I Used to Be Homeless • Hacker News Board

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#11

Post by yters » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 4:55 PM UTC

povertyworld wrote: post #10

yters wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I'll venture into non-pc territory here, but for some reason immigrants do not seem to have the same homelessness problem, and undocumented workers can work for much less than Americans.

That's because undocumented workers live in undocumented housing which is to say illegally subdivided dwellings that people who aren't part of that community will not have access to even if they wanted to live in a fire trap.

Yes, it seems that our legislation on wages and housing make it harder for citizens to have a home than it is for undocumented immigrants.

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#12

Post by dstryr » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 4:55 PM UTC

ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #5

This man escaped homelessness by winning $50,000 on Wheel Of Fortune. It seems like he might have an even more interesting story to tell than what's in this article.

Link to Wheel of Fortune win - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ThuQb2uz34

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#13

Post by lisper » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 4:59 PM UTC

Ten years ago I spent two years trying to get a homeless person off the streets and made a movie about it:

http://graceofgodmovie.com

I can vouch for everything this guy says, particularly the "Homeless != uneducated" part. My main subject had a masters degree.

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#14

Post by mijamo » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 5:07 PM UTC

yters wrote: post #3

I wonder if the high minimum wage makes it harder to employ people who tend to be homeless. I ask because I see many young people homeless these days, and it isn't clear why they are homeless.

The US has more holess problem than all the other developed countries yet has a very low minimum wage. So I would say no.

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#15

Post by toomuchtodo » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 5:08 PM UTC

yters wrote: post #11

povertyworld wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because undocumented workers live in undocumented housing which is to say illegally subdivided dwellings that people who aren't part of that community will not have access to even if they wanted to live in a fire trap.

Yes, it seems that our legislation on wages and housing make it harder for citizens to have a home than it is for undocumented immigrants.

The problem is a lack of social safety nets and a minimum wage not indexed for inflation, not government regulation against squalor.

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#16

Post by nroets » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 5:12 PM UTC

josh_p wrote: post #7

yters wrote: post #3

I wonder if the high minimum wage makes it harder to employ people who tend to be homeless. I ask because I see many young people homeless these days, and it isn't clear why they are homeless.

What do you mean by "high minimum wage"? Federal minimum wage in the United States is still $7.25 which is not enough for someone to live on, especially in a high cost of living area. I don't understand. https://www.minimum-wage.org/federal

I recently toured for 5 months in the US on my bicycle. My average cost was $30 per day. That included sightseeing, an airline ticket every month and a bus ticket every month. I used Warm Showers and wild camping, so I rarely paid for housing. $7.25 per hour is enough to live on. You just need to work enough hours, do long commutes and be very, very disciplined in all your purchases.

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#17

Post by norealidea » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 5:12 PM UTC

yters wrote: post #8

josh_p wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by "high minimum wage"? Federal minimum wage in the United States is still $7.25 which is not enough for someone to live on, especially in a high cost of living area. I don't understand. https://www.minimum-wage.org/federal

Well, I'll venture into non-pc territory here, but for some reason immigrants do not seem to have the same homelessness problem, and undocumented workers can work for much less than Americans.

But they usually don't. They work harder, longer, and more efficiently than most americans and there's just as many people paying them fair wages as not. Also, when you have 6 working people in a house, it's a lot easier to justify the costs. How many roommates do you have working full time jobs and contributing to everything in the house?

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#18

Post by WhompingWindows » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 5:13 PM UTC

yters wrote: post #3

I wonder if the high minimum wage makes it harder to employ people who tend to be homeless. I ask because I see many young people homeless these days, and it isn't clear why they are homeless.

Read the article and the links he provided, he touches a little upon why people are homeless. There are numerous causes, including mental illness like schizophrenia, financial woes, losing your housing unexpectedly, losing your job unexpectedly, as well as the scourge of drug addiction. Suffice to say, there are MANY reasons, and your pointing to the "high minimum wage" (you call 7.25 per hour high??) is not sensible or squared with my own knowledge.

One common myth you're expounding here is that homeless = jobless. The reality is housing is very pricey in many cities, and the minimum wage may actually be too low, not too high. A friend working for a homeless non-profit told me nearly 50% of the homeless in my state have employment.

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#19

Post by yters » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 5:16 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #15

yters wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it seems that our legislation on wages and housing make it harder for citizens to have a home than it is for undocumented immigrants.

The problem is a lack of social safety nets and a minimum wage not indexed for inflation, not government regulation against squalor.

It could be both/and instead of either/or. The other angle is we as a society have given up on personal responsibility for each other (i.e. lack of social safety net), and instead look for help from big government, which is notoriously inefficient, corruption prone and scammable.

Re: I Used to Be Homeless

#20

Post by nothrabannosir » Wed, Nov 14, 2018, 5:16 PM UTC

nroets wrote: post #16

josh_p wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by "high minimum wage"? Federal minimum wage in the United States is still $7.25 which is not enough for someone to live on, especially in a high cost of living area. I don't understand. https://www.minimum-wage.org/federal

I recently toured for 5 months in the US on my bicycle. My average cost was $30 per day. That included sightseeing, an airline ticket every month and a bus ticket every month. I used Warm Showers and wild camping, so I rarely paid for housing. $7.25 per hour is enough to live on. You just need to work enough hours, do long commutes and be very, very disciplined in all your purchases.

Just to get this clear: you’re suggesting a viable alternative to homelessness is… being homeless? Or is wild camping considered a domicile, these days?