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Most States have vacant land out in the boonies owned by the govt. Start building large facilities with very basic cinder block homes in which they can live. Feed them and give them free drugs. Naturally they are permitted to leave whenever they want. Throw in some basic medical services as well. With all the basic needs covered, they stay.
The real key to dealing with homelessness is two-fold. Neither solution is simple or easy to obtain.
1. Do something to provide cheaper affordable housing in urban areas in this country;
2. Deal effectively with mental illness and substance abuse among the homeless by offering free mental health services including the provision of medication.
Most homeless people are mentally ill, alcoholics, or drugs addicts who simply sell their own labor at a high enough price to afford housing in most of America's urban areas.
The first thing is really important. But it is hard to do because of inflation, and other factors. If you ever want to learn how to do it totally wrong, read up on St. Louis’ Pruitt Igoe public housing mess.
Having government run a housing complex might not be the best idea. But providing subsidies doesn’t work when landlords can make more money by simply renting out the space to normal renters.
I have never seen figures on the make up of the homeless population. I do know that there are some who will never work for a living, for whatever reasons. I also think that the availability of street drugs is a major cause of homelessness.
I would re-create institutions, although they would be much more lax than the older ones. They would be located in rural areas and be like a giant campus where you could walk around outside, schedule events during the day, while being supervised and not being able to leave the campus under normal circumstances.
Less than a minimum security prison, with the security for the sake of the state charges. To be admitted to one of these facilities, you would need to have a diagnosed mental disorder, and maybe a second class of facilities for drug addiction. Importantly an institution for drug addicts would not prohibit drugs; that would drive away the people it's intended to help. Rather drugs would be distributed with some hope of ending the addiction.
Locating these institutions in rural areas would minimize the costs of building and running them, and also insulate the broader population from the negative behaviors of the state charges.
I like this and agree with it. Didn't the homeless problem soar out of control when the state institutions were closed? So that obviously changed and here we are.
The way you describe it including location, sounds very positive.
I read about how Finland conquered their problem and it sounds much like what you describe.
In my own developing country we retired to, there is no homelessness and I don't even know why.
As a King, I would end the charitable deductions for these charitable foundations, which is tax evasion, and let the taxes flow to the Federal Government and let them build, like they did in the 60'/70's, housing for the low income.
Good idea.
Sadly, each city and small town has zoning. And NIMBY - not in my back yard.
Organizations could build cluster housing. Even small factory built delivered units in a cluster.
Yet zoning does not allow this.
In my rural town with lots of available land. Prevented housing units for disabled veterans and homeless veterans. NIMBY.
The "homeless" problem is tied to political forces that are diametrically opposed to abundant housing.
If I were the galactic emperor of the united States of America, I would repeal, abolish, rescind all laws that pertain to land use, building codes, zoning, and taxation.
If you own it, you own it. It's not the government's business to dictate what you can build, etc.
Folks might build all sorts of buildings and thus interfere with the esthetics of urban development.
Big whoop.
I suspect that once folks can build whatever they want, and do with it whatever they choose, folks will not be forced out into streets because of inflated rents, foreclosures, or other nasty practices under the current paradigm.
And if some folks want to build walled and fortified villages, and exclude whomever they wish, big whoop.
That's freedom.
I like this and agree with it. Didn't the homeless problem soar out of control when the state institutions were closed? So that obviously changed and here we are.
The way you describe it including location, sounds very positive.
I read about how Finland conquered their problem and it sounds much like what you describe.
In my own developing country we retired to, there is no homelessness and I don't even know why.
Without knowing what country you're talking about, I'm going to assume that the reason is a culture that greatly condemns leaving loved ones and friends to fend for themselves on the street; tight knit families that house, feed and employ one another. This doesn't seem common in the US outside of the Hispanic and Asian communities.
Tell every homeless person to get back in to a home or shelter. Or they'll be arrested and thrown in jail instead. That's one way of getting people off the streets. What if they have no money to pay for the place? Who said anybody there was paying for anything. Just choose a location, and stay there. I'm sure they have enough building to supply every homeless person with a room. That would solve it. A location is made for every homeless person to be in a building.
Tell every homeless person to get back in to a home or shelter. Or they'll be arrested and thrown in jail instead. That's one way of getting people off the streets. What if they have no money to pay for the place? Who said anybody there was paying for anything. Just choose a location, and stay there. I'm sure they have enough building to supply every homeless person with a room. That would solve it. A location is made for every homeless person to be in a building.
That won't work. I have walked past people sleeping under bundles of blankets on the sidewalk in winter on my way to work. They do that because it is safer than a shelter.
You can't throw them in jail. Being poor is not a crime, and the jails are full of criminals.
Who is this "they" that has a free room for every homeless person?
Without knowing what country you're talking about, I'm going to assume that the reason is a culture that greatly condemns leaving loved ones and friends to fend for themselves on the street; tight knit families that house, feed and employ one another. This doesn't seem common in the US outside of the Hispanic and Asian communities.
Exactly right. No nursing homes either. South America.
Now that I think of it, visiting Spain we saw no homelessness either (where we were). Or Portugal.
The "homeless" problem is tied to political forces that are diametrically opposed to abundant housing.
If I were the galactic emperor of the united States of America, I would repeal, abolish, rescind all laws that pertain to land use, building codes, zoning, and taxation.
If you own it, you own it. It's not the government's business to dictate what you can build, etc.
Folks might build all sorts of buildings and thus interfere with the esthetics of urban development.
Big whoop.
I suspect that once folks can build whatever they want, and do with it whatever they choose, folks will not be forced out into streets because of inflated rents, foreclosures, or other nasty practices under the current paradigm.
And if some folks want to build walled and fortified villages, and exclude whomever they wish, big whoop.
That's freedom.
Interesting concept. I wonder if there are any first-world countries with no zoning laws. Then we could see with our own eyes how that plays out.
People can always choose to live in a gated community. We do.
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