San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
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Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#2[deleted]
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#3It's way past time that we start dealing with homelessness as the national problem it is rather than leaving it to cities who are ill-equipped to deal with it. Cities like San Diego only have homelessness problems because they have weather that's amenable to living outdoors. The vast majority of their homeless population was born elsewhere. It's unconscionable that we leave the job of providing services for these people to these cities. When people are made homeless by hurricanes and flooding, we don't question the need to help and we give FEMA free license to spend what's necessary to provide support. And yet when it comes to the long-term homeless population, we act like there's no moral obligation to help. These kinds of outbreaks are just a natural and expected outcome when we take such a localized approach to homelessness.
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#4This makes me really sad. I'm originally from San Diego and left when I was 18. At one point my mother was even homeless there (alcohol abuse). A lot of homeless people travel up and down the coast (meaning, this could spread). Many of them refuse treatment or can't abide by the rules of the house, so they get kicked out.
I'm living in Saigon now. While millions of people here are painfully poor and have almost nothing, they almost all have somewhere to live. There is drug use, but it is really looked down upon. I see signs everywhere warning people able the dangers. People seem to take care of each other more as a clan, as a family, as humans.
I recently went back to San Francisco to sell everything and move to SE Asia full time. I'm never going back. The homeless in SF was awful. MUNI and Bart have people openly defecating, shooting up and sleeping in the stations. Nobody does anything about it.
It is a really sad situation.
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#5This makes me really sad. I'm originally from San Diego and left when I was 18. At one point my mother was even homeless there (alcohol abuse). A lot of homeless people travel up and down the coast (meaning, this could spread). Many of them refuse treatment or can't abide by the rules of the house, so they get kicked out. I'm living in Saigon now. While millions of people here are painfully poor and have almost nothi…
> Many of them refuse treatment or can't abide by the rules of the house, so they get kicked out.
> While millions of people here are painfully poor and have almost nothing, they almost all have somewhere to live.
I think these are the two key points. Many countries allow and tolerate slums and cheap, DIY housing that people own or 'own'. The US has not tolerated slums in 100 years, and the past 50 years has really tightened the regulations on the quality, safety and 'DIY-ness' of housing.
The poor get funneled into 'free' housing, but as gov't programs these are not owned and do not tolerate breaking the rules. Especially by the tax payers who fund them.
Not sure I see a quick solution as each of these are reasonable on their own. I do think cheap, 'ugly' housing owned and maintained by the low income ends up better than most gov't housing projects in the US.
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#6It's way past time that we start dealing with homelessness as the national problem it is rather than leaving it to cities who are ill-equipped to deal with it. Cities like San Diego only have homelessness problems because they have weather that's amenable to living outdoors. The vast majority of their homeless population was born elsewhere. It's unconscionable that we leave the job of providing services for these peo…
Basic income, basic housing, basic food, basic education, basic healthcare?
Seems like we need to address all of these issues. Literally the only institutions that provide all of these things are jails, which many homeless attempt to get into.
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#7> The California State Legislature is reviewing whether the amount of health resources in the county are adequate. Its findings are expected within the next several months.
The closing lines tell that there's not enough being done if this has been going on for 10 months. Almost like the start of a zombie movie. "Nothing going on here, we're assessing the situation" Then boom, national guard and CDC checkpoints.
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#8This makes me really sad. I'm originally from San Diego and left when I was 18. At one point my mother was even homeless there (alcohol abuse). A lot of homeless people travel up and down the coast (meaning, this could spread). Many of them refuse treatment or can't abide by the rules of the house, so they get kicked out. I'm living in Saigon now. While millions of people here are painfully poor and have almost nothi…
> Many of them refuse treatment or can't abide by the rules of the house, so they get kicked out. > While millions of people here are painfully poor and have almost nothing, they almost all have somewhere to live. I think these are the two key points. Many countries allow and tolerate slums and cheap, DIY housing that people own or 'own'. The US has not tolerated slums in 100 years, and the past 50 years has really t…
You make a really good point about the slums.
I spent 4 hours yesterday motorbike driving around and exploring District 8 in Saigon, which is a series of man made islands separated by water canals (sadly full of sewage and trash).
Many of the homes near the water are illegal slums and could be torn down by the govt. at any time. Yet, from appearances, it looks like a long time since that has happened. I suspect they'd just rebuild anyway.
Every legal house has a 'name book' that has the names of the people who live there in it. The really sad bit it is that no book means to no school for the kids who live there.
Even with no school, no safe house to live, literally every one I saw was smiling and friendly. This is such a different planet from where I came from and I find my mind expanded every day I'm here.
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#9It's way past time that we start dealing with homelessness as the national problem it is rather than leaving it to cities who are ill-equipped to deal with it. Cities like San Diego only have homelessness problems because they have weather that's amenable to living outdoors. The vast majority of their homeless population was born elsewhere. It's unconscionable that we leave the job of providing services for these peo…
Basic income, basic housing, basic food, basic education, basic healthcare? Seems like we need to address all of these issues. Literally the only institutions that provide all of these things are jails, which many homeless attempt to get into.
Not true at all. These things are all provided. Welfare, public housing, food stamps, public education, Medicaid. That we still have a homeless problem indicates that the reason for long-term homelessness is something else.
Re: San Diego Declares Health Emergency Amid Hepatitis A Outbreak
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Basic income, basic housing, basic food, basic education, basic healthcare? Seems like we need to address all of these issues. Literally the only institutions that provide all of these things are jails, which many homeless attempt to get into.
Not true at all. These things are all provided. Welfare, public housing, food stamps, public education, Medicaid. That we still have a homeless problem indicates that the reason for long-term homelessness is something else.
There is a really huge shortage of genuinely affordable housing in the US. Public housing is generally pretty crappy and in short supply to boot.
Having studied the problem in an actual college class and also spent the last 5.5 years on the street: It's complicated. But we need more solutions for people and fewer aimed at poor people specifically. Programs to help the poor are routinely craptastic.
Affordable housing and single payer medical coverage would go a long way towards reducing the problem.