Talkeetna and it's too far to come to Wasilla or Anchorage to work. Well they knew that when they moved there. Trust me, it gets very frustrating to see able-bodied men and women who simply want things handed to them and don't know what a decent day of work is like. The rewards helped outweigh those types when somone truly wanted to get back on their feet and utilized the assistance only enough to do just that.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by NomadicBear

The problem I see with working a $9 per hour job in Alaska, is there is no way to actually live on that. I can understand how those jobs go unfilled at times. Unless someone is in a situation where they have another source of income, that figure is a recipe for homelessness in and of itself. That's exactly what's happened in this country- we have high housing prices, and falling wages. Doesn't pencil out.

I know people who live in the bush on a few thousand a year or less sometimes. Mostly income from trapping. They're debt free (or land payments are low) and don't need to buy much. That sort of lifestyle may not be appealing to everyone though and requires considerable skill in many areas.

[NomadicBear]

Until I own a piece of land, I don't see how I could live on such a paltry sum. While I'm pretty skillful, I don't have what it takes to live "in the bush". I'm not a trapper, and I don't go into extreme environments without plenty of research and practice. I know my limitations and refuse to end up as a footnote in the local fishwrap like Christopher McCandless. Lastly, I'm interested in meeting a nice woman. I doubt weeks spent without showering is going to further that goal.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by NomadicBear

The problem I see with working a $9 per hour job in Alaska, is there is no way to actually live on that. I can understand how those jobs go unfilled at times. Unless someone is in a situation where they have another source of income, that figure is a recipe for homelessness in and of itself. That's exactly what's happened in this country- we have high housing prices, and falling wages. Doesn't pencil out.

Kinda hard to feel sorry for someone that bought a $300,000.00 house without a down payment (part of the HUD crap), then makes payments that they can "Just" afford, and when the stuff hits the fan, they are up a creek.

No, 9 bucks and hour isn't great, but doing nothing is better?

You have a job, you can interact with others and find better pay, I have done that in the past when things weren't looking to good for me when I was out of work.

There was a statement that was on a Poster once that always impressed me.

"There are three types of people in the world...

First is the ones that make things happen

Second is those watch things happen

Third is those that wonder what happened"

Seems like a lot of people are waiting for someone else to hand them the cure for what ails them....

I tried to get my Nephew to mow lawns in the subdivisions where he lived in Wasilla, Grandpa was going to let him use his riding lawn mower, too much effort. The going rate was about thirty bucks a lawn for about forty min's work... Pissed me off, then one of the neighbor's kids started doing it when I told him about it later when he told me there were no jobs. He made about $600.00 (cash money) a week, then he started doing snow shoveling for them and is still cleaning house, not bad for a kid 16 years old.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by NomadicBear

Until I own a piece of land, I don't see how I could live on such a paltry sum. While I'm pretty skillful, I don't have what it takes to live "in the bush". I'm not a trapper, and I don't go into extreme environments without plenty of research and practice. I know my limitations and refuse to end up as a footnote in the local fishwrap like Christopher McCandless. Lastly, I'm interested in meeting a nice woman. I doubt weeks spent without showering is going to further that goal.

Not sure what you do, but you might consider some kind of summer/seasonal position with a place that offers room and board; it isn't a bad way to check out the state and not a terrible way to meet women, either. People come up to work from all over the world and lots of people got their start in Alaska that way.

Star, one thing I've noticed about both POW and the upper Su is that while unemployment is high, when a job does come up, they sometimes have trouble filling it.

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by NomadicBear

The problem I see with working a $9 per hour job in Alaska, is there is no way to actually live on that. I can understand how those jobs go unfilled at times. Unless someone is in a situation where they have another source of income, that figure is a recipe for homelessness in and of itself. That's exactly what's happened in this country- we have high housing prices, and falling wages. Doesn't pencil out.

This is exactly the situation that I became homeless under. There are many landlords that refuse to take a partial payment even once. Like I said, in a matter of days, it all happened. If people can't or won't work with someone as far as payments, and most likely they won't because they have been burnt before, it can easily escalate to a homelessness situation.

[NomadicBear]

I don't feel sorry for people who bought $300,000 houses they can't afford. But, what I'm talking about is the fact that real wages have been declining since the 70's, and the disparity between median incomes and median wages is making it exceedingly difficult for people to save money and thrive. I do believe that the unemployed should take ANY job until they find something better. I've mowed lawns, I actually like it. I worked a $7.50 per hour job at one point THIS decade. I agree that there are many people who rode the gravy train of easy money as realtors, mortgage brokers, and the like, and who aren't ready to swallow their pride and take a step backwards. I'm not one of them.

This was in response to starlite's post.

[NomadicBear]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Not sure what you do, but you might consider some kind of summer/seasonal position with a place that offers room and board; it isn't a bad way to check out the state and not a terrible way to meet women, either. People come up to work from all over the world and lots of people got their start in Alaska that way.

Star, one thing I've noticed about both POW and the upper Su is that while unemployment is high, when a job does come up, they sometimes have trouble filling it.

I sure wish I could do that, but I have a 120lb furry friend. This presents a few more challenges, but I wouldn't trade him for the world.

[Marty Van Diest]

Check out this guy. He lives in his van for $103 a week while going to grad school at Duke. People do this in Alaska. You can live in a truck and make it work if you have to. But it would be better to do it in the summer.

[sskkc]

Originally Posted by megensmom

I feel for those that are truly homeless but I do have a question. They say they can't find work,I know 2 places right now in fairbanks that for as long as you will come to work sober they would hire you and one of them even let a person park their van in the parking area and use the electric hook up just to help the person get on their feet. Granted these places only pay about $9 per hour but wouldn't a job that pays that even if it was fast food or something be better than nothing?

How would a homeless person learn about this job? The sober ones, I mean? Not even here did you mention EXACTLY where to find this "work". What about if you don't have a van? What if you used the internet to find this site, but once you logged off, the slip of paper you wrote it down on got wet and illegible?

When I was young, I went through a short, homeless phase. I was not a drunk or doing drugs. I had a horrible, abusive childhood and couldn't catch a break. I also wasn't raised near poverty, so I had no idea where to go for social programs. The internet wasn't around.

I climbed out of it quicker than most. But now, when I hear someone say, "There are programs"... it annoys me. Those programs are for the biggest losers... people who are "trying" have a harder time. I remember one "helpful" volunteer at a shelter suggest pregnancy as a way "out" for me - without a baby, an address, a minority skin tone or an addiction, I didn't "qualify" for any programs. It didn't help that I was no longer being abused, believe it or not.

That said, in my early 20s, self supporting and doing well, I reached out to others. I had to stop... I couldn't find the ones like me and the ones I did find hurt me in many different ways. I had to move out of state to get away from them and their fellow homeless 'friends', as many knew where I lived. They would break in while I was at work and make themselves at home, steal my clothes and food, leave their filth and stink behind, make phone calls, crank my heat and leave the doors open when they left. I don't think any of them knew how to flush a toilet.

Wow... this post took a turn! But those are representative of MY experiences as and with homeless people.