If you were King, how would you address the homeless issue? (unemployment, interview)
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Change the laws to allow mentally ill people to be institutionalized without their permission and create a law that requires anyone doing drugs in public to complete a 30-day in-patient rehab. This would clean up 90% of the homeless. For the small number of homeless that are not addicts or mentally ill, offer them jobs at the institution or rehab facilities mentioned above and provide them with dorm-like housing that requires regular drug testing and psychiatric evaluation.
A little background before I announce my royal decrees. Our church ran a very large food pantry for many years. We would have small groups while getting their food together so we could get to know our guests. Yes, many just facing hard times or making poor decisions, but the majority were just not able to hold jobs due to their mental issues, ptsd, disabilities or substance abuse. I also helped run our church's faith based recovery program which worked for many, but they had to be ready and willing to do the work to get sober/off drugs. Again, relationships are a big part of this. My friend runs a lunch spot that gives free food and a space to sit down, talk, get on a computer, read, etc. She's able to connect with many of the homeless and help give them some direction and hope. Other friends run a large homeless shelter. They won't allow anyone in who tests positive for drugs to keep the others safe. They are supported by the entire community and their biggest need is for people to come in and chat with the residents.
I also am grandma to 3 adopted mentally ill grandchildren. I have a restraining order against my daughter's mentally ill ex boyfriend who has threatened to kill us multiple times. All have been institutionalized for brief periods of time. None have been helped. I am also shocked at the increased number of children today that are on psychotropic medications for their behavior/psych problems. You think homelessness is bad now? Just wait.
As Queen Kara, my first decree would be to announce a nationwide competition to study the brains of the mentally ill and determine how to cure them. Not just throw another prescription on them that will wear off after a few months, but find out how to fix them, find out what the multiple causes are (I don't care what corporations may get stepped on), work on genetics, look at surgeries, nutrition, video games, 5G, who knows, look at EVERYTHING and come up with real solutions, not band aids.
Since there will hopefully never be a Monarchy in the U.S., in the form of royalty; I feel the key to change is by taking lessons from others currently doing a better job of it:
"Repeated reassessment of needs and continued support has been key to Norway’s success in reducing poverty through effective policy. These methods are not unique to Norway, they can be seen across the globe in countries with similarly low homeless populations. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that the insights gained from Norway can be used to inform policies and initiatives against homelessness in countries that are currently struggling." https://borgenproject.org/homelessness-in-norway/
Since there will hopefully never be a Monarchy in the U.S., in the form of royalty; I feel the key to change is by taking lessons from others currently doing a better job of it:
"Repeated reassessment of needs and continued support has been key to Norway’s success in reducing poverty through effective policy. These methods are not unique to Norway, they can be seen across the globe in countries with similarly low homeless populations. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that the insights gained from Norway can be used to inform policies and initiatives against homelessness in countries that are currently struggling." https://borgenproject.org/homelessness-in-norway/
Scandinavians seem to know something the rest of us don't. Finland also solved their homeless problem in similar ways to what you describe. But they probably have the support of ALL the citizens, not all the infighting....
I have volunteered for two separate homeless organizations over the past ten years. And mental health is the beating heart of the problem. So I would invest in serious mental health programs in this country.
And, truthfully, detain the ones who are a danger to themselves or the community. Put them somewhere safe until they begin to recover.
After all, if I'm the king and can do whatever I want, we're not a democracy any longer, correct? Might as well put authoritarianism to good use for everyone involved.
So what about all of the mental problems and criminality that exists amongst the public in general? Are they not a problem only because they have places to live? It seems to me that if we're not focusing on homelessness itself then all we have is a revolving door that keeps pushing citizens out onto the street
So what about all of the mental problems and criminality that exists amongst the public in general? Are they not a problem only because they have places to live? It seems to me that if we're not focusing on homelessness itself then all we have is a revolving door that keeps pushing citizens out onto the street
Yes. As several of us have said, mental illness and its stigma and lack of treatment options are a huge part of homelessness. I am not currently living in my own home, but I have a brother who might be homeless except for the fact that I told him he could live at my place for the time being. One of the reasons I offered is that he is finally seeking therapy and through that, help from social services. He's also on medication and it's improving his mental state.
He is my brother and I don't want a brother of mine to be homeless. However, I could not possibly live with him. I'm sure the situation is common wherein a mentally ill family member ends up on the street because he or she is not under treatment and can't live under the same roof as the rest of the family. He is not a criminal or dangerous, just in an alternate reality as well as extremely depressed and wallowing in self-pity.
I don't know what percentage of the mentally ill homeless are actually dangerous to anyone else.
Scandinavians seem to know something the rest of us don't. Finland also solved their homeless problem in similar ways to what you describe. But they probably have the support of ALL the citizens, not all the infighting....
But isn't a part of it also scope?
The population of all the Scandinavian countries combined is about 28 million.
The population of the United States is almost 330 million.
Yes. As several of us have said, mental illness and its stigma and lack of treatment options are a huge part of homelessness. I am not currently living in my own home, but I have a brother who might be homeless except for the fact that I told him he could live at my place for the time being. One of the reasons I offered is that he is finally seeking therapy and through that, help from social services. He's also on medication and it's improving his mental state.
He is my brother and I don't want a brother of mine to be homeless. However, I could not possibly live with him. I'm sure the situation is common wherein a mentally ill family member ends up on the street because he or she is not under treatment and can't live under the same roof as the rest of the family. He is not a criminal or dangerous, just in an alternate reality as well as extremely depressed and wallowing in self-pity.
I don't know what percentage of the mentally ill homeless are actually dangerous to anyone else.
Yep.
I've been struggling with my son's issues. Before I moved out of state, I got him into the cheapest rent place we could find, and I've been covering his rent for him ever since (middle of last year.) I can't afford to keep doing this. I have dialed back my help to the point where if he doesn't get money somehow from other sources, he might not be out on the street, but he'll be feeling it. No food, no weed, no cigs, no cash for anything really (he did get food stamps, so that's something.) For a few months he got by, donating plasma. Well he finally did get a job, and what is killing me here, is it's a terrible job and it's clear across town. He's got to ride the bus and walk in below freezing temps to get there, and a lot of days he's arrived only to be told there was no work and sent home. I told him this employer (Amazon!) is known for being terrible to its employees and why couldn't he focus on getting something closer to his home and easier to commute to? But no. This is what he decided to stick with of all things.
OK, well, it's his business I guess.
His mental health issues do mean that he's kinda reality impaired at times, and he can be self destructive. Having him living with me was a nightmare. I won't do that again. But he isn't really dangerous to others... only a little/sort of, in a very particular context. He is not equipped to be in a romantic relationship. His paranoia and delusions make him lash out and act in emotionally abusive ways. It really makes me sad because he can be incredibly sweet, too, but he has no business dating anybody. Fortunately he hasn't really had much luck with that in a while...and yeah, he's lonely and wishes he had someone and I get that, but I don't feel OK about how he has treated the last couple of girls in his life. And unsurprisingly, too, he dated young women who were not very stable or well behaved towards him either. So it was just one train wreck after another there for a bit.
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