‘Hoboes’ have always been with us, however, many of the homeless are drug addicts or alcoholics, or both, who enjoy limited public services to keep them semi-comfortable in their chosen lifestyle. There are options available to addicts and those who have been sexually abused, especially if they've also been incarcerated.
However, compared to the general population, the formerly incarcerated are almost ten times as likely to be homeless, but they can receive more government benefits such as free housing, and job training that people who have never been convicted of a crime cannot receive… including Veterans. Some homeless people could benefit from help. Christian charities, gospel missions, and such have provided such services for centuries. I've seen that some portion of the people who go there are interested in getting rid of the personal habits that ruined their lives, usually drugs, alcohol, and gambling while a portion are victims of circumstance. The saddest cases are the children whose parents are addicts and neglect them.
While 25% of homeless are economically displaced, roughly 75% of chronically homeless individuals have mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
The biggest mistake being made is for the government to seize a portion of workers' paychecks to pay for the support (and free needles) of addicts. You get more of what you pay for and less of what you punish. That has a very predictable outcome.
The Instant Homeless at age 18! In some states, Foster Children are tossed out in the street with absolutely no support structure after they age out at 18! This is one reason you see so many homeless youths.
Problems with no solutions! 1. Being homeless and trying to get a job so you can get off the street and get a permanent home is just about impossible in most communities.
2. Before you can get a job, you must be able to bathe regularly, change into clean, decent clothes for work, and have reliable transportation, let alone for job interviews.
3. You must have some form of shelter so you can sleep warm, dry, and safe.
4. A “Homeless Shelter” will not give you all of that for very long. Many times, they are open dormitories full of strangers or slight acquaintances, even so-called “friends”. Some new people come in and others are gone, daily. The Shelters can be dangerous, you can have your stuff stolen or be attacked.
5. Homeless people have pets for companionship and protection, but at some Homeless Shelters, the pets are not welcome, so you either abandon your beloved pet, entrust it to a friend who is still on the street, or forgo the Homeless Shelter!
6. Looking for a job also requires that you have the ability to get to that job, you must figure out how to get there on time, with reliable transportation... a bus may fit the bill... IF bus transportation to the job’s location is available!
7. A bicycle could work, but foul weather may do you in. If you show up dirty and soaking wet and unable to perform your job duties, you are liable to be fired.
8. Now you need an address to use to receive mail and to apply for a checking account, to deposit your checks so you do not have to worry that all your hard-earned money is stolen if you just carry cash.
9. Then you are trying to collect enough money together to rent a place, you will need the usual ‘First and Last month’s rent, plus a Security deposit. That can be a whole lot of money!
10. You will never be able to accomplish all this in most towns and at most Homeless Shelters because they only allow for short stays.
Therefore, just about the time you have gotten every one of these things accomplished they kick you out of the Homeless Shelter because your allotted time is up, and you are back on the street again! You go to a homeless camp along a river or under a bridge, then your extra clothes are stolen, along with other stuff you had. Then you lose your job because you were late to work several times because the bus does not go out that far where you are staying now, and you STINK to High-Heaven because you could not bathe. Then to top it all off, the City or County Officials came to clean out the illegal homeless camp, and trashed, destroyed, and removed everything you had left!
You are now back to square one!
For whatever reason they became homeless, and many “Street People” would love to get permanently off the street again and back into normal society. Have the security and peace of mind of a home they can call their own, have a job, and personal transportation.
However, it matters not what the Homeless attempt to do, everywhere they go, everything they try to do to help themselves to get off the street, there are serious roadblocks put in front of them, by those people and organizations that claim to help!
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Internet commentary:
Ed to MNIce • Nov 30, 2019
“Many years ago, a teacher stated to our class that feeding and housing the poor was a hopeless basket case because it is never, ever, ending, no matter the country. Feed them lunch and they are back a little later for dinner, then breakfast, and so on and on and on. Housing the homeless will never end because there will always be homeless to take the place of those housed, in addition to the professional homeless who want no roots, or demands placed upon them, or responsibilities and also enjoy the free food. Compassion and feelings for these unfortunates and wanting to help is the American way. But, are we encouraging and enabling these people? How many really want to work, be self-sustaining, pay taxes, and be a part of society? How many are trying? Somehow there must be a way to identify those that become homeless and needy and really need assistance over those professional homeless who leech off the goodness of the compassionate. In this way, funds can be directed properly and effectively as a helping hand toward recovery of those put in that position because of circumstances, and not just constantly funding a hopeless basket case of everyone lumped together.” Thank you, Ed:
While the above commentary is true, this document is about those who through little or no fault of their own end up being homeless, and they would love to get back off the streets and into a steady job and a normal home.
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