What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[HVC]

I think the opioid crisis is another significant contributor to homelessness.

But we've had other drug crisis in the past. 60s had herione and 80s had crack. Is the current opiod crisis that much worse?

[Admiral Yi]

Do they belong in an institution, or should should they be given a fair shake at a job and a home? I would prefer the latter, even if my taxes increase.

Why not both?  I have read about shelter/halfway houses which attempt to reintegrate people into the work force.  Scale that up.  I'm just proposing making it involuntary.

Another factor that I think contributed was the closure of flop houses.

[Oexmelin]

i.e., poorhouses.

[Razgovory]

Most of the homeless I see do not have a job so a living wage would probably not help them much.

You don't think a living wage could have prevented them from being homeless?

Well no.  A living wage doesn't help people who do not have a job.

[Admiral Yi]

The term living wage became current around the time of Obama's presidency.  He defined it as enough for a family of four to live on.  Are there that many four person families sleeping behind dumpsters?  One person earning minimum wage can stay off the street if they want to, as long as they show up for work and don't freak out at customers.  The crazies and the druggies can't do that.  Or don't want to.

Are there really that many non crazy non druggy homeless?  I've seen the after school special about the teacher who got laid off and had to sleep in her car along with her daughter.  I know one person who lived in their car while waiting tables.  But it's not something I've observed commonly.  The crazies and the druggies I've seen plenty of.

[HVC]

The term living wage became current around the time of Obama's presidency.  He defined it as enough for a family of four to live on.  Are there that many four person families sleeping behind dumpsters?  One person earning minimum wage can stay off the street if they want to, as long as they show up for work and don't freak out at customers.  The crazies and the druggies can't do that.  Or don't want to.

Are there really that many non crazy non druggy homeless?  I've seen the after school special about the teacher who got laid off and had to sleep in her car along with her daughter.  I know one person who lived in their car while waiting tables.  But it's not something I've observed commonly.  The crazies and the druggies I've seen plenty of.

You don't see them because they're working or in school (if they're young enough) and not passed out in the street. It's also embarrassing so they don't advertise it. Go to a shelter or a food kitchen and you'll see plenty of them, depending on the city. I volunteer at a food kitchen from time to time, and it really is heart breaking. Started as a bouncer of sort to help a friend and her church. Not to keep undesirables away, more to make sure people didn't get seconds. You feel (or at least I felt) a special kind of shitty turning away hungry people.

[Razgovory]

What right-wing policies cause people to be homeless in Canada?

[HVC]

What right-wing policies cause people to be homeless in Canada?

You know we have our own right wing party too, right?

[Grey Fox]

What right-wing policies cause people to be homeless in Canada?

Unsurprisingly, the same ones.

[Razgovory]

I had no idea Canada was a failed state.  Are you guys okay?

[HVC]

We're chugging along, thanks. Hard when you have bad neighbours.

[Sheilbh]

I think I'd primarily point at welfare - though also think increase in addiction and precarity generally may be big factors. This is slightly distinct from the hidden homelessness.

In the UK rough sleeping was very rare in 2010. I think we were down as a country to around 1,500 people rough sleeping and it was plateauing at that level. At that point my understanding is that it was very challenging to reduce below that number because it was a set of people with very complex needs and issues. Often it would be possible to help for a period with the council providing housing assistance but it was only for a while.

It has hugely increased over the last 15 years - so we're now up to about 5,000 people routinely rough sleeping. We've not had an opioid epidemic in the UK and the minimum wage has increased from £5.93 per hour in 2010 to £12.21 now (there are slightly lower rates for younger people and apprentices). However there's been austerity which particularly hit local government, which is responsible for housing the homeless and helping prevent homelessness. Also we have an ageing population and most councils have prioritised their social care budgets (so elderly people or people with disabilities who need help caring for themselves, or children being placed in care) over basically everything else - whether that's rubbish collection (leading to fly tipping), road maintenance (leading to potholes), libraries (leading to oiks) or preventing homelessness (leading to more rough sleeping).

This is in many ways basic af, but I think while other factors will contribute, the core one is how well resourced is the bit of the state responsible for preventing homelessness and helping people get out of homelessness.

[Josquius]

As mentioned, look at Finland....

It's a miracle': Helsinki's radical solution to homelessness

Finland is the only EU country where homelessness is falling. Its secret? Giving people homes as soon as they need them – unconditionally   

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/03/its-a-miracle-helsinkis-radical-solution-to-homelessness

Is there an issue in the world that isn't ultimately about housing? :p

[Sheilbh]

Housing theory of everything but it helps that the Finns have empty homes - we're not all so lucky:


Having said that in the UK at least - and I imagine everywhere - we ended homelessness during covid.

[Valmy]

We certainly have plenty of empty buildings. Often in the very same fucking cities where homelessness is a problem.