the homeless

[no_dice]

I was just wondering what everyone's take on the homeless was. With the summer here, it's hard for me to go a city block without someone asking me for change. The vast majority of these homeless people are around my age (22).

I do feel sorry for these people but at the same time I'm thinking...gee what about the military? McDonalds? Being a janitor? There's plenty of jobs out there for these people....I work on average...60-65 hours a week. After the bills are paid and the dust settles, I have very little left to show for that...and these kids on the street want me to give it to them?

I know some of these kids have tragic stories....but no matter what they say, I don't beleive that the streets are their only alternative.

[Asmodeus]

YOuforget, we live in a day and age where people think they're oing to walk out of school and be the manager right away, they don't want to work their way up into that position, and/or way overspend their limits thus the littlest hiccough and poof , they're homeless. no house, but with tat taco bell job, they have a super uber stereo and tv, and no bank account to speak of. many people, due to spending beyond their means are mostly only 1-3 paycheck from homelessness.

[beowulf437]

There are certain things that tend to make it more likely someone will end up homeless.

Mental illness is the biggest. Spend 30 days in the hospital for treatment of depression or for psych evaluation and see what you have when you come out. Most hospitals won't keep someone past 30 days (unless they are there by court order) because insurance and goverment programs won't pay for it. So after a month they kick them out with a hand full of prescriptions and say have a nice life. Meanwhile they have lost jobs, homes, and most everything else.

Alcohol/drug abuse is another leading cause. These people have become so dependant on alcohol and or drugs that nothing else matters. They have given up everything for the next drink or high. Many also suffer from mental illness.

Runaways are the largest group of young homeless. Some come from abusive homes and saw no other way out. Some run away because they "just can't get along" with their parents. Many others are runaways because of the first two reasons.

Boarderline poverty causes some to be homeless at least temporarily. People who a just barely getting by who through no fault of their own find themselves homeless. The loss of a job, an injury or illness, or some unforseen disaster can put people out of a home. If you make $250 a week doing dishes at a resturant and it goes under how are you going to make it. Unemployment is only going to pay about half that and it can take a couple of weeks to get your first check. If rent is due on monday, you didn't get your last check (boss said he'll mail it to you) and your landlord is a prick what do you do.

[no_dice]

I dunno, even if it came to the point where I couldn't pay the rent and got evicted.....I probably could still find somewhere to go other than the streets.....?

[BlueBoy]

I get really shitty when I walk down the street and see the homeless begging 2 stores down from the Salvation Army HQ.

If they can't put in the effort to walk down there, then I won't put in the effort to pull out my wallet.

[Bifrost]

It's a little different in Australia than the States methinks because our Social Security system is actually very good and most everyone without a job can at least find a way to survive, pay a small amount of rent etc.

I agree with the mental illness thing though - it's a serious problem, but I generally fear what these people are going to do with any money I give them...Are they just going to go and buy another bottle of cheap wine or are they going to buy some food?

I tend not to give money to homeless people here, simply because I KNOW they have a way out if they want to take it and if they are unable to get themselves onto the Dole or AusStudy or some other form of financial support - what the hell will they do with the money I give them??

[beowulf437]

There is a social services system in the US to help prevent homelessness but some people don't know the where or how to apply. The goverment will actually pay to put people up in a hotel for a few weeks if needed till other forms of assistance kick in.

The biggest problem in the US is the mentally ill. They often lack the skills or mental capacity to take even the smallest advantage. There was a case here recently of two sisters spotting their long lost brother (20 or so years) on a TV news report about the homeless. He had checked himself into a hospital for depression and they never heard from him again. When they found him and got him into the system they found out he had tens of thousands in back social security payments due to him.

Also there was a scam going around in this area recently were people were preying on the homeless. They would take them to get their ID cards and to the social services offices to get them signed up for aid or disability or social security, then get them to sign a power of attorney. These scumbags would then take the checks meant to help these homeless people. The FBI has been running an investigation and have made a few arrest but it's hard to catch these guys.

[Tyfus]

Here in the Netherlands, homeless people can 'legally' occupy a building if it's not being used for more than a year...
Just get all the insane people together...
Squat the world!

[Bostonmess]

Sounds good to me Tyfus.

I used to know a beggar. Emu (deceased from pneumonia from living on the streets. He drowned in the fluid from his own lungs, the expression on his face was horrific to say the least). Emu used to make a lot of money, thirty quid a day wasn't unusual, double time when he broke his arm and triple at christmas. How the consciences come out. He had to fit in time to fuel his addiction to alchohol too. Drinking while working was a no no for him as people didn't like to see that. They thought if he could afford booze he didn't need to beg.

I once went to London and had nowhere to stay, it was a spur of the moment thing. I spent all night walking around the streets, just trying to keep warm until my train in the morning. May 30th I think it was. There were kids, young girls even, can't have been teenagers for long, sleeping rough. It was freezing, well not literally, but I tried to sleep on a park bench and had no chance. Middle of the morning in may. I walked on and saw heavy chains locked around church gates, cast iron fleur de lyes a few hundred yards from homeless teenagers. Further on was Buckingham palace, splendid in it's hypocrisy, some of the richest beggars in the world.

[Nandragon]

Mental Illness
Post tramatic stress disorders
physically challenged
Age
Lack of Family Support

It is vitually impossible to get the Federal Gov't to give aid to a single adult. Good luck. As for a place to sleep there's always centers....for men.

As a 16yr old runnaway in the 80's I was told, dragged and pushed back into the home of my abusers. Regardless of the beatings and abuse I was ALWAYS taken home. I slept in a duck hutch for several days one time. Welfare at 17 told me the only way they could help me was if I got pregnant. No jobs then were available even at McDonalds. And while I was in my mother's house, she cashed ALL of my checks.
I finally found an adult not scared to take me in for a little while. All of my friends parents had helped, but with the police looking for me....
and then there's the stigma that exists for teenage runaways. That they all are bad. This is not true.

I don't think that orphanages have changed over the years. Children now, may get the same speach I got.."you're better off where you are than in the Atlanta children's prison" as the police called it.