The biggest problem here is lumping all the homeless together as if it’s one big problem that you solve in the same way. There will be categories of people, and they need different things.
Definitely, ANYONE willing to work a job should get housing and job placement help. Even if that’s just 1% of the population, then let’s find them, get them out of their cars, into houses with a phone and an address and a place to shower, and then into jobs. If that means section 8 housing because they’re working at a McDonalds in Palo Alto, fine. Then they’re off the street and being productive.
Elderly are going to be a different issue. If they can’t work and can’t walk, then somehow medicare needs to kick.
Mentally disturbed people need to be in a supervised situation where they can get their meds. If they can get stabilized and back into work, great. If not, then they shouldn’t be on the street where they can cause a danger to others.
For the drug users (I think it was an article posted in the SF thread), who don’t want to leave SF even when your mom comes to pick you up and take you home - because it has free food, free housing, and things to steal so they can buy drugs - they need to be in rehab or in jail. These homeless are causing problems for others.
For the homeless (and I’ve met a lot) who would rather sleep on the street than sleep with in a shelter with another homeless person because they’re “thieves and liars”. Make them get off the street. If it means you wake them up every hour, fine. If they end up in the woods not bothering anyone else, great.
But it’s definitely wrong to lump the laid-off single mother of four living out of her car who needs a job with the happily drugged out 20 year old and then blame the rest of us for being unsympathetic to the “homeless”.
I’ve long said if we take people on welfare benefits and make them work the worst jobs possible to receive benefits, then I’m sure they’d all find other jobs pretty quickly and be off of benefits. States that implement strict requires for work, school, or volunteering to receive benefits see a huge drop in welfare applications.
An address where people know they can find you if you need assistance.
Either this woman is an idiot, or something else was going on.
I really sympathize for this woman, but you can’t just show up in the middle of the US and expect life to get better without a work-visa. Her daughters will be at risk for prostitution. If she gets in real trouble, they’ll end up in foster care along with her baby.
I don’t get why they would leave the uncle’s place. Why wouldn’t you Wait until you get established before leaving. Isn’t’ that what family is for? She could contribute by helping with the place or bringing back free food from various pantries. There has to be more to this part than what was printed.
Someone needs tell her the hospital bill be will taken care off. She has nothing…so nothing to worry about! Also the Highland’s women health center is solid. My sister in law had her baby there last year.
Not saying my experience is at all comparable but just background on your fellow forum member. When my family and I moved to the USA in late 90s, we had 4 families living in a 1000 sq ft place in east Oakland. It had 1 bathroom and the yard . It was chaos but we made it work! It’s the (poor) immigrant way.
Did you come in legally with a work permit? If not, how did you deal with getting it while here? Seems to me that it’s hard to get one after being here illegally.
We came as legal immigrants so we had to wait decades to come. Chain migration!
It’s harder to establish legal status coming in illegally but it’s doable. I don’t follow it closely since it doesn’t apply to nearly all of my family members but some distant relatives and family friends have their illegal status changed. Not impossible at all.
Some are still illegal but all gainfully employed. The market for labor in Bay Area is incredibly strong. It’s a lot of your typical stuff like restaurants, construction and etc. More recently the big thing is farming but not fruits and veggies farming but weed, better pay for not as hard work. They were minting money before the crash in prices lately.
More recently the big thing is farming but not fruits and veggies farming but weed, better pay for not as hard work. They were minting money before the crash in prices lately.
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More recently the big thing is farming but not fruits and veggies farming but weed, better pay for not as hard work. They were minting money before the crash in prices lately.
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Legal weed is way too expensive compared to illegal stuff. That is why the illegal market is many multiple larger the legal market
. It was chaos but we made it work! It’s the (poor) immigrant way.