People who aren’t suffering from mental health issues or drug addiction do not pitch a tent on the sidewalk because they can’t quite afford their rent.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why some people insist on perpetuating this narrative that homeless people have just had bad luck in life or are going through a rough patch. Yes, there is a small segment of the population that this applies to and they can use the many resources available to get back on their feet.

More likely, the person is struggling with very severe mental health and/or addiction issues. They need consistent medication and likely long term institutionalization in a treatment facility.

And they’re rude. I used to give them money when they asked. Every time I did, they’d freak out at me because it apparently wasn’t enough. I had someone ask me to Venmo them!

I don’t know why some people insist on perpetuating this narrative that homeless people have just had bad luck in life or are going through a rough patch. Yes, there is a small segment of the population that this applies to and they can use the many resources available to get back on their feet.

More likely, the person is struggling with very severe mental health and/or addiction issues. They need consistent medication and likely long term institutionalization in a treatment facility.

Anonymous wrote:All types of clothing were available where I volunteered. They focused on having clothing appropriate for restaurant and manual labor type jobs. They were very aware of matching the clothes to the position applied for. However, business casual and dress clothing were also available. The caseworkers could guide people. Perhaps a polo shirt for the interview but a hoodie on the job. The case workers were amazing!

And that's great for the 20% who just fell on hard times and just need a little help getting back on their feet.

Does nothing for the remaining 80% who don't want the help because they are deep in addiction, or the ones who are severely mentally ill and refuse treatment for it, the people who are disabled to the point of being incapable of holding a job.

With the ones who refuse treatment, I wonder why we DC residents are forced to be cooperative with them when the refuse to be cooperative with us?

All types of clothing were available where I volunteered. They focused on having clothing appropriate for restaurant and manual labor type jobs. They were very aware of matching the clothes to the position applied for. However, business casual and dress clothing were also available. The caseworkers could guide people. Perhaps a polo shirt for the interview but a hoodie on the job. The case workers were amazing!

The suits thing is a red herring. Unhoused people would be applying to jobs at restaurants, retail stores, construction or warehouses until they get back on their feet at least. They do not need suits.

They face other real barriers.

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Anonymous wrote:This affects refugees too - it was the situation the Antetokounmpo family faced as depicted in the movie Rise.

Unlike in the movies, most refugees have an already established community from their country already in the US. They help with leads and let them use their address, at a minimum.

This particular movie was based on REAL people- NBA players.

Probably lots of exaggeration then

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Anonymous wrote:This is a huge problem but also an opportunity for someone to come up with ideas and solutions.

There’s been an idea for years - involuntary commitment

Will you object to a psychiatric institution being built in your neighborhood?

No, if they don’t let the patients out (unless they are cured and taken to where they lived before)

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Anonymous wrote:I thought some counties give free cell phones to welfare recipients. At least in MD.

Or they just pay for the phone with their begging proceeds. Some have nice androids and burn through the data binge watching Breaking Bad on Neflix.

how would you know this??

I was walking down the street in Manhattan and my teenage son pointed it out to me. He wanted to know why a homeless dude would have a much better cell phone than his dad

I hope you told him that’s because nobody cares to treat mentally ill even if they say they don’t want treatment (they don’t have the sound judgment to decide).

Yes, they should just lock them up in boxes like they used to. Out of sight, out of mind.

Not in boxes but a bed and food provided; involuntary detox too

Just curious, why are people referring to homeless people as "unhoused people?"

I thought poster were joking or mocking other posters. Is this the new PC terminology?

In most cities there are resources available to help homeless people apply for jobs by providing permanent mailing addresses, clothes to wear to interviews etc. In my mid sized city there are multiple shelters that assist with this.

This is not the barrier for chronically homeless people. A suit or address is just not the issue.

I became illegal going from one program (changing visa) to another. I refused to marry the man 30 year older than I and he through me on the street.
I was picked up by another opportunist, and raped several times a week while I stayed with him vs streets. He lived with his friends because he was too poor or cheap to have his own place in DC.
I ended up getting a job in a shadiest restaurant I had ever see. He collected $5k of my money before I was able to leave. This was 25 years ago. I actually think I was a lucky one. There were some who ended up with pimps. There was a rich couple from Potomac, two acquaintances, a student organization, my college, and my embassy that tried to help, but it didn't work out.
Now looking back, all I needed was a room of my own for a month or two and a job. It was hard to work while being physically and mentally abused. Rooms back then went for a $300 a month. Nobody had that much money to give.
All the help came with strings attached or it simply wasn't enough. I ended up helping several foreign students like myself later on, but I'm still sick to my stomach looking back what I went through ca 9 month until I got my own place.

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Anonymous wrote:I don't get why DC is such a magnet for the homeless. I suspect red states and red counties round up a lot of their own homeless and dump them on DC as some kind of "statement" the way Abbot does with migrants. But it's stupid, because everything costs so much more in DC - real estate costs, labor costs, etc.

Perhaps a better plan would be for DC to buy land and build facilities in a much affordable community like Charlotte or Hickory NC, or Huntsville or any number of other places, and move them there to care for, and they could do it for a third of the cost of trying to care for the homeless in DC. And, it would make it a lot easier to transition them out to independent living there as well.

We've already heard that many of the homeless don't have family here in DC - and many of them aren't originally from DC. What's to keep them here?

+1
Same thing for the whole idea of "affordable housing." If you want affordable housing, no problem. The bus leaves in 30 minutes and you will arrive in cow country in 1 hour.

Yeah, but who is going to care for them in cow country? Even if there are cabins available with indoor plumbing someone has to pay to maintain this primitive housing in functioning order and pay for utilities. What about food? How will homeless eat? Believe it or not, they get free food in the cities from various charity organizations and from empathetic pedestrians. Even if they are able to cook for themselves where will they get groceries in the rural land without a car and money? What about medical care? Expensive ambulance rides to tiny rural hospitals? Here they can walk into any emergency room and won't be turned down, nothing to collect, so they get free medical care (at least emergency care). Do you see how they can only be served in the city and survive in the city given that they can keep themselves dry and warm? For rural thing to work there has to be a commune with services and also employment opportunities for those able to work (to run some services), and job training for those willing and able.

Lots of excuses, eh. You make it sound like we have to coddle these people or the world will come to an end.

Jim Jones did it. If you cut them off from the cities, they won't have much of a choice. You either work on the farm or you go hungry.

Well, those times are long over, there will be carloads of lawyers and various advocates and media following the first bus to depart any major city to dump their homeless in the midst of rural land. You would have to give them at least the same arrangements as those given to the illegals that are bused from TX/FL into DC/NYC/Martha's Vineyard.

Let those lawyers and advocates and media find homes for the homeless then. Shey should put them up in their spare bedrooms rather than making sure they get foisted off on everyone else.

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t read the thread, just the initial post, but I wanted to answer the question! Miriam’s Kitchen in DC has excellent programs. I was amazed by all that they offered the homeless when I volunteered there regularly in the past. Unhoused people can get a mailing address with them and check their mail. They can help with access to a phone (probably Zoom/video chat also these days) for an interview or as related to job applications. There are people to help make a resume and apply. They will get you toiletries, shave kit, socks, shoes, clothing, everything! This is an excellent organization. The social workers/case managers work with people and go the extra mile. If an individual was motivated they would give full support to get them from A to B. Healthcare volunteers from GW would come regularly to provide medical care. Amazing place!

For the ones who have the wherewithal and have the will to help themselves, the help is available. But many lack one or both.

I didn’t read the thread, just the initial post, but I wanted to answer the question! Miriam’s Kitchen in DC has excellent programs. I was amazed by all that they offered the homeless when I volunteered there regularly in the past. Unhoused people can get a mailing address with them and check their mail. They can help with access to a phone (probably Zoom/video chat also these days) for an interview or as related to job applications. There are people to help make a resume and apply. They will get you toiletries, shave kit, socks, shoes, clothing, everything! This is an excellent organization. The social workers/case managers work with people and go the extra mile. If an individual was motivated they would give full support to get them from A to B. Healthcare volunteers from GW would come regularly to provide medical care. Amazing place!