Homelessness
In a free society, homelessness is an unsolvable problem. But it can be reduced or increased, depending on policy.
~ Aristotle Sabouni
Created: 2019-03-24 |
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| I am not an expert, but I have worked soup kitchens, and did social work. I've travelled to shelters and have homeless friends, and have asked many questions at facilities I've visited, and talked to people on both sides of this problem. These are my opinions. If you can show me where I'm wrong, I welcome it. But these views matured and solidified over decades, and people that disagree seem incapable of offering evidence of where I'm wrong. |
Types[edit | edit source]
I don't mean to imply that it's a simple problem -- but it's not nearly as hard as some pretend. You just need the willpower to fix it.
The first thing is there are different types of homeless, and different solutions for each. This obviously isn't every story, but loose categories that covers the vast majority -- though many cross over into more than one category, and can evolve through them.
Short term homelessness -- these are people between jobs, or that get evicted. While they make a good poster child for the advocates, "this could be you", we're all one small layoff away from being homeless. The truth is most people have some sort of support system: family and friends they can fall back on. They can start selling assets (goods/furniture, things) to get temporary shelter. Living out of a car, in the short term, isn't the end of the world. Who hasn't had to do sleep in their car before? And temporary shelters are some of the better funded problems -- and if they aren't, it's because the resources are getting poorly diverted to other homelessness. This problem is solvable with a few shelters that offer temporary housing, and trust that people will get their shit together in the time allotted and find their next step.
The bigger problem are the long term or chronic homeless. Some have given up on trying, some like their lifestyle (better than the alternatives). In the real world, you get what you incentivize (or refuse to punish). You have two choices, make it easier for them, or make it harder for them until they make other choices. That's about it.
Those screaming for more compassion are actually enabling the behavior. And while we all understand the compassion, making homeless easier, giving them more, will only get more homelessness. They're homeless, not stupid. So programs meant to virtue signal and show you care, also are throwing anchors to drowning people: making the status quo better, is also making change even harder.
Substance abusers are not responsible adults. They are people that will choose a substance over their responsibility. So every liberal program that helps them, enables them. Here's some free needles or laws that won't punish you for self harm (having illegal substances). Fine. But what they need is prison (or rehab).
If you have a habit, and are choosing that habit over work, family and housing, then you have a problem -- and are no longer a rational adult that is in control of your own life. So someone more responsible needs to make decisions for you, until you can get back in control. Lock them up, clean them up, and start giving them a purpose: a work camp to get their life back on track. If they can, let them out. But each time they are caught and brought back, they need to serve the previous sentence over, before serving their new sentence. So 3 months, 6 months, a year. Each time you're taking them off the streets, you're making their life better -- and you're making everyone else's.
Mentally ill are not responsible adults. They need supervision, and a controlled environment. They can either take their meds and stay sane (not live on the streets), or they can't. If they can't, they need confinement in asylums or something that keeps them from harm (either harming others, or themselves).
Layabouts / Urban Campers are not responsible adults by virtue of their choices. If you've studied homeless, you find the kids, hippies, surfers, etc., that know they can get by living out of their car, or in a tent/encampment, mooching off of society. It's not that they can't work, it's that they think by eliminating permanent housing that they're scamming the system. They get money/aid/food/etc., and they can mooch their life away. The problem is this spiral kills self esteem in the long run, and can learn to substance abuse, mental illness, and criminality. They don't care about society, and so society doesn't care about them, and that loop doesn't end well for either side. So just enforce the laws, raise the costs, and get them to make other choices, or put them in work-camps until they decide a different lifestyle.
Topics[edit | edit source]
Homeless • [7 items]
| Dont feed the squirrels |
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| Martin Sheen homeless enabler |
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| Panhandling |
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| There's a saying, you get what you incentivize. So if you pay people to be poor, it's amazing how many people will suddenly become poor. An example is this panhandler that makes $1,000 a weekend in Texas, by pretending to be homeless and wheelchair bound. He has a home and walks just fine. |
| Reagan emptied mental institutions and caused homeless crisis |
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| Seattle is Dying |
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| In March an video journalist (Eric Johnson) did an hour long Exposé on Seattle's homelessness problem, documenting facts about how Seattle's compassionate progressivism has resulted in an explosion of homelessness, squalor, disease, crime, and contempt (for government or the homeless). Naturally, to the left, he became the problem -- not what he exposed. |
| Shanty Town |
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| Utah model for homelessness |
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Compassion often is selfishness wrapped in sanctimony[edit | edit source]
Someone that got evicted and is living in a car is different than someone between jobs, urban campers, and persistent homeless. And the solutions are too. And the problem with things like this is always unintended consequences. (They're homeless, not stupid).
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