No question the rules and regs around Section 8 could be tightened so that one doesn’t become totally dependent on the government subsidy. Now, I actually have one tenant who is doing it right. Single parent, so needed the help, which enabled her to work only part-time and then go to school. Actually, in the process of earning a degree from Cal.
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Those are the ones I wouldn’t bother to help. But the ones I had over here, trust me, scum of the earth. And by knocking on doors I have learned that in almost every neighborhood there is this ungrateful sob that doesn’t get the idea that this should be temporary.
Who’s been to a park or a zoo? If you feed the animals, they lose their instinct to hunt food. If a baby animal is born in the zoo, it can’t be released into the wild. It doesn’t have hunting and survival skills, and it will quickly die. There’s a reason why after people are on them long enough they never leave them. There’s a reason kids that grow up in a home on social programs are far more likely to end up on the same programs. I don’t see how we can call those programs successful. Especially when studies show people are happier if they are working. They feel they have a place in society and are contributing. Programs should be measured by how many people we help become self-sufficient. It’s why I’ve been doing micro loans through kiva.org for years. It actually creates self-sufficiency and is sustainable. I’ve only had 1 loan go bad.
I used to have a co-worker that was married to a social worker in Oakland. Her goal for the year was to get 2 homeless people a year off the street. They spend quite a bit doing it. There are a lot of resources. Most years, she failed…
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We all need a handout once in a while. Real estate investors, home owners, you name the activity get them through a loan, or whatever. Those who pay back learn that in order to receive help you need to reciprocate the same way. In my experience with section 8, for the minimum examples I have dealt with, it is a total failure if they tried to help them when they were down but nobody came back to check on them to see if they are evolving or turning into a bunch of suckers, my respect to those who are in need but this is as true as I have witnessed them living like they don’t care for the rest of people paying their way of living.
We still have a section 8 tenants in our hood. The ones I used to complain about it are long gone. The only 2 left are a family now in amicable terms with the community, and when I was going to praise the other one tenant, of which I won’t disclose his race or nationality so we don’t start with “no way, we are unique”, I was walking nearby his house when he passed me on the street, he was riding his bicycle. A metal cutter fell from his back pocket, so I played dumb and kept walking. No comments, but since we don’t see him holding a job, we wonder what he is doing?
I’m more than happy to help house a woman whose been kicked out from her parents or boyfriend’s house for not having an abortion. Women’s shelters are always full with a waiting list.
That said, for most of the homeless I see–frequently men–do not want to be housed with other homeless. I’ve had a guy tell me he’d rather be drunk on the floor of a bar than go to a shelter. Another one was going door to door selling books for food, and when I suggested that, being Saturday, he go to Loaves and Fishes for a meal, he said “I don’t want to be around those THIEVES!”
I guess this is what you were alluding to…
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No space availability will fix the homeless problem. It’s a psychological issue. And perhaps, an attempt to weed out the real homeless people would be of a priority. But this is America.
16,300 homeless out of 5.4M people. Many programs work when they are first created and small. What happens when more and more people become homeless, because it’s better than paying all their income to rent?
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Silly cities allowing tents for law breaking homeless people and yet won’t allow additions and second units for law abidding homeowners. …and when they do, charge outrageous fees and require months of mind numbing approvals…
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Yes, I am not sure when the common sense somehow got lost in the mix when it came to governing our cities (not just the Fab 7x7). For some reason, our leaders either forgot what they learned in Civics or somehow just got fat and lazy. The whole State vs Fed laws to me is ridiculous. Federal law (IMO) is supposed to be supreme in the land, so if one followed that line of reasoning State law would never ever supersede Federal law. Reasonable and clear, right? So this whole marijuana and sanctuary city BS is wasting time and resources. We are not a better country when we have these frictions in the system. In order to have a smooth, well running machine, one must have parts that seamlessly work in alignment together. Because we don’t have that, resources are diverted away from way more constructive activities like real police work in protecting our citizens.
The silly city rules caused the homeless problem in the first place. .Without the extreme housing shortage housing would be affordable. You don’t have a homeless problem when housing is cheap…
Well, nothing will ever be “cheap” enough that even homeless people will be able to afford it. The problem is that here in the Fab 7x7 for example it is reasonably easy to live on the streets. The weather is mild and more importantly our pathetic city leaders have not been able to figure out a solution over the years and so what was technically unlawful loitering on public walkways and streets is now considered fairly “normal” and “acceptable.” Aren’t there cities around that have that reputation for being conservative and strict when it comes to policing? I know Simi Valley got a bad rap from the Rodney King trial but it is what it is. I just wish we got a few drops of that (not the whole shebang) in our city…
Ok, LA is considering this idea too…
$550k…to solve the homeless problem. .What a joke? Just relax zoning and building codes and the problem will be solved by the private sector. .More housing will be built…Everyone can upgrade…The homeless can move into the substandard apartments vacated by working people moving into new units…Idiot politicians want to force us to build for the homeless. .Build for the market and the homeless will have more access…not this backasswards way…
Homelessness soars on West Coast as cities struggle to cope
Towns in the Midwest are affordable and have plenty of abandoned housing… Time to move Eastward…
Seriously, Detroit could give them all houses is they agree to perform the upkeep and pay property taxes.
Also, let’s be real here. Most of these people are alcoholics and/or drug addicts. That’s why you have to watch out for needles. I see them using drugs when I walk my dogs despite the sign that says “drug free zone” for the park and drug fines are doubled in the area. They don’t even throw their trash away. They literally leave it on the picnic table which is next to a trash can.
The homeless I have talked to are coming from out of CA. Most are people from the red states knowing here the good life awaits them, away from the snow and the mass shootings.
We are so gracious in CA. We welcome…which we may call them? Red what? 