Homeless tents creeping into the nice/residential part of DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finland’s “housing first” approach to homelessness seems supportive. They are providing housing and services for all who are homeless. It is cheaper than criminalizing homelessness or providing “safe sleeping sites” aka parking lots like we have done. It is a policy choice. Too logical and compassionate to be taken seriously in the US, I fear.

Finland does not compare to the US. Despite the Sami, they are homogeneous.

+1 Finland just doesn’t have the violent crime rates that comes with a diverse population like the US has.

Our homeless don't want the rules that come with the services that Finland offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lived in DC for 20 years, in a bunch of different neighborhoods close to downtown (dupont, logan, CH, petworth etc). I left in 2017, and visit a couple times a year (usually for work, so mostly spend time just downtown). I visited this summer for pleasure, and holy crap, what a difference from a few years ago. DC always had it's problems, and I woke up more times than i care to remember with trash or junk on my front stoop. But the tent cities are a new level of terrible. My friends were surprisingly chill about it, and I don't know why.

DC has been poor and underserved for pretty much all of modern history, so i'm not sure why "high rents" would cause this issue to first crop up in 2020. There's obviously something cultural that's changed.

+100 and if you look closely, all the tents look relatively high quality. Clearly someone if giving away nice tents to homeless people. Anyone know who?

Generally there are charities that drive around in vans and map out where the homeless are living. They will pass out the tents, food coats and socks and also give information for free dental and free health care clinics. Many times the charities in the vans are religious based. I'm not sure who is offering the service in DC. The volunteers get to know the homeless by names and get to know their tent sites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good.

+1

I want start seeing them popping up in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, North Arlington and McLean, too.

Let the people who created this problem see it everyday.

[Anonymous]

One huge need is access to charge their electronics and cell phone. Some have complex solar chargers at their camp sites. If you want to be nice offer to let the homeless access to your outside electrical outlet.

[Anonymous]

Funny how liberals are all for affordable housing then turn around and say not in my backyard. Homelessness and affordable housing are dem created problems. Doesn’t happen where republicans control because they fix the issues for the blue collar working class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's bad enough that tents are in all the public spaces downtown, but I was dismayed driving in this morning to see a tent in one of the little green public spaces off Mass Ave near the Cathedral.

I'm worried DC will into SF (and I mean the bad parts of SF). Why are city officials letting homeless people live in tents in all the public spaces? It's unsanitary and extremely unpleasant.

I'd bet my house you are a dem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. We had one pop up in a neighborhood park in the town of Vienna. I called the police and they told me they can't do anything about it.

Glad they told you there’s nothing they can do about it. I hope others pop up. Homeless people should be allowed to live in nice neighborhoods too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's bad enough that tents are in all the public spaces downtown, but I was dismayed driving in this morning to see a tent in one of the little green public spaces off Mass Ave near the Cathedral.

I'm worried DC will into SF (and I mean the bad parts of SF). Why are city officials letting homeless people live in tents in all the public spaces? It's unsanitary and extremely unpleasant.

I'd bet my house you are a dem.

Safe bet. 100% safe.

[Anonymous]

Homeless tents are creeping? Why don't the tents have homes? How do they creep? Are they self-creeping tents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny how liberals are all for affordable housing then turn around and say not in my backyard. Homelessness and affordable housing are dem created problems. Doesn’t happen where republicans control because they fix the issues for the blue collar working class.

Every part of this is hilarious. 10/10, would read again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Homeless tents are creeping? Why don't the tents have homes? How do they creep? Are they self-creeping tents?

The same way SUV’s “run over people during a parade”

That way.

[Anonymous]

When criminals remained in prison and the severely mentally ill were housed in institutions, we didn't have as many homeless on the streets. People need to decide what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finland’s “housing first” approach to homelessness seems supportive. They are providing housing and services for all who are homeless. It is cheaper than criminalizing homelessness or providing “safe sleeping sites” aka parking lots like we have done. It is a policy choice. Too logical and compassionate to be taken seriously in the US, I fear.

Tell that to the residents of Sedgwick Gardens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny how liberals are all for affordable housing then turn around and say not in my backyard. Homelessness and affordable housing are dem created problems. Doesn’t happen where republicans control because they fix the issues for the blue collar working class.

I volunteered at a homeless shelter for several years. Many, many homeless have jobs and live in shelters. A lot of the homeless women would work at Walmart and the homeless men would get restaurant dishwasher jobs. We served dinner around 5:00 but always had a list of plates to prepare and hold for the homeless that would be coming later after they got off of their jobs.

I agree when jobs are available that homelessness falls. The couples would typically live at the shelter and working jobs for about 10 weeks and then they would find housing that they could afford with their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who remembers when the Mall was full of homeless sleeping?

Homeless people in doorways has been a marker of our town for decades now. Sad but true.