Our country does everything to eliminate homelessness except show caring and compassion

[indusurb]

We make it illegal for the homeless to sleep outside, even when shelters are full. We create architecture that discourages loitering, sitting, and sleeping outside, to the point where nobody, housed or unhoused, can rest, even for a minute. Our cutthroat capitalist system, with people barely scraping by paycheck to paycheck, creates more unhoused people everyday(most of the homeless in this country are actually employed). Homeless camps are viciously torn apart while the unhoused watch in horror as their few possessions are trashed and thrown away. And now there is a bid before the Supreme Court to make begging illegal. As a country we are doing everything in our power to eliminate homelessness except what actually works, giving these people homes.

The Housing First policies of Finland and Denmark have virtually eliminated homelessness in their countries. The philosophy they follow is to obtain housing first for anybody who needs it, be they addicts, the mentally ill, whatever. Then they send in the social workers and psychologists to deal with these problems. No hoops to jump through, no criteria that need to be met, just a home and help. And it works, there is virtually no homelessness, none of the crime associated with homelessness, and the elimination of homeless shelters. Caring and compassion, what a novel concept.

Yet here in the US we, the richest country in the world, we consider homelessness a personal moral failure. Thus we punish these people, imprison them, round them up and ship them elsewhere, make their lives so miserable, make their very struggle to survive so tough that it seems that soon their only option is going to be to die. This is just one of the many dire problems that we, as a country, need to address. Sadly, it seems like it will never be solved even as more and more people slide into homelessness and despair. The vast majority of citizens still, consciously or unconsciously regard homelessness as a personal moral failing rather than what it truly is, the unfortunate byproduct of greed and a cuthroat capitalist system.

Just remember, it very well could be you in the future.

[Torchlight]

1. 'Hate your next-door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace'

often seems to be the most spot-on American motto, in spirit if not on money.

[leftstreet]

2. DURec

[Johnny2X2X]

4. "Just remember, it very well could be you in the future."

This statement right here is more true than people realize. The average family is a lot closer to being homeless than they are to being rich. And if you've ever done volunteer work with homeless people, that becomes pretty obvious. Everyone on the street has a story and most of the stories sound familiar to every day Americans. Loss of a job or loss of a spouse can lead to homelessness. Young people fleeing abusive situations become homeless. Even something like a broke down car can make someone homeless.

And people who think they have some security can also end up on the street. We're all just getting sick in the wrong way from losing most of our security. Who has long term disability?

Talking to any group of homeless people you'll get a sense of how normal most of them are. Their stories are just normal stories for the most part. Had a good job, but then broke a leg and lost it. Was in an abusive marriage or the spouse went into debt and then took off.

And I think a lot of people will go through near homelessness at least once in their lives and not even realize it. After college I was working an entry level job and had a small apartment of my own, job was going OK, had some savings until my transmission went out on my work vehicle that cost me $4500. Next thing you know I was behind on rent and my office was closed abruptly, boss just gathered everyone on a Friday afternoon and said, pack your stuff, we're closing this office immediately. No severance, no nothing, unemployment took weeks and didn't come close to covering my bills. I was in shock and then got a letter of eviction, well, no huge deal as I called my folks and told them the story and asked if I can come stay back home for a few months while I look for a new job. They of course were happy to have me back home. But I never stopped and thought, what would have happened if my parents weren't around or couldn't help me? I probably could have couch surfed for a while, but I also could have easily ended up sleeping in my car.

Criminalizing homelessness is just cruel, it's the ultimate case of kicking people when they are down. It's so hard to get back up on your feet and Republicans want to jail people who are homeless.

[WestMichRad]

5. K&R

“Our country does everything…” => to make things more miserable for the homeless.

I’m expecting a program to round them up and put them in detention camps…

[haele]

10. Charity for the poor? Are there no work-houses?

We are a nation bought out and led by Scrooges.
The love of Money and avoidance of "weakness" will doom us.

[mopinko]

6. we refuse to add up the cost.

the university of chicago hospital did a pilot project on housing 1st to stem the flow of homeless ‘frequent flyers’ in their er. it more than paid for itself.
it turned out that a lot of it was just loneliness. the er was 1 place where ppl talked to them and treated them like they might b human. many didnt even need to social services that were part of the program.

how much of city budgets goes to dealing w homeless issues? we dont want to know, so we dont add it up.

[Buns_of_Fire]

7. As Churchill pointed out, America will do the right thing - after it's tried everything else. nt

[Ping Tung]

8. The Comfort of the Rich Depends on an Abundant Supply of the Poor. Voltaire

[Initech]

9. Caring and compassion went out the window during the 80s.

Trumpism is basically just another form of Reaganism taken to whole new extremes.