Why so many homeless in SF? (Freedom: home, school, camps)

[tkindred]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

Sounds logical, but think of this for a moment... would you volunteer to be homeless, simply because the government gives you "hand outs?" I'm guessing that most people here would say no, and would continue working to keep their lives off the streets. I certainly wouldn't volunteer! So the reasons as to why they BECOME homeless are much deeper, usually having to do with mental illness and drug/alcohol addiction. Did you know that approximately 70% of (long-term) homeless people suffer from mental illness - usually schizophrenia and bipolar disease? I too suffer from some of these problems, and understand how it could send them into a dangerous downward spiral. Luckily my problems are managed with medication and therapy, but I know what it's like when they're not under control. Anyway, I'm not making excuses for them, and I don't know how to solve this problem... but I imagine it would start with medical & mental treatment, not pushing them to another town.

OK, so if mental illness, drug addiction, etc. is the leading cause of homelessness then one could assume SF either produces or attracts many people who use drugs and or are mentally ill. Why would this be the case?

Secondly, some people DO volunteer to be homeless. My sister did. After I finally found her on the street and gave her a FREE place to live she voluntarily returned to the streets, well, after I tried everything to get her to stay with me.

When I was in Frankfurt I had no money or ID after being robbed. I was homeless over the weekend there. I actually met a homeless man from SF, believe it our not, being homeless in Frankfurt (ever wonder how homeless can get around so much?). After hanging out with him day and night I discovered why he was homeless. He was actually from a wealthy family. He complained that his parents, brother and sister were wealthy and did not give him money anymore. He said he would be a great musician and he couldn't use his hands for manual labor. The only thing I could see he was doing was chasing every pretty young German girl and asking to get high with them. Surprisingly he was quites sussessful at it. He appeared to be in his 50's but he had a way with them. Well, after I received my money via MoneyGram he asked if I would buy him food and if he could stay with me in my hotel room. I bought him lunch and left him there. I figured his hands were just fine to work and if he put forth a little effort perhaps his family might start fealing sorry for him again.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by tkindred

OK, so if mental illness, drug addiction, etc. is the leading cause of homelessness then one could assume SF either produces or attracts many people who use drugs and or are mentally ill. Why would this be the case?

That's when the more logical reasoning comes into play... good weather, permissive/liberal attitude, lots of available drugs, social services, etc. They don't necessarily start here, but many end up in the Bay Area for these reasons.

Secondly, some people DO volunteer to be homeless. My sister did. After I finally found her on the street and gave her a FREE place to live she voluntarily returned to the streets, well, after I tried everything to get her to stay with me.

Has she been evaluated or treated for mental illness? I doubt anyone would choose to be homeless simply out of laziness, since there are plenty of other options - welfare, public housing, social security, nightly motels, etc. - that would be better than sleeping on the streets. The only people who genuinely WANT to be homeless (that I know of) are usually teenagers, who do it for the cool factor or because they're rebelling from their parents... and those cases usually don't stay homeless for very long.

[jamesandveybe]

Why?

1) People are lazy when they can get for free what the rest of us have to work for;
2) Some of them are mentally ill and their families have abandoned them denouncing them as burdens; and
3) People cannot keep looking for work forever-they eventually give up and join the ranks of the permanently unemployed.

[tkindred]

Originally Posted by jamesandveybe

Why?

1) People are lazy when they can get for free what the rest of us have to work for;
2) Some of them are mentally ill and their families have abandoned them denouncing them as burdens; and
3) People cannot keep looking for work forever-they eventually give up and join the ranks of the permanently unemployed.

I have a response for no. 2 and 3. Why are the vast majority of homeless in SF Black? I see people coming here from other countries who are poorer and speak little or no English and manage to get a job.

Are only Black families creating mentally ill people and only Black families abandoning their relatives because again, the vast majority are Black.

[tkindred]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

That's when the more logical reasoning comes into play... good weather, permissive/liberal attitude, lots of available drugs, social services, etc. They don't necessarily start here, but many end up in the Bay Area for these reasons.



Has she been evaluated or treated for mental illness? I doubt anyone would choose to be homeless simply out of laziness, since there are plenty of other options - welfare, public housing, social security, nightly motels, etc. - that would be better than sleeping on the streets. The only people who genuinely WANT to be homeless (that I know of) are usually teenagers, who do it for the cool factor or because they're rebelling from their parents... and those cases usually don't stay homeless for very long.

I know this is hard to believe but my sister is NOT mentally ill. She is EXTREMELY lazy! If she was mentally ill how can she now take care of her 3 children after my mother passed away? My mother used to take care of my sister and her children. Now she is forced to do it and she has stepped up after all these years. She is over 40 years of age.

I think some people are simply lazy and want things for free.

[norcalmom101]

I'm wondering where you are getting the information that the vast majority of homeless in SF are African Americans.

[rah]

Originally Posted by norcalmom101

I'm wondering where you are getting the information that the vast majority of homeless in SF are African Americans.

I agree. If I had to guess at the homeless demographics in the city, I would say, roughly equal parts white and black, with a good amount of latinos, and a very small number of asians. That's just based on my observations over the years.

[newtkindred]

Originally Posted by rah

I agree. If I had to guess at the homeless demographics in the city, I would say, roughly equal parts white and black, with a good amount of latinos, and a very small number of asians. That's just based on my observations over the years.

Asian 1.1 % of homeless but represent 30.7% of SF total population.
Black 30.9 % of homeless but represent only 7.6% of total SF population.
Latino 4.2 % of homeless but represent 14.1% of total SF population.
Other 0.5% of homeless but represent 0.5% of total SF population.
Unkown 35% of homeless but represent 35% of total SF population.
White 28.2% of homeless but represent 43.6% of total SF population.

http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/lhcb/homeless_count/SanFrancisco2007HomelessCount%20final.pdf (broken link)

So, it is clear that the frequency of Blacks being homeless is much greater than any other ethnicity. Although they only represent 7.6% of the population they have the largest quantity of homeless. But compared to Latinos, another lower income average group, their frequency is much less.

When I have more time I will actaully calculate the "frequency" of each ethnicity being homeless. But now I am too tired. If someone else wants to do it feel free. But you can just look at the data and see that Blacks are far more prone to be homeless in SF.

[tkindred]

Originally Posted by newtkindred

Asian 1.1 % of homeless but represent 30.7% of SF total population.
Black 30.9 % of homeless but represent only 7.6% of total SF population.
Latino 4.2 % of homeless but represent 14.1% of total SF population.
Other 0.5% of homeless but represent 0.5% of total SF population.
Unkown 35% of homeless but represent 35% of total SF population.
White 28.2% of homeless but represent 43.6% of total SF population.

http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/lhcb/homeless_count/SanFrancisco2007HomelessCount%20final.pdf (broken link)

So, it is clear that the frequency of Blacks being homeless is much greater than any other ethnicity. Although they only represent 7.6% of the population they have the largest quantity of homeless. But compared to Latinos, another lower income average group, their frequency is much less.

When I have more time I will actaully calculate the "frequency" of each ethnicity being homeless. But now I am too tired. If someone else wants to do it feel free. But you can just look at the data and see that Blacks are far more prone to be homeless in SF.

This is interesting:

"Black 30.9 % of homeless but represent only 7.6% of total SF population.
Latino 4.2 % of homeless but represent 14.1% of total SF population. "

There are approximately TWICE as many latinos as blacks but over 7 TIMES as many homeless that are Black compared to Latinos.

Or put another way. There are 6 TIMES as many whites as Blacks in SF and there are still more Blacks that are homeless than Whites.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by tkindred

I know this is hard to believe but my sister is NOT mentally ill. She is EXTREMELY lazy! If she was mentally ill how can she now take care of her 3 children after my mother passed away? My mother used to take care of my sister and her children. Now she is forced to do it and she has stepped up after all these years. She is over 40 years of age.

I think some people are simply lazy and want things for free.

Some people (like your sister), perhaps... but few are lazy enough to choose homelessness.