Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
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Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#2"We live in a city with 1.5m people living below the poverty line - that means we have 1.5m people at risk of being homeless."
Not exactly. First, the poverty line is federal and does not move with the ebb and flow of NYC life. Second, a lot of homeless in NYC are that way by choice rather than by direct inability to get a room somewhere. Sometimes this is due to mental issues which are not caused by low income. Third, there are people who make money but spend it all, ending up paying taxes above the poverty line but actually having zero or negative savings. Plenty of people in NYC are in that category.
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#3I remember hearing on the radio about the UK Government, many years ago doing a census of all the homeless in the UK.
They had somebody on the radio who worked with the homeless who was tasked to do it in her area. Her instructions were only to count those on public property - i.e, if they were in a shop doorway or a car park they didn't count.
Funnily enough the count showed a large decrease in the number of homeless, congratulations all round etc etc.
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#4In this particular case, having read the article, it didn't seem as if the man in question really minded the lifestyle of homelessness.
There is a perception that to be without a static home is a terrible, terrible thing, but really, I can imagine for someone who appears to have his life together in many other ways (and free from other issues that plight the homeless community such as addictions) - then it could possibly be quite a liberating lifestyle.
I can of course see the other side of the equation where it would also be a prison - having to lie about his home for embarrassment etc. But in this very specific example, he seems to have got on with it and made the most of the situation
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#5"We live in a city with 1.5m people living below the poverty line - that means we have 1.5m people at risk of being homeless." Not exactly. First, the poverty line is federal and does not move with the ebb and flow of NYC life. Second, a lot of homeless in NYC are that way by choice rather than by direct inability to get a room somewhere. Sometimes this is due to mental issues which are not caused by low income. Thir…
> Second, a lot of homeless in NYC are that way by choice rather than by direct inability to get a room somewhere. Sometimes this is due to mental issues which are not caused by low income.
I've been homeless, so perhaps you'll forgive me for being biased against thinking like that.
I would never class mental illness as a choice, or of poor decisions whilst someone is suffering mental illness as a choice.
It sounds to me a lot like victim blaming. That a person may "choose" to be homeless because they have mental illness... isn't that more like a lack of compassion by fellow citizens to help support those who are suffering from mental illness?
Would it be different if it were a physical illness? That man is homeless because he chose to be due to having a broken leg. That sounds ridiculous, and frankly that's how your statement sounds to me.
I "chose" to be homeless. Sure, my choice. I could've stayed in a violent and sexually abusive environment and living in poverty. But instead it was my "choice" to sleep on the streets to escape it.
I didn't even choose hostels - I voluntarily declined a bed to sleep in - because when you've come from a shared sleeping environment in which you were not safe and feared physical abuse nightly, then you may understand my reticence to enter a shared sleeping environment with strangers, some of whom as you pointed out may have mental illness.
Perhaps this is all just a mental construct to make you feel better about yourself. If you are able to imagine that these people took responsibility for themselves and this was a free choice, you are able to absolve yourself of any individual part of the responsibility to show compassion and empathy towards fellow humans.
If all we've got to offer people as a society, is a "choice" to sleep without shelter, without warmth, without safety... I'm not really seeing how anyone can say that people "choose" this.
Edit: Whilst this issue has attention: http://crackandcider.com/ I'd urge anyone doing secret santa's, or just feeling flush to go there, and buy things for homeless people. They're good people, taking no profit but covering costs, and just giving this stuff to people who need it.
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#6"I never wanted my problem to be someone else's by asking for charity or living on someone's couch for free," he said.
Brave. Men don't get anything for free anyway.
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#7"We live in a city with 1.5m people living below the poverty line - that means we have 1.5m people at risk of being homeless." Not exactly. First, the poverty line is federal and does not move with the ebb and flow of NYC life. Second, a lot of homeless in NYC are that way by choice rather than by direct inability to get a room somewhere. Sometimes this is due to mental issues which are not caused by low income. Thir…
> Second, a lot of homeless in NYC are that way by choice rather than by direct inability to get a room somewhere. Sometimes this is due to mental issues which are not caused by low income. I've been homeless, so perhaps you'll forgive me for being biased against thinking like that. I would never class mental illness as a choice, or of poor decisions whilst someone is suffering mental illness as a choice. It sounds t…
It is misandry.
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#8"I never wanted my problem to be someone else's by asking for charity or living on someone's couch for free," he said. Brave. Men don't get anything for free anyway.
> Brave. Men don't get anything for free anyway.
Do you mean that male humans don't get anything for free, or do you mean that as in people? Because in certain societies (ahem large swathes of Europe) there are social safety nets in place to prevent precisely this type of thing from happening. Lose your job? You get a percentage of your old salary for a fixed number of months to allow you to transition to a new job.
But i'm not quite sure what you are trying to imply.
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#9I remember hearing on the radio about the UK Government, many years ago doing a census of all the homeless in the UK. They had somebody on the radio who worked with the homeless who was tasked to do it in her area. Her instructions were only to count those on public property - i.e, if they were in a shop doorway or a car park they didn't count. Funnily enough the count showed a large decrease in the number of homeles…
I've been homeless. Counting people in shop doorways,etc would be a poor measure anyway.
And, someone 'who worked with the homeless' would be unlikely to spot the majority of people who were homeless.
It's not something you go around advertising unless you're in a certain outlying subset.
To my mind, in the UK at least, many of the 'people who work with the homeless' are often part of the problem.
Re: Homeless model: New York's hidden homeless
#10"We live in a city with 1.5m people living below the poverty line - that means we have 1.5m people at risk of being homeless." Not exactly. First, the poverty line is federal and does not move with the ebb and flow of NYC life. Second, a lot of homeless in NYC are that way by choice rather than by direct inability to get a room somewhere. Sometimes this is due to mental issues which are not caused by low income. Thir…
> Second, a lot of homeless in NYC are that way by choice rather than by direct inability to get a room somewhere. Sometimes this is due to mental issues which are not caused by low income. I've been homeless, so perhaps you'll forgive me for being biased against thinking like that. I would never class mental illness as a choice, or of poor decisions whilst someone is suffering mental illness as a choice. It sounds t…
I'm moved by your story, but wonder what would you propose as a workable alternative for someone in your position?
It seems like the requirement that you not share sleeping space makes your situation a very difficult one to address, no? No-cost private hotel rooms seems financially a non-starter.