Homelessness

#1

It's becoming an epidemic. But what to do? Here comes a radical idea: Offer help, a leg up. And it worked. 88% of homeless people in the program were no longer homeless within six months.

Keith Boykin @keithboykin wrote: Researchers gave homeless people $750 per month for a year, no questions asked. The recipients spent the money on food, housing, transportation, clothing, and health care. And after six months, only 12% of those who received funds were still homeless.

#2

Yeah, but...we can't trust those people. They are druggies; they don't deserve any help.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

#3

Back in the day when I was still running rescue squad a good many of the homeless population in my area were alcoholics and generally called for rescue so they could go to the hospital and get a good meal or a warm place to sleep on a cold night. What was really heartbreaking were children in rags and homeless families living in cars or cardboard shelters and tents and I’m sure there are still lots of them out there across the country. So sad…

#4

I rail against the "Trickle Down" believers, the folks who think that giving huge tax breaks to millionaires and big businesses will spur the economy. The reality is that if you give $75,000 to a millionaire, it will not increase his spending one whit. He will just buy corporate stock with that money. It will NOT go back into the economy. (For non-financial people, the stock was issued years ago. The investor buys it from another investor, not from a company). HOWEVER, if you give $750 to 1,000 homeless folks, that money gets put back immediately into the community the homeless person lives in. It benefits the homeless person and the community. That's one reason, also, why SNAP payments are so wonderful. I would much prefer my tax dollars go towards helping the poor versus helping millionaires and big business.

#5

#6

And as long as I'm railing against the "Trickle Down" theory, I'll also throw in another of my financial pet peeves. People who complain about millionaires spending millions on things like weddings. "They should be giving that money to the poor." Well, excuse me!, but putting the money back into the economy by hiring caterers, musicians, etc. is an excellent way to be spending your money! And, while Trump is not known for giving money to the poor, many rich people do donate to very worthy causes. It's amazing, though, how spending on something extremely expensive, like a wedding or a house, ends up benefiting thousands of workers. My Iowa niece's farmer/carpenter husband drove from Iowa to The Cities to install shades in a multi-million dollar home being built in a western suburb.

/rant

John Thomas8 · #7

MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:52 pm And as long as I'm railing against the "Trickle Down" theory, I'll also throw in another of my financial pet peeves. People who complain about millionaires spending millions on things like weddings. "They should be giving that money to the poor." Well, excuse me!, but putting the money back into the economy by hiring caterers, musicians, etc. is an excellent way to be spending your money! And, while Trump is not known for giving money to the poor, many rich people do donate to very worthy causes. It's amazing, though, how spending on something extremely expensive, like a wedding or a house, ends up benefiting thousands of workers. My Iowa niece's farmer/carpenter husband drove from Iowa to The Cities to install shades in a multi-million dollar home being built in a western suburb.

/rant

Ya, many high-dollar sportsball folks have charity foundations they run that do much good in their communities. Warrick Dunn started one getting single mothers into homes. That's one of hundreds if not thousands of player charities.

#8

Story: https://www.themusicman.uk/donald-gould/

sad-cafe · #9

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 11:39 pm
Story: https://www.themusicman.uk/donald-gould/

that is really awesome~

I play piano but would never have the courage to play alone in the streets like he did.

#10

Portland had a Piano Project last Summer. They place uprights all around the city for random people to play. It was facinating to listen to.

RTH10260 · #11

WSDOT's controversial approach to fixing homelessness | FOX 13 Seattle

FOX 13 Seattle
1 day ago

Boulders placed on the shoulder of I-5 in Olympia send an undeniable message: the unhoused are not welcome here.

#12

Great thread well worth the click.

Paul Schofield @pschofie79 wrote: This fall, I got an e-mail from a guy named JM Simpson who'd read things I'd written about homelessness. He mentioned he was a photojournalist in Olympia and that he'd been photographing the unhoused population there. He wanted to share some work with me . . . (1)