Illegal Now For Homeless To Use Blankets?

destination now
Due to the fact that the doors in the building I live have been vandalised and don't lock, a homeless woman sometimes sleeps in the close. She is always drunk, she will start randomly shouting at all hours of the night, she urinates on the stairs, she smokes, dropping the matches, ash, cigarette ends all over the floor, she even set fire to some newspaper one night. Would you want her camping in your building?

Having made complaints to the police about her, they say she causes a nuisance in many places, the local council have given her countless accommodations, B&B's, hostels, her own flat, but her life is so chaotic that she gets evicted from everywhere. So what is the solution? She's a danger to all of the other residents, I live on the 3rd floor, if she lights a fire that gets out of control, mine and my daughter's life is at risk, so sometimes to just say "What about compassion" is a bit unfair What about compassion for all of the people who pay their rent and deserve to live in a safe environment?

Sadly, she is an example of the problems that some homeless people can cause and moving them on is the only solution, she clearly doesn't accept the help she is given, so what else can be done?

It sounds to me like she's a perfect example of the mentally ill homeless. She's not self sufficient and clearly can't take care of herself. I'm sure she would like a nicer life but doesn't know how to act in a socially acceptable way, it's not that she doesn't accept help it's that she's not capable of making use of it. She needs a doctor and medication with possible temporary hospitalization, with those things she could maybe get off the streets.

Why not just let them move into some of those towns that have been abandoned? I remember reading a few articles about a few communities that have been abandoned for one reason or another. Just send them to a few of those communities.

reply to post by TwiztidRoman


Because there is no profit in being helpful

And all this country wants is profit

reply to post by Aazadan


Yes, I agree, she NEEDS to get off the streets. Not just for herself but for all of the other people, who don't know her, or (should) have any responsibility for her (and before the moral high ground brigade descend, why should they when they have their own VERY REAL PROBLEMS to deal with and someone lying outside your front door in a puddle of urine shouldn't be one of them)

What can be done though? She needs to be in a monitored facility, those places don't really exist for her...unless she commits a serious crime...

It's not good..for anyone!

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Well to stop it from happening, get your landlord to fix the door. there are things you can do to solve your problem. Just get the door fixed.

Your complaining about this person but I have yet to hear about what you have done in order to solve the problem with that woman. Did you call the cops? You can have her arrested for trespassing.

What steps have YOU taken to stop that woman from walking in your close?

TwiztidRoman
Why not just let them move into some of those towns that have been abandoned? I remember reading a few articles about a few communities that have been abandoned for one reason or another. Just send them to a few of those communities.

edit on 2/8/2014 by TwiztidRoman because: (no reason given)

It's not quite that simple. You can't just put a non functioning mentally ill person in a home and expect them to function. Most are non functional due to illness. You need to identify that illness and then treat it before the person is actually capable of living in a community. Throwing resources at a person whose incapable of using them is a waste of time and money for everyone involved.

Not all homeless are mentally ill but a lot of them are. Some have simply had a string of bad luck. Those people could move into homes right away and with some help become employed again. At the most, that only makes up half of the homeless population though.

It's a really tough thing to do too, because most mentally ill people initially refuse treatment unless it's forced on them. That means we can't hospitalize and treat someone without holding them against their will. In the end that's no different from throwing them in prison for being homeless. In some ways it's even worse because we're detaining someone against their will and then performing medical procedures on them that they refuse... all on the basis that they're homeless.

Cost issues aside (particularly in Europe which is actually willing to pay for places like this), I think this is one of the big problems... it's an incredibly tough thing to legislate and because no one knows how to do it, they just try and push them out of sight.

reply to post by snypwsd


I think it's me you're replying to, no BFFT!


As for getting the doors fixed, that's very expensive and as the majority of us rent, just not possible and yet again, you are just advocating that if she doesn't get into my block, that she has to go somewhere else ( and the doors have been fixed a few times previously, but it just takes one bad tenant to undo any good that has been done, and resources to fix doors are not infinite)

Where do you suggest that should be?

I really cannot stand the current cruel, callous, and overall heartless attitude many have to the homeless. If we had the facilities that we need, if we instead of closing mental hospitals back in the day, we had REFORMED them, then we wouldn't see so many of the mentally ill either homeless, dead, or behind bars, which are their only options far too often.

There are many other factors that go into creating homelessness, but the part where our society in the US falls down the most is in our ill treatment and outright neglect of the mentally ill and injured. When I speak of mentally injured, I am specifically referring to the large numbers of mentally ill that are veterans with ptsd.

Instead of demonizing the homeless,we should be helping them. Utah is an prime example of what happens when a novel approach is taken to the homeless..HOUSING them. Turns out it not only works, it actually saves money. Who woulda thunk.

"In the past eight years, Utah has quietly reduced homelessness by 78 percent, and is on track to completely end homelessness by 2015.

How did this state accomplish such a noteworthy feat? Quite simply: Utah solved homelessness by giving people homes. In 2013, the state recognized that that the annual cost of E.R. visits and jail stays for homeless people was about $16,670 per person, compared to $11,000 to provide each homeless person with an apartment and a social worker.

With this intelligence, the state began giving away apartments – with no strings attached. Each participant in Utah’s Housing First program also receives a case worker to help them become self-sufficient, but they can keep the apartment even if they fail. The program has been so successful, other states are hoping to achieve similar results with programs modeled on Utah’s.

Perhaps Utah relied on a page from the 2009 report, Homes Not Handcuffs to implement change. The National Law Coalition for the Homeless used a 2004 survey and anecdotal evidence from activists to conclude that permanent housing for the homeless is cheaper than criminalization. Housing is not only more human, it’s economical."

link to complete article is below:


Read more www.trueactivist.com...

reply to post by Aazadan


Totally agree, it is all very well and good to say what other people should do to help certain member of society, but the truth is that not all of us are qualified or equipped to deal with people who have mental illness, and when their mental illness impacts on your daily life, it is a different matter altogether.

jessme
I really cannot stand the current cruel, callous, and overall heartless attitude many have to the homeless. If we had the facilities that we need, if we instead of closing mental hospitals back in the day, we had REFORMED them, then we wouldn't see so many of the mentally ill either homeless, dead, or behind bars, which are their only options far too often.

That's great for them, I think I remember reading something about that in the past but it didn't really register with me, I'm glad they're trying something. Are these actually decent homes though? Who takes care of the upkeep for them? Are they going to devolve like the inner city projects back in the 70s? That's my main concern with putting a bunch of non functional people together in a community. Without the political will to provide continued upkeep to the structures it will devolve into a slum. A slum with a roof but still not a very safe place to live. This can easily happen as these people have no political voice.

reply to post by jessme


Not all people with a mental illness can live independently in a home of their own and when someone's mental illness impinges on you and your family's health and safety, then you have to take a more pragmatic approach as to how you can prevent that from becoming a problem (without the need for spending hundreds of pounds on locks and security systems)

snypwsd
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

Well to stop it from happening, get your landlord to fix the door. there are things you can do to solve your problem. Just get the door fixed.

Your complaining about this person but I have yet to hear about what you have done in order to solve the problem with that woman. Did you call the cops? You can have her arrested for trespassing.

What steps have YOU taken to stop that woman from walking in your close?

I own my home in the country. You aren't talking to me, you are talking to the scottish lady.

But let me answer for her: and what if the landlord doesn't fix the door? "Just" get the door fixed....LOL.

"Just" tell the Jews and Arabs to stop fighting. There you go. Problem fixed!!!

Well, my take on this is.

Its just laws. Its not like laws are going to stop people from doing what they want--or what they need--to do. Same as gun laws. Do you think gun laws are going to stop people from getting their hands on guns? Nope.

Meth is illegal, but people still brew, sell, and use it.

And hell, homelessness in itself is illegal, but people still do it (by choice or not). Laws have become pretty flimsy and useless, because laws like this are continuing to be passed, making it so its nearly impossible to live without breaking some kind of law. Then again, maybe that's the grand design of it all...

Point being, this isn't gonna stop homeless people from doing what they have to do to get by.

Send them to Detroit.

tinner07
Ok here is my perspective on that.

I live in Michigan, snowing to beat hell. I want to vacation in florida but can't afford the resorts. Can I set up tent in your front yard? No.

Business owners are the same. People have compassion but you get people sleeping in front of a business its going to hurt business.

And who cares. Reality check is you live in a world that does not provide social justice and homes for all, which any decent world does, and when you donh't do that, you have homeless. So, you think somehow you can avoid it or the very businesses that contribute to the programmed scarsity economy have any say to both DESTROY MANY LIVES AND ENSURE HOMELESSNESS EXIST BUT KICK THEM IN THE BUT AND MAKE IT ILLEGAL. THATS DEMONOLGY!

You can't have it both ways. And is your constitution less than ours. Because this did come before various judges and they can't get away with it, for all have the right to liberty. Unfortunately they gut human rights alot when its taken to court.

Every single human being co-owns earth and resources, naturally, and no one has the right to prohibit tents, temporary homes, little shacks going up even. Don't like it, work for really good housing for all and low incomes low costs, with all above the poverty line and no requirement to work as a slave for any DEMON. I consider it a sin to work for demons. Work for yourself or not at all.

snypwsd
reply to post by Kmhotaru

 

I totaly disagree with this. What ever happened to humanity???

When the 2010 olympics came to Vancouver, the city took all the homeless put them on buses and shipped them out of town, also the government bought up alot of the really low income housing ( cheap hotels) and evicted all the tenants and shipped them out of town aswell.

The only way we can bring humanity back to the world of government is to take the money out of government. There should be a law that states that you must be poor to be a politician. Why would I say that? Its simple really. People who do not make alot of money tend to be more humble, loving, they are not greedy like rich people, They know what is right and what is wrong, they have more humanity, and they also know their politics as they are always the ones getting screwed the most ie OP.

People treat homeless people like they are animals.. WAKE THE # UP LADIES AND GENTS!!!! THEY ARE HUMAN JUST LIKE YOU AND ME.

They have all the same wants and needs as the rest of us, They want to be loved, they want to have shelter and they want to eat.
You know its not like they choose to be homeless either. Each one of them has a story, each one of them got screwed in one way or another and had no where else to go but the streets. Now I know some people are going to say "Well they drink and do drugs all the time, why should we help them?" Well what I say to that is this...

WELL DUH!! I dare you to live on the street for 1 month and not have the earge to leave reality or to numb your self because your so damn cold!

The government should set up a system to end homelessness. How? By first putting them into a non religious Rehab program that will help them conqur any addictions and all so to prepare them for the working world again. Then the government should, apon completion of the rehab, supply these people with a home. It doesnt have to be big either, they could be small apartments or even develop a small comunity of small ecofriendly houses that only cost about 5 grand a piece to build and ship. Now after that they set them up with a job, a job that pays at least minimum wage.

Edit: With the rehab process people can be trained to for certain jobs like trades or what ever. If it is done properly it will erradicate homeless numbers, there will be far less if not 0 panhandlers, people sleeping infront of stores, and a lower crime rate.

With that we could end homelessness. Now your probly saying "well thats fine and dandy, but how will the government pay for all that?"

Its easy, Legalise Marijuana and end the war on drugs. Did you know that something like 80% of the money being spent on that "war" is being spent on the only drug that is proven to be very good for your health, The only drug that has NEVER killed anyone, the ONLY "drug" you cant overdose on (its physicaly impossible as you have to consume your entire body weight to od on weed).
Did you know that colorado in its first week of legalised marijuana sales they made over $5,000,000!!!!

If its legalised we can end homelessness, end the war on drugs, We stop dealers from selling drugs to youth and we will stimulate the economy by creating # loads of jobs that create un-imaginable amount of gross revenue for the government and the people of North America. Just think how fast that deficite could be paid off with marijuana sales??????? *hint hint*wink wink*

Sorry I rambled and got off topic, but we need more humanity in our world. I believe that North America can be so much better then what it is.

Where did all the humanity go in this world?

edit on 7-2-2014 by snypwsd because: Needed to add something.

I hate to rain on your parade, but in my current employment I have to deal with the individuals regularly. With the exception of a minor few, most believe it or not DO NOT WANT a job, help with addictions, or anything other than a handout. I know I sound like a heartless 1* but they know the system to get a place to stay for the night and refuse anything other than a place to sleep. No detoxing, no help for alcoholism, no help for joblessness, they refuse it because they CHOOSE to live on the streets. Most this is a life style the choose and ignore what help they can get for they can panhandle to get more money for booze or drugs. Its a hard sad fact, but true none the less.

Grim

I say send them all to ohhh how about Detroit, teach them to re build homes and apt complexes, pay em a competitive wage to do so, then let them live in the homes/apts they worked to make nice again. Or how about Vegas, I hear there are a lot of abandoned houses there....or...FEMA CAMPS YAY!

JeffreyCH
I say send them all to ohhh how about Detroit, teach them to re build homes and apt complexes, pay em a competitive wage to do so, then let them live in the homes/apts they worked to make nice again.

Or how about Vegas, I hear there are a lot of abandoned houses there....or...FEMA CAMPS YAY!

yeah. the mentally ill building a city. LOL

A number of issues have been addressed so far in this thread and I would like to offer my opinion on several without having to identify each of the posters I may be replying to.

#1. Are we now making it more and more illegal to respond as a good samaritan? If I see a fellow human being who is suffering and I can not give them something to eat or a blanket to stay warm then how to I fulfill my religious duty to do so. If there is an accident, should I just drive off rather than cover the injured with a blanket? Is this the road we really want to go down?

#2. When we emptied out mental hospitals and threw seriously ill people out onto the streets, where did we think they would go? Did we really believe they would just disappear into the woods and live off the land?

#3. The fact that many of the homeless are on drugs should come as no surprise. PTSD, paranoia, depression precipitate self medication. How many of us "normal, good, upstanding" citizens are not doing the same. Oh, yes we do go to our physicians and get legal drugs and buy our alcohol because we can.

#4. Are we to treat our homeless like Russia is treating stray dogs to get them off the streets and out of sight?

#5. Yes, it is a complicated problem and many solutions will cost money. But without paying attention to it, it isn't going to magically go away.

#6. Apparently, Utah assigns a social worker to each person to assist the homeless person in maintaining their home and not end up back out on the street. I retired as a social worker who worked with the chronically mentally ill and I can tell you this is the major key to success.

Finally, I hope we all can find our way to address this issue in a caring and humane way. Many communities across the country are addressing these issues right now. If you have concerns or want to be part of your communities' response contact wour local government to see how you might be able to participate. There are always non-profit and religious groups that work with this issue as well. Make a few calls and see how you might be able to help.

The government does not like homeless people. They are just sick of seeing them in the streets. Homeless people are going to be put in FEMA camps [Link]. It seems like anyone who refuses to be a slave of the monetary system will go there...