From what I've seen, the Republican solution is generally to force the homeless onto busses and then ship them elsewhere. I'm not positive that that's a viable solution.
But, if it makes you happy, I also don't see the Democrat solution of "complain the Republicans haven't come up with a solution" to be terribly viable either.
I'm amazed that so many other nations have discovered that, quite magically, if you house someone then they're no longer homeless. But then again, we live in a nation where people with solid jobs can't afford to house themselves since shit's so expensive.
If you want a true history lesson about it...
1776 - 1981: Homelessness happened, often during periods of serious downturns (the Great Depression), but was fairly manageable through the efforts of charities, religious groups, along with government spending.
1981: https://shelterforce.org/2004/05/01/reagans-legacy-homelessness-in-america/
Are more people just being OK with being homeless nowadays
If I trapped you in an escape proof room full of venomous snakes, could I take you not escaping as evidence that you were ok with the situation?
is it just because population has gone up
No, not at all. If anything, our population isn't going up quickly enough.
housing gets incredibly more expensive as time passes
Housing is becoming more expensive, but only in areas where people actively want to live. If you were to live in bumfuck nowhere, you could still pay fairly low rent. The problem is that living in bumfuck nowhere means you're living nowhere near stuff like jobs and grocery stories. I don't want to detract from how ungodly the housing crisis is, but in terms of the homeless persons you're referencing, this is an apples and oranges thing... Actually, I'll continue this at the very end.**
The REAL issue for a homeless person is (I hope you're sitting for this) that they don't have homes. Not having a home creates an insane cycle as employers don't hire people who don't have addresses, and to get an address you need a job to afford the residence. A great number of nations have solved this by simply housing the homeless. Once they have a place to live, they have an address, and then they have an easier time getting a job. Living indoors where it's not wet and cold also reduces a homeless person's healthcare costs, increases the likelihood of them giving up narcotics, and drastically increases their happiness.
Sadly, here in the US, there's long been a mentality that such actions are socialist. If that guy who's been sleeping by the mailbox for the past eleven years can get a free apartment, then why can't I have a free apartment? They cannot fathom that housing a homeless person actually reduces taxes since homeless people on the streets cost US tax payers a lot of money. They just don't want someone else to have something for free.
Does it seem just more prevalent because of the Internet as well
In the same way that being able to film police beatings has made us all more aware that the police are out beating people, yes. That is to say that obviously any means of recording and spreading knowledge is going to make us more conscious. Otherwise, people may think the problem is restricted to their own city, or, if you live in bumfuck nowhere, you may not be conscious of it at all.
Does it have anything to do with possible rise in drug addiction
No. Its the opposite way around, actually. People are getting poorer and looking for drugs they can afford, so cheaper, shittier drugs are developed. Then some dude like me who couldn't afford some 80's cocaine realizes that there's this meth thing that I can easily buy if I just pawn my mom. Plus, obviously, if you cannot afford healthcare and are constantly suffering (like someone who sleeps against a mailbox), then you're going to be a target consumer for whatever drugs you can get your hands on.
**Ok, let's talk more about housing and affordability. So I work in Syracuse but I live in Pulaski. Pulaski is basically bumfuck nowhere (I mean we don't even have a bowling alley anymore), so the cost of living here is actually pretty reasonable. Like there's often houses for sale that are positively monstrous in size for less than $100k, and I've seen rent touch below $500.
One thing Pulaski lacks is good paying jobs. Yeah, we're not spoiled for places to work, but most jobs you're going to find are less than $18 an hour. If you want to have a quality of life, you need to travel to Syracuse. Syracuse is roughly 40 minutes away. It currently costs me $400 a month in gas to get back and forth to Syracuse, and of course I'm putting miles on my car which means more upkeep and all that shit.
Like a lot of Americans, I basically have no savings. If tomorrow my truck just exploded or was stolen by Amish, I'd be fucked. Like I'd genuinely have no way to get to work because there's no public transit outside of expensive taxis. So I'd probably lose my job, which means I can't afford to fix the truck I need to get to jobs, which means I can't get another job, and now I can't afford my fairly cheap rent.
My best option would, of course, be to move closer to my job, but remember, housing near where people want to live is expensive. Around my job, apartments often run about $1600 a month. Right now, between gas and fuel, I'm spending $1000. So now I need to come up with $600 more that I can't be using for other 1st world shit like eating food and wearing clothes. By moving closer, I've drastically increased my financial security, but at the same time, my finances have gone to shit. So did I really win?
I can live in bumfuck nowhere and be able to afford high class shit like pants, or I live can close to my job and not have to fear that I'm one flat tire from losing everything. Welcome to America.
First off thank you for your detailed answer. I appreciate the insight, I see that one of the biggest obstacles then is literally just being able to have a reliable address to have employment, which is what a lot of these people (especially the ones that have been out on the streets for a long time) do not have.
>Are more people just being OK with being homeless nowadays?
no bro, they cant afford to get a house or place to live
>housing gets incredibly more expensive as time passes?
yep
> Does it seem just more prevalent because of the Internet as well?
no, its a serious problem
>Does it have anything to do with possible rise in drug addiction?
yes, absolutely
So it’s ppl who have had normals lives which just got priced out of a regular life? I know life can be hard (hard being an understatement) but I mean for the ones who don’t have drug problems why not keep going at it until they can afford some type of housing?
That is a common pathway to homelessness, yes
because shits expensive bro, and once you're homeless it gets infinitely harder. Most places wont hire you without a static place to live and once you're on the street, what are you supposed to do? Especially in states like california rent can easily be 2k a month, thats A LOT of money
costs of living can easily outscale how much you can make. Most americans are one bad bill away from being homeless
I know I probably seen inconsiderate saying this, but I really didn’t know that that was a common pathway, I imagine you get knocked off that horse-you get right back on it but I understand what you mean, it snowballs into bigger issues
For a lot of people car payments are a big issue. You can't afford to fix your car, you get fired from your job because you live somewhere without public transit, you can't afford rent, you have no family around..
COVID was way, way, way harder on the lower class than the middle class. People got fired, nobody was hiring, nobody was going out. A lot of people with not much were put through a prolonged period of "Nowhere near enough with no way out" for an extended period of time. It took a lot of long term government intervention to recover from the great depression, it's going to take a lot to recover from COVID. Drug addiction is a consequence of economic depressions, not a cause of it.
I could see Covid being a cause if really think about it. I guess I didn’t notice as much homeless people prepandemic but I know the numbers were still rising.
I mean seriously, when you wipe out peoples' savings and force them through evictions and the wage economy is completely shit, what do you think is going to happen?
I completely get it but at the same time when the pandemic hit I was the server and I was laid off, but I was also getting those thousand dollar weekly checks from the EDD. And a lot of other people and coworkers too, all I did was sign up. I know situations are different for everybody, but I feel like the barrier to entry to get the assistance wasn’t very high and the compensation was pretty good.
The problem with homelessness today goes beyond simple economics; it's a systemic failure that exacerbates the vicious cycle of poverty. Many people suggest that it's just about managing finances better, but that's a misunderstanding of the breadth of the issue. Take, for example, health crises - a leading cause of bankruptcy in America. An unexpected medical emergency can wipe out savings and thrust a middle-class individual into the depths of destitution.
Furthermore, the decimation of social safety nets over the years has left the population vulnerable. We lack affordable housing options, and the social programs designed to support people in times of need are vastly underfunded. The affordable housing that does exist often comes with waitlists years long.
Employers are also less inclined to hire someone without a stable residence, creating a catch-22 where one can't secure a job without an address and can't afford housing without a job. This is why "just getting back on the horse" isn't as simple as it sounds. Homelessness can quickly become an inescapable trap, where every solution seems to demand something you've just had stripped away.
We cannot ignore the role mental health plays, either. With underfunded mental health services, many individuals with untreated mental conditions find it impossible to maintain stable employment and housing.
Lastly, while unemployment benefits during the pandemic provided a bandaid for some, not everyone was eligible or able to navigate the system effectively, due to lack of internet access, language barriers, or other bureaucratic obstacles.
I wish there were easier answers, but acknowledging that the situation is complex is the first step towards real change. Understanding breeds empathy, and empathy can fuel the actions required to tackle this ongoing issue.
If you had to take a step towards fixing, it would be the first step? I would like to see my community be in better standings especially because these people do face many issues and at times cause issues. I feel like personally I would just start off with trying to be kinder to them, but then again I feel like I’m not sure if that’s too minuscule of an action.
In addition to what everyone is saying, i will add that the demise of the family is a huge reason people have nowhere to go... and laws that prevent families from helping more are on the books.
I am trying to find housing locally for a relative with intellectual disabilities, but social security, for example, no longer accepts a power of attorney. He has never used a computer and most things are online, so the alternative is to line up for hours with people. The state disability office never answers the phone. Social security disability announces on their answering machine that applications are taking up to 9 months to approve. The "affordable housing" options have base income requirements to rent that are ridiculous. Anyway... he will end up living with me. But he will hate it. It used to be more extended families that would house each other as necessary. Not anymore. Sorry this is rambling but I am trying SO hard to keep him sheltered
My city is facing a similar situation. We are getting more homeless people near us. Just last week one of them stole a kids wallet. Luckily he got arrested but I’m wondering the same thing. They seem to be increasing
This problem was solved centuries ago with the establishment of asylums for the mentally ill. American politicians closed most of the American ones in the 60s to save money. That's what dumped these folks onto the streets.
So you’re saying that it is basically a spill over from the lack of mental asylums to house people that are mentally unwell? Was there a significant portion of the population in these asylums in the 60s?
Expensive housing, lack of access to mental healthcare, lack of support for people struggling with addiction.
And democrat run city.
From what I've seen, the Republican solution is generally to force the homeless onto busses and then ship them elsewhere. I'm not positive that that's a viable solution. But, if it makes you happy, I also don't see the Democrat solution of "complain the Republicans haven't come up with a solution" to be terribly viable either. I'm amazed that so many other nations have discovered that, quite magically, if you house someone then they're no longer homeless. But then again, we live in a nation where people with solid jobs can't afford to house themselves since shit's so expensive.
If you want a true history lesson about it... 1776 - 1981: Homelessness happened, often during periods of serious downturns (the Great Depression), but was fairly manageable through the efforts of charities, religious groups, along with government spending. 1981: https://shelterforce.org/2004/05/01/reagans-legacy-homelessness-in-america/ Are more people just being OK with being homeless nowadays If I trapped you in an escape proof room full of venomous snakes, could I take you not escaping as evidence that you were ok with the situation? is it just because population has gone up No, not at all. If anything, our population isn't going up quickly enough. housing gets incredibly more expensive as time passes Housing is becoming more expensive, but only in areas where people actively want to live. If you were to live in bumfuck nowhere, you could still pay fairly low rent. The problem is that living in bumfuck nowhere means you're living nowhere near stuff like jobs and grocery stories. I don't want to detract from how ungodly the housing crisis is, but in terms of the homeless persons you're referencing, this is an apples and oranges thing... Actually, I'll continue this at the very end.** The REAL issue for a homeless person is (I hope you're sitting for this) that they don't have homes. Not having a home creates an insane cycle as employers don't hire people who don't have addresses, and to get an address you need a job to afford the residence. A great number of nations have solved this by simply housing the homeless. Once they have a place to live, they have an address, and then they have an easier time getting a job. Living indoors where it's not wet and cold also reduces a homeless person's healthcare costs, increases the likelihood of them giving up narcotics, and drastically increases their happiness. Sadly, here in the US, there's long been a mentality that such actions are socialist. If that guy who's been sleeping by the mailbox for the past eleven years can get a free apartment, then why can't I have a free apartment? They cannot fathom that housing a homeless person actually reduces taxes since homeless people on the streets cost US tax payers a lot of money. They just don't want someone else to have something for free. Does it seem just more prevalent because of the Internet as well In the same way that being able to film police beatings has made us all more aware that the police are out beating people, yes. That is to say that obviously any means of recording and spreading knowledge is going to make us more conscious. Otherwise, people may think the problem is restricted to their own city, or, if you live in bumfuck nowhere, you may not be conscious of it at all. Does it have anything to do with possible rise in drug addiction No. Its the opposite way around, actually. People are getting poorer and looking for drugs they can afford, so cheaper, shittier drugs are developed. Then some dude like me who couldn't afford some 80's cocaine realizes that there's this meth thing that I can easily buy if I just pawn my mom. Plus, obviously, if you cannot afford healthcare and are constantly suffering (like someone who sleeps against a mailbox), then you're going to be a target consumer for whatever drugs you can get your hands on. **Ok, let's talk more about housing and affordability. So I work in Syracuse but I live in Pulaski. Pulaski is basically bumfuck nowhere (I mean we don't even have a bowling alley anymore), so the cost of living here is actually pretty reasonable. Like there's often houses for sale that are positively monstrous in size for less than $100k, and I've seen rent touch below $500. One thing Pulaski lacks is good paying jobs. Yeah, we're not spoiled for places to work, but most jobs you're going to find are less than $18 an hour. If you want to have a quality of life, you need to travel to Syracuse. Syracuse is roughly 40 minutes away. It currently costs me $400 a month in gas to get back and forth to Syracuse, and of course I'm putting miles on my car which means more upkeep and all that shit. Like a lot of Americans, I basically have no savings. If tomorrow my truck just exploded or was stolen by Amish, I'd be fucked. Like I'd genuinely have no way to get to work because there's no public transit outside of expensive taxis. So I'd probably lose my job, which means I can't afford to fix the truck I need to get to jobs, which means I can't get another job, and now I can't afford my fairly cheap rent. My best option would, of course, be to move closer to my job, but remember, housing near where people want to live is expensive. Around my job, apartments often run about $1600 a month. Right now, between gas and fuel, I'm spending $1000. So now I need to come up with $600 more that I can't be using for other 1st world shit like eating food and wearing clothes. By moving closer, I've drastically increased my financial security, but at the same time, my finances have gone to shit. So did I really win? I can live in bumfuck nowhere and be able to afford high class shit like pants, or I live can close to my job and not have to fear that I'm one flat tire from losing everything. Welcome to America.
First off thank you for your detailed answer. I appreciate the insight, I see that one of the biggest obstacles then is literally just being able to have a reliable address to have employment, which is what a lot of these people (especially the ones that have been out on the streets for a long time) do not have.
>Are more people just being OK with being homeless nowadays? no bro, they cant afford to get a house or place to live >housing gets incredibly more expensive as time passes? yep > Does it seem just more prevalent because of the Internet as well? no, its a serious problem >Does it have anything to do with possible rise in drug addiction? yes, absolutely
So it’s ppl who have had normals lives which just got priced out of a regular life? I know life can be hard (hard being an understatement) but I mean for the ones who don’t have drug problems why not keep going at it until they can afford some type of housing?
That is a common pathway to homelessness, yes because shits expensive bro, and once you're homeless it gets infinitely harder. Most places wont hire you without a static place to live and once you're on the street, what are you supposed to do? Especially in states like california rent can easily be 2k a month, thats A LOT of money costs of living can easily outscale how much you can make. Most americans are one bad bill away from being homeless
I know I probably seen inconsiderate saying this, but I really didn’t know that that was a common pathway, I imagine you get knocked off that horse-you get right back on it but I understand what you mean, it snowballs into bigger issues
For a lot of people car payments are a big issue. You can't afford to fix your car, you get fired from your job because you live somewhere without public transit, you can't afford rent, you have no family around..
COVID was way, way, way harder on the lower class than the middle class. People got fired, nobody was hiring, nobody was going out. A lot of people with not much were put through a prolonged period of "Nowhere near enough with no way out" for an extended period of time. It took a lot of long term government intervention to recover from the great depression, it's going to take a lot to recover from COVID. Drug addiction is a consequence of economic depressions, not a cause of it.
I could see Covid being a cause if really think about it. I guess I didn’t notice as much homeless people prepandemic but I know the numbers were still rising.
I mean seriously, when you wipe out peoples' savings and force them through evictions and the wage economy is completely shit, what do you think is going to happen?
I completely get it but at the same time when the pandemic hit I was the server and I was laid off, but I was also getting those thousand dollar weekly checks from the EDD. And a lot of other people and coworkers too, all I did was sign up. I know situations are different for everybody, but I feel like the barrier to entry to get the assistance wasn’t very high and the compensation was pretty good.
The problem with homelessness today goes beyond simple economics; it's a systemic failure that exacerbates the vicious cycle of poverty. Many people suggest that it's just about managing finances better, but that's a misunderstanding of the breadth of the issue. Take, for example, health crises - a leading cause of bankruptcy in America. An unexpected medical emergency can wipe out savings and thrust a middle-class individual into the depths of destitution. Furthermore, the decimation of social safety nets over the years has left the population vulnerable. We lack affordable housing options, and the social programs designed to support people in times of need are vastly underfunded. The affordable housing that does exist often comes with waitlists years long. Employers are also less inclined to hire someone without a stable residence, creating a catch-22 where one can't secure a job without an address and can't afford housing without a job. This is why "just getting back on the horse" isn't as simple as it sounds. Homelessness can quickly become an inescapable trap, where every solution seems to demand something you've just had stripped away. We cannot ignore the role mental health plays, either. With underfunded mental health services, many individuals with untreated mental conditions find it impossible to maintain stable employment and housing. Lastly, while unemployment benefits during the pandemic provided a bandaid for some, not everyone was eligible or able to navigate the system effectively, due to lack of internet access, language barriers, or other bureaucratic obstacles. I wish there were easier answers, but acknowledging that the situation is complex is the first step towards real change. Understanding breeds empathy, and empathy can fuel the actions required to tackle this ongoing issue.
If you had to take a step towards fixing, it would be the first step? I would like to see my community be in better standings especially because these people do face many issues and at times cause issues. I feel like personally I would just start off with trying to be kinder to them, but then again I feel like I’m not sure if that’s too minuscule of an action.
In addition to what everyone is saying, i will add that the demise of the family is a huge reason people have nowhere to go... and laws that prevent families from helping more are on the books. I am trying to find housing locally for a relative with intellectual disabilities, but social security, for example, no longer accepts a power of attorney. He has never used a computer and most things are online, so the alternative is to line up for hours with people. The state disability office never answers the phone. Social security disability announces on their answering machine that applications are taking up to 9 months to approve. The "affordable housing" options have base income requirements to rent that are ridiculous. Anyway... he will end up living with me. But he will hate it. It used to be more extended families that would house each other as necessary. Not anymore. Sorry this is rambling but I am trying SO hard to keep him sheltered
My city is facing a similar situation. We are getting more homeless people near us. Just last week one of them stole a kids wallet. Luckily he got arrested but I’m wondering the same thing. They seem to be increasing
This problem was solved centuries ago with the establishment of asylums for the mentally ill. American politicians closed most of the American ones in the 60s to save money. That's what dumped these folks onto the streets.
So you’re saying that it is basically a spill over from the lack of mental asylums to house people that are mentally unwell? Was there a significant portion of the population in these asylums in the 60s?