Very frustrating to see the right blame the left for the homeless problem when the left are the only ones attempting to do anything about it.
It at least keeps people alive. The problem is that the causes of homelessness are not addressed at all - there is nowhere near enough affordable housing stock.
It may well keep people alive - in a way, but it's no solution if it creates a mass of people who are destroying themselves and the city community.
It's still death - just in slow motion.
> The problem is that the causes of homelessness are not addressed at all - there is nowhere near enough affordable housing stock.
Yes, and that's not going to change, so alternative solutions are required.
And which ones, bar building housing, should that be?
Locking them up for the crime of not being able to afford a home (or being judged too unworthy of credit by three ultra-large black box corporations) is inhumane and costs the government way more than just giving them outright cash.
Locking them up in mental wards has the same issues and there's a reason involuntary commitment fell out of favour - it's ripe for abuse.
And driving them off via whatever measures just shifts the problem elsewhere.
But we should lock them up for the crime of doing crime: dealing drugs, drunk and disorderly, assault, robbery, theft etc.
> and costs the government way more than just giving them outright cash.
The cut-price solution is clearly no solution at all.
> Locking them up in mental wards has the same issues and there's a reason involuntary commitment fell out of favour - it's ripe for abuse.
These people meed help, and a drug-free environment is a place they can receive that help.
> And driving them off via whatever measures just shifts the problem elsewhere.
There are other places where some of these people (the ones without crippling mental health issues) stand a far better chance of building a stable life for themselves
Also known as life.
- "when I was drug addicted you gave me cash"
- "when I was stealing to fund my addictions, you made shop lifting legal for stolen items amounting to $1000 or less"
- "when I was making violent threats, and assaulting members of the public you let me walk free"
- "when the police tried to intervene you said they were systematically racist against people of color and should be defunded"
- "when I had mental health issues, you closed down all the mental hospitals because you said they were oppressive institutions"
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Wasn't that Reagan? Don't think that he was on the left.