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Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

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Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#11
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did it for 5.7 years (for health reasons, not to save a few bucks), though I did not camp on a sidewalk and I did freelance work instead of having a job. I don't recommend it. I also doubt that you would save as much as you think.

Would I be able to ask some questions? What health reasons would cause you to sleep in a tent that doesn't involve saving money? And where did you sleep? And why not sleep in a vehicle? And why did you not save as much as you thought? By the way, if you want to live in a vehicle, tent or something like that while freelancing, you could always just move to Eastern Europe, India or someplace else and live well for what…

I don't really want to discuss my health issues. That is always all kinds of drama.

I slept in a tent in whatever greenery I could find, usually on the edge of town. The reason I did not sleep in a vehicle: I gave up my car years before I went homeless. I no longer drive.

I didn't say I didn't save money. I said the OP likely would not save as much as they think.

OP said they would save $3000/mo. Let's assume that is current rent.

Housing is a place to store all your stuff. Many homeless people rent a storage unit for their stuff. Subtract the cost of your storage unit.

Housing allows you to buy food cheaply and cook from scratch. No kitchen means buying a lot of prepared stuff from eateries. If you are suddenly "saving" $3k/mo, you probably will not be eating at the absolute cheapest places to save money. Subtract higher food costs from your savings.

If you have a regular job, you need to be presentable. Homeless showers are often pretty horrifying and their schedules are incompatible with most work schedules. Most people will need to pay for some kind of shower access, such as a gym membership, truck stop showers and/or the occasional motel stay. Subtract that from your savings.

You can't expect to leave anything in your tent. It isn't secure. You have to carry everything you own everywhere at all times to secure it. If you leave your tent on the sidewalk, it may be gone when you get back. If you have money, you can potentially buy expensive lightweight, ultra slim items to make your alternative lifestyle work, such as a silk sleeping bag liner instead of heavier bedding. Subtract those expenses from your savings.

Camping tents are not intended to be lived in. They wear out when you live in them full time. I replaced my tent every one to three months. Subtract that from your savings.

Seattle is very wet. Cheap tents are never very waterproof. You either need a more expensive tent or to accept that stuff will be ruined or to check into a hotel anytime it rains hard. When electronics, like a phone or laptop, get wet, they can die. Life on the street is hard on possessions. They routinely get lost, broken or stolen. Subtract that from your savings.

Etc.

I could probably go on, but that should give you some idea.

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#12
As a Seattle resident, seeing firsthand these massive and multiple tent cities springing up everywhere, is unbelievably frustrating. Tent cities will appear in one area of town, only to be later cleared by Police and then fences erected to ensure they don't return.

Homelessness is nothing new, but in an area that prides itself on its inclusivity, progressiveness and innovation, Seattle has thus far, failed at addressing the problem. Additionally, given Seattle's place as a major tech hub, the companies (Amazon is directly complicit in this issue since they contributed immensely to the now largely unaffordable rental/housing market) that have profited from the area, need to ask the question if thousands of homeless people wandering the streets is an acceptable cost of doing business.

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#13

As a Seattle resident, seeing firsthand these massive and multiple tent cities springing up everywhere, is unbelievably frustrating. Tent cities will appear in one area of town, only to be later cleared by Police and then fences erected to ensure they don't return. Homelessness is nothing new, but in an area that prides itself on its inclusivity, progressiveness and innovation, Seattle has thus far, failed at address…

>the companies (Amazon is directly complicit in this issue since they contributed immensely to the now largely unaffordable rental/housing market) that have profited from the area, need to ask the question if thousands of homeless people wandering the streets is an acceptable cost of doing business

I believe the shareholders have voted with a resounding yes. Companies are not out to make the world a better place - they are trying to maximize profits. I think we should try to find more pragmatic solutions such as improving government programs and creating non-profits to help with the homeless problem.

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#14
It boggles my mind every time I visit Seattle or San Francisco and I witness the struggle. The wealthiest people in the world responsible for developing, building and deploying the services that we all use everyday (and getting paid massive amounts for it), juxtaposed against the homeless and poverty stricken living directly next to them.

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#15
You're seeing this is smaller cities as well (San Diego and Portland come to mind). I'm curious on the data of homeless pop percentage-wise - as I think both of those cities would be much higher.

From an anecdotal perspective, I left San Diego for a year to travel and coming back now it's much, much worse than before. Tent cities are way bigger, the homeless population seems much more aggressive, and the small fact that we have a Hepatitis A outbreak due to there not being bathrooms for them[1].

While San Diego rent hasn't skyrockets like SF/Seattle, etc - the sentiment locally seems to be the huge increase is mostly due to other cities sending their tough cases here [2][3].

Seems like this should be one thing the government should be ready to handle, but it's only getting worse.

1) http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/14/health/hepatitis-a-outbreak-sa...

2) http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Nevada-Settles-Homeles...

3) http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/sdut-san-diego-...

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#16
post #4

So most Americans live in the suburbs and commute but in a semi-big cities if you are not a middle class you cannot even afford to rent (not even think about buying) an apartment ? Why is this a big problem ? I thought in the US you guys are more liberal when it comes to building highrises. Or is it because no matter the demand it's just too unaffordable for your avg joe ?

> I thought in the US you guys are more liberal when it comes to building highrises.

Even in a no-zoning "paradise" like Houston, short-term economics rule the roost. Approximate rule of thumb in the US I've heard is if a Single Family Residence is 1X cost per unit living area, a Multi-Family Residence (about 3-4 stories) is 3X, and a high-rise is 6X. Developers turn over inventory way faster at the 1X multiplier by selling to a bigger market. This is also confounded by American expectations of living space; they're not tempered much if at all by moving into apartments and high-rises, so costs go up.

US residential growth planning is all kinds of dumpster fire ugly, so these are by far not the only factors that contribute to why we don't see more high-rise developments in American cities. Just the tip of the seriously messed-up iceberg.

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#17
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would I be able to ask some questions? What health reasons would cause you to sleep in a tent that doesn't involve saving money? And where did you sleep? And why not sleep in a vehicle? And why did you not save as much as you thought? By the way, if you want to live in a vehicle, tent or something like that while freelancing, you could always just move to Eastern Europe, India or someplace else and live well for what…

I don't really want to discuss my health issues. That is always all kinds of drama. I slept in a tent in whatever greenery I could find, usually on the edge of town. The reason I did not sleep in a vehicle: I gave up my car years before I went homeless. I no longer drive. I didn't say I didn't save money. I said the OP likely would not save as much as they think. OP said they would save $3000/mo. Let's assume that is…

I see. Thanks for the response. I hope you are doing well now. I imagine Seattle can a cold and rough place to be living in a tent.

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#19

As a Seattle resident, seeing firsthand these massive and multiple tent cities springing up everywhere, is unbelievably frustrating. Tent cities will appear in one area of town, only to be later cleared by Police and then fences erected to ensure they don't return. Homelessness is nothing new, but in an area that prides itself on its inclusivity, progressiveness and innovation, Seattle has thus far, failed at address…

Perhaps part of the problem is that a) people agree homeless folks need a place to live but b) aren't confident/capable of influencing their representatives to make a change.

Meanwhile they don't want the problem to affect them for the months/years until political action is taken.

Re: Seattle has third largest homeless population in U.S.

#20

It boggles my mind every time I visit Seattle or San Francisco and I witness the struggle. The wealthiest people in the world responsible for developing, building and deploying the services that we all use everyday (and getting paid massive amounts for it), juxtaposed against the homeless and poverty stricken living directly next to them.

Maybe that's my cynical German view of the USA, but to me that's the natural outcome of a society where the prevailing attitude is that everyone is responsible for themselves and if you have problems that's your fault and your fault alone.
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