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Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

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Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#341

Post by SilasX »

blang wrote: post #204
dunpeal wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Seattle resident, what do you think of the argument that Amazon greatly contributed to homelessness in Seattle? I read somewhere that Amazon's explosive growth raised the property values in Seattle, which in turn caused a surge in homelessness. Is that true?

As a fellow Seattle resident the arguments seem to break down this way: (From the left) 1) Amazon contributed to homelessness by increasing property values by paying too many engineers too much money 2) We don't have an income tax, so that increase in wealth does not come back to pay for services (From the right) 1) Enforcement of laws about sleeping in public spaces is very low so people feel comfortable being homel…

What a bizarre world, when you're a villain for paying good wages.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#342

Post by dv_dt »

dbatten wrote: post #76
DoreenMichele wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You aren't anywhere near cynical enough. Taken far enough, programs to "help the homeless" -- instead of programs to reduce homelessness -- are a de facto plot to keep homelessness alive and well. It's a form of oppression of the masses. https://streetlifesolutions.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-shirky-...

Given that Bezos envisions, for example, creating a network of preschools in low-income areas, I'd say he's at least thinking about helping people get out of cyclical poverty. Still, I'd also like to see Amazon pay its employees better...

Given the ROI that corporations get on lobbying, it would seem to be a better investment to "solve" this issue is to lobby for a tax sufficient to provide funding of preschools, but I suppose that's not a good philosophical fit for a bezos foundation...

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#343

Post by emodendroket »

lostmsu wrote: post #336
emodendroket wrote: post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's even controversial to say that people can turn to substance abuse due to adverse exogenous circumstances.

It is controversial by definition, because you just disagreed.

It's not controversial to say the sky is blue because you can turn up a couple people who say it is green. You've really never heard of people turning to drink or drugs because of, day, the death of a family member? You can't see why someone who sleeps rough might seek escape through psychoactive drugs?

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#344

Post by newfriend »

1053r wrote: post #118

Homelessness in the USA in most places is an emotional or mental problem, but in some parts of the country, it's actually an affordability / NIMBYism / price control problem. For example, in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is a broad swath of folks who work full time (or more!) who have three choices: 1) Live with roommates, often exceeding the legal limits on the dwelling on the number of occupants, or live in ill…

How about the most sensible choice:

4) Move to a more affordable location.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#345

Post by ageitgey »

passivepinetree wrote: post #300
kangax wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm wondering why homelessness is not as large in NYC? The prices here are as high as in SF. Is it due to the slower rate of a price increase? Colder weather?

NYC has a homeless problem that's actually worse than San Francisco [0]: Their homeless population in 2017 was upwards of 76,000 people. Where are you getting the information that New York's problem isn't as bad? [0]: https://www.wnyc.org/story/more-homeless-people-live-new-yor...

This is very misleading and doesn't mean what it sounds like it means.

NYC has a homeless population of 76,501, but according to HUD, only 5.1% of NYC homeless are unsheltered. In SF, the unsheltered rate according to HUD is almost 90% - nearly the worst in the country. That means NYC actually has fewer unsheltered people than SF on the streets despite a much larger homeless population.

So while NYC has a big issue with housing affordability and homelessness, they are actually doing a much more effective job of keeping people off the streets and reducing the rate of the kinds of severe public health issues you will see everyday in downtown SF.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#346

Post by icelancer »

ProAm wrote: post #9

For a billionaire who is slowly killing small business (because your margins are his opportunity), forcing people to earn less I find this ironic.

>> because your margins are his opportunity

Funny that you say this in a pejorative sense on Hacker News, a bastion of venture capital.

"Margins = opportunity" is just an observation of economic reality. Not some strip mining concept that he invented.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#347

Post by ageitgey »

cimmanom wrote: post #308
rezashirazian wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Places that get cold usually have less homelessness.

Or they just have a less visible homeless problem because more of the homeless are sleeping in shelters instead of on the streets.

NYC shelters nearly 95% of it's homeless population. SF only manages to shelter about 11% of it's homeless population (about the worst rate in the country). Thus there are more homeless people on SF's streets despite a much smaller total homeless population than NYC (and NYC is of course also a much more populous city).

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#348

Post by thieving_magpie »

lostmsu wrote: post #214
ProAm wrote: post #9

For a billionaire who is slowly killing small business (because your margins are his opportunity), forcing people to earn less I find this ironic.

It's like saying, that industrial revolution killed artisan makers. It did, but it also was a global good. Small businesses must adapt.

If I have this right, the moral of your story is that small businesses will die and amazon-sized corporations are for the global good.

Re: Amazon's Bezos Launches $2B Fund to Help the Homeless

#349

Post by btilly »

ithilglin909 wrote: post #166
ithilglin909 wrote: post #158

This isn’t popular, but I’d challenge anyone who thinks homelessness in Seattle isn’t primarily an addiction and mental illness problem to go spend a few afternoons in areas with significant homeless populations (3rd Ave in Pioneer Square is a great place, if you need a suggestion). It’s not that affordable housing isn’t a problem in Seattle. I know people who couldn’t live on their own in Seattle anymore due to rent…

Before you downvote me, please, go hang out in Pioneer Square in the middle of the day.

This is selection bias of two kinds.

First, you are going to a known location which increases the concentration of one type of homeless person in space.

Second, you are looking at a particular point in time, which will increase your odds of seeing chronic homeless people versus people who have had a brush with homelessness.

Mental illness and drug addiction are absolutely a big part of the chronic homeless problem. Either as a cause (schizophrenic people are more likely to wind up homeless) or as a negative feedback loop (extended extreme stress can made addictive escapes more tempting, and can cause a psychotic break).

However drug use and mental illness are not the main things determining whether temporary homelessness becomes chronic homelessness. And programs that attempt to solve that should look very different than ones which try to help the chronic homeless.

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