Homelessness: Discuss!

[Der_Iron_Chef]

There we go.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

....taken from the "Help?" thread, which was quickly diverging off course.

To say that addiction is a choice is also an over-simplification of a complex problem. What drives people to substance abuse is complex. What drives people to certain substances, which are largely indicative of the environment(s) they have chosen, is also complex. It's very very easy to say that it's a choice, because that puts the onus solely on the addicted, and lets us sleep soundly at night, not having to really consider the bigger picture.

I have worked with dozens and dozens of youth, addicted to every substance imaginable, selling their bodies for a quick hit or a few bucks. It's so complex....as complex as each individual.

Oh, this is surely a hot topic. I just know that from my years of working hand-in-hand with this very demographic, there's no easy answer.

[findingnemo1]

Hey Drew

I guess for Drew and I we see it from another vantage point. He see's the poor children who are homeless and suffering from drug abuse. And they are all still little people who are hurting in a big way for one reason or another and this is how they cope or who knows how it all took place.

I on the other hand work with the adults with mental illness and to be very honest with you i see the same in them as to teens. They have been "labelled"per say. Society doesn't yet understand the scope of mental illness.

But on the other hand i think that asside from the 2 scenarios above everyone has there reason. And to judge that without them actually saying" i'm to lazy to get a job" then really where do people get off with saying that they are to lazy?

Have you lived there life? Have you walked a day in there shoes? Have you lost a family member,been divorced,had a crappy childhood? Everyone deals with stress differently and i don't think that some should be chastized for that.

Be carefull because one day it could be you. You could lose your job which in turn leads to you losing your house and car and possibly marriage,children etc::: You never know what tommorrow brings and do you want people to judge you not knowing what has gone on in your life???

[BC564]

Sorry...I tend to agree with Snappy....from the help thread which then created this thread....

[Seriak]

I would say I judge people then based on there most dominant trait.

If a person is homeless due to an mental illness then they are mentally ill not homeless in my book and there should be an organization for that.
If a person is homeless due to an addiction to drugs then they are not homeless in my book and there should be an orgainzation to help them with that.
If a person is homeless because he has decieded that he would rather not work and would rather live on welfare instead of taking a job at a fast food restaurant that is beneath him, I have no sympathy.

Now I am not saying the above people aren't homeless but they don't fall in my definition of homeless which I have no sympathy for.

One question I might ask though is "What prevents people from leaving this city and moving to a less costly city if they are working three jobs to make ends meet. Honest question hoping for a honest response.

[BC564]

I dont understand all the people that flocked here for the boom over the last 2 years and did not secure/find a place to live before deciding this is the place to be......I understand the wanting to be here for the $$$ but Im not packing up and moving anywhere if I dont have a place to live.....

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Originally Posted by BC564

Sorry...I tend to agree with Snappy....from the help thread which then created this thread....

You mean, to get back on topic? That's why I created a separate thread!

Originally Posted by Seriak

"What prevents people from leaving this city and moving to a less costly city if they are working three jobs to make ends meet. Honest question hoping for a honest response.

The same thing that makes them homeless in the first place. A person who suffers from one or more mental illnesses, and is not able to be what we would call a "productive" member of society, is hardly able to plan and execute a move to another city. That also takes money....and when your biggest concern is your next meal, planning a big move is low on the priority list!

Originally Posted by BC564

I dont understand all the people that flocked here for the boom over the last 2 years and did not secure/find a place to live before deciding this is the place to be......I understand the wanting to be here for the $$$ but Im not packing up and moving anywhere if I dont have a place to live.....

That is definitely confusing to me, as well. But I will say, I think those people are generally not homeless for long. Those are the ones with the capacity (and often the motivation) to move away from the situation(s) they find themselves in. I know a few of them myself--people who need to stay at the Drop-In Centre or Mustard Seed, while working full-time jobs, to save up for the first few months' rent/down payment/etc.

What do most people REALLY know about homelessness? Not much. There are lots of assumptions, judgments and glib, off-the-cuff criticisms.

[BC564]

No I meant I agree with snappy's entire statement.....

[Der_Iron_Chef]

He must've edited some of it out....

[findingnemo1]

Originally Posted by Seriak

One question I might ask though is "What prevents people from leaving this city and moving to a less costly city if they are working three jobs to make ends meet. Honest question hoping for a honest response.

I guess in all reality though is there anywhere else that is really less costly? For an example. My parents live in Rimbey and always have..( Little little town north of Sylvan Lake)

To buy a house you are looking at $360.000-400.000. And to rent you are still looking at 1000+. Even outside of Alberta is far from cheap. Thje cheapest place to live WAS Newfoundland but no work. But even then they are starting to rebound. Sooo long story short i don't think that is the solution either.

Don't get me wrong my husband is working in the boom and always has been apart of that.But i guess thats why it is easier for me to look at the downside that if something happens we are in a world of trouble. His whole career is based on the oilpatch( Electrical Engineer) So if the economy crashes then we are in trouble and could very we'll end up homless,car less and trying to figure out what to do now.Everybody has a sad story. And not everyone can pull themselves out of that story and it becomes a novel.But that does not give us the right to look down on them as they are panhandling for a cup of coffee or coming out of a shelter. Because what you may not see is that person coming out of the homless shelter is on there way to work but just can't afford a home.

Everyone living on the street has an issue. Do you really think they like to live out there? When it is -50 outside and they are trying to just survive the night.When they are hungry with nothing to eat. When they want to talk with someone but nobody wants to listen.I think they would much rather be living in a home somewhere but life has dragged them down and they just can't get back up.