Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 15:57     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.


We need institutions and asylums. With actual oversight.


+1. We need permanent solutions for the people who cannot take care of themselves.


HOW do we communicate this to our politicians? They are SO SPINELESS when it comes to tackling mental health and homelessness.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 11:15     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.


We need institutions and asylums. With actual oversight.


+1. We need permanent solutions for the people who cannot take care of themselves.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 11:08     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:OP, what is your solution to the homeless problem? As it is, the counties all send their homeless to DC for us to deal with. Maybe there should be a regional task force and sharing of resources rather than just sloughing it all on us so your precious suburbs can appear neat and tidy?


OP here - my solution would be to ban, and enforce the ban, on any form of camping / sleeping in public areas, streets, sidewalks, parks, etc. I would sure as hell stop homeless people from entering union station.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 11:05     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:Housing prices are ridiculous. Rent is ridiculous.

Is this a matter of supply and demand? Or are most of these people suffering from mental challenges?

Yes, the vast majority suffer from mental illness and/or substance abuse problems.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 11:04     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There aren’t enough homeless shelters / resources for these people. When you get a bunch of NIMBYs blocking developments geared toward this population, this is what happens. Our city also needs more counseling and psychological support, a lot of these people don’t want to be in permanent housing.

Have a little compassion for those out on the streets. Be grateful you can afford to live in an expensive city and not out on the streets.


I’ve read that this is untrue and there is in fact housing/shelters but they are considered undesirable by tent dwellers because there are rules. Can someone who is more knowledgeable about this weigh in.

This is partly true. I used to work with homeless people and a common complaint I heard was that they were afraid of staying in shelters. The reasons given were: “someone will steal my stuff”, “someone will attack me while I’m sleeping”, “I don’t want to be surrounded by other crazy people like me” etc. It was really sad that many preferred to sleep in tents and risk getting frostbite (and yes, I saw horrible cases of frostbite in homeless people who slept in tents in the winter).
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:58     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Housing prices are ridiculous. Rent is ridiculous.

Is this a matter of supply and demand? Or are most of these people suffering from mental challenges?
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:53     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There aren’t enough homeless shelters / resources for these people. When you get a bunch of NIMBYs blocking developments geared toward this population, this is what happens. Our city also needs more counseling and psychological support, a lot of these people don’t want to be in permanent housing.

Have a little compassion for those out on the streets. Be grateful you can afford to live in an expensive city and not out on the streets.


I’ve read that this is untrue and there is in fact housing/shelters but they are considered undesirable by tent dwellers because there are rules. Can someone who is more knowledgeable about this weigh in.


I work for the city and this is true in the majority of cases. 1) homeless people do not like the rules in shelters. 2) homeless shelters are too loud or there are fights, things stolen etc. 3) mentally ill people cannot make good decisions on where/how to live 4) mentally ill people, even those with pyschosis cannot be forceably treated until after they commit an act of violence 4) DC law requires housing for all families, the city spends 10s of millions on housing families indefinitely in hotels in Prince Georges County. 5) some homeless famlies purposely come into the district or are "encouraged" by law enforcement elsewhere to come here to get hotel housing from DC.


What are the rules that they dislike? No drugs? Lights out at 8pm ? Just wondering if it feels like a prison there.


Not necessarily lights out, but generally you must be in the shelter by a certain time, maybe 6-9pm. You also must leave the shelter by a certain time in the morning. As was mentioned, no drugs or alcohol. I'm not entirely sure on this, but the shelters may force their occupants to be actively looking for employment.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:51     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
We need affordable housing! Did you all not read that Atlantic article about the homeless people working and trying to save to get a place to live? It's out of reach for a lot of people.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:48     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There aren’t enough homeless shelters / resources for these people. When you get a bunch of NIMBYs blocking developments geared toward this population, this is what happens. Our city also needs more counseling and psychological support, a lot of these people don’t want to be in permanent housing.

Have a little compassion for those out on the streets. Be grateful you can afford to live in an expensive city and not out on the streets.


I’ve read that this is untrue and there is in fact housing/shelters but they are considered undesirable by tent dwellers because there are rules. Can someone who is more knowledgeable about this weigh in.


I work for the city and this is true in the majority of cases. 1) homeless people do not like the rules in shelters. 2) homeless shelters are too loud or there are fights, things stolen etc. 3) mentally ill people cannot make good decisions on where/how to live 4) mentally ill people, even those with pyschosis cannot be forceably treated until after they commit an act of violence 4) DC law requires housing for all families, the city spends 10s of millions on housing families indefinitely in hotels in Prince Georges County. 5) some homeless famlies purposely come into the district or are "encouraged" by law enforcement elsewhere to come here to get hotel housing from DC.


What are the rules that they dislike? No drugs? Lights out at 8pm ? Just wondering if it feels like a prison there.

For the people in our neighborhood, it appears to be no drugs and men and women separated that they don't like.


And no pets - there's a surprising number of homeless people that have pets
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:42     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There aren’t enough homeless shelters / resources for these people. When you get a bunch of NIMBYs blocking developments geared toward this population, this is what happens. Our city also needs more counseling and psychological support, a lot of these people don’t want to be in permanent housing.

Have a little compassion for those out on the streets. Be grateful you can afford to live in an expensive city and not out on the streets.


I’ve read that this is untrue and there is in fact housing/shelters but they are considered undesirable by tent dwellers because there are rules. Can someone who is more knowledgeable about this weigh in.


I work for the city and this is true in the majority of cases. 1) homeless people do not like the rules in shelters. 2) homeless shelters are too loud or there are fights, things stolen etc. 3) mentally ill people cannot make good decisions on where/how to live 4) mentally ill people, even those with pyschosis cannot be forceably treated until after they commit an act of violence 4) DC law requires housing for all families, the city spends 10s of millions on housing families indefinitely in hotels in Prince Georges County. 5) some homeless famlies purposely come into the district or are "encouraged" by law enforcement elsewhere to come here to get hotel housing from DC.


What are the rules that they dislike? No drugs? Lights out at 8pm ? Just wondering if it feels like a prison there.

For the people in our neighborhood, it appears to be no drugs and men and women separated that they don't like.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:27     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There aren’t enough homeless shelters / resources for these people. When you get a bunch of NIMBYs blocking developments geared toward this population, this is what happens. Our city also needs more counseling and psychological support, a lot of these people don’t want to be in permanent housing.

Have a little compassion for those out on the streets. Be grateful you can afford to live in an expensive city and not out on the streets.


I’ve read that this is untrue and there is in fact housing/shelters but they are considered undesirable by tent dwellers because there are rules. Can someone who is more knowledgeable about this weigh in.


I work for the city and this is true in the majority of cases. 1) homeless people do not like the rules in shelters. 2) homeless shelters are too loud or there are fights, things stolen etc. 3) mentally ill people cannot make good decisions on where/how to live 4) mentally ill people, even those with pyschosis cannot be forceably treated until after they commit an act of violence 4) DC law requires housing for all families, the city spends 10s of millions on housing families indefinitely in hotels in Prince Georges County. 5) some homeless famlies purposely come into the district or are "encouraged" by law enforcement elsewhere to come here to get hotel housing from DC.


What are the rules that they dislike? No drugs? Lights out at 8pm ? Just wondering if it feels like a prison there.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:19     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There aren’t enough homeless shelters / resources for these people. When you get a bunch of NIMBYs blocking developments geared toward this population, this is what happens. Our city also needs more counseling and psychological support, a lot of these people don’t want to be in permanent housing.

Have a little compassion for those out on the streets. Be grateful you can afford to live in an expensive city and not out on the streets.


I’ve read that this is untrue and there is in fact housing/shelters but they are considered undesirable by tent dwellers because there are rules. Can someone who is more knowledgeable about this weigh in.


I work for the city and this is true in the majority of cases. 1) homeless people do not like the rules in shelters. 2) homeless shelters are too loud or there are fights, things stolen etc. 3) mentally ill people cannot make good decisions on where/how to live 4) mentally ill people, even those with pyschosis cannot be forceably treated until after they commit an act of violence 4) DC law requires housing for all families, the city spends 10s of millions on housing families indefinitely in hotels in Prince Georges County. 5) some homeless famlies purposely come into the district or are "encouraged" by law enforcement elsewhere to come here to get hotel housing from DC.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 10:14     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Everyday I thank God I have a roof over my head.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 09:57     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
Anonymous wrote:There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.


We need institutions and asylums. With actual oversight.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2021 08:29     Subject: What is with all the homeless tents in DC?
There were a bunch of tents and homeless people by Union Station pre-shutdown as well. It seems to be an ongoing issue. The only answer I see is more mental health support, affordable housing, and shelters.