Homelessness: Discuss!

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Woooooow. I'm not even sure how to respond. Maybe this isn't good for my mental state right now. I'll respond later when I've pulled my jaw back off the floor.

[fishoholic]

I like to know the situation of the homeless person before passing judgment.

For example I knew a girl in high school that had the perfect life. Great parents, straight A student, lots of friends until gr.10. About half way through she started dating a guy who got her hooked on drugs and from there everything went downhill for her. I know her friends and family tried for a long time to get her help but she didn't want any part of it, I felt bad for her situation but I never understood how or why she couldn't take the help being offered to her to get her life back on track. It was really hard for me to see someone who had so much going for her throw it all away for the next high.

One of the sadder stories I know of was of this one homeless man. He lived on the streets because he was terrified to go inside buildings. When he was eight years old his house caught on fire and he watched his family burn to death, mother, father, and older brother. A firefighter pulled him out from under his mother and although he had 3 degree burns he lived through the ordeal. However this event traumatized him for life and now as an adult he is to scared to go inside buildings.

There are a lot of sad situations out there but then there are also success stories. Anyone who has seen "The pursuit of happiness" (which is based on a true story, and the guy who the movie is based on does a cameo in it at the end of the movie) knows that with some hard work and some training you can get yourself out of a bad situation.

[Zylumn]

So I am sitting in my comfortable chair, in my warm house, cherishing in my luxuries. What have I done for the homeless in Calgary?. What have you, any of you done in your area?.
I give to a local church and a select few charities that I feel are a partial solution to this and many other of our societies problems.
So I want to do more.

Lets do the Workopolis advertisement: reverse engineer where we are at in our lives to where we would be if we were homeless. By breaking this down to its lowest denominators we can engineer creative solutions.

(A possible solution) In a democratic society everyone will have different solutions.(I) would like to see on every tax form how you would like to spend 5% of your taxes (in your area) on the homeless.

How would you spend in your area 5% of your taxes on the homeless?

1) police
2) shelters
3) work projects
4) prisons
5) hospitals
6) spiritual guidance

I would choose 3 as I believe the lowest common denominator for a productive life is work.

This was just to take this conversation to a new level so we could come to solutions not accusations.

Kevin

[ElGuappo]

i agree work project would be best but if i got to chose it would goto hospital. this is just my own personal experiences of going threw chemo at 22.(MEDI CARE a whole new ball of wax)

Plus you know they wouldnt give up money so this would require a raise in taxes. or they could have left the gst at 7%

As far as giving to charity i used to give to most canvasers. but now who know where your money is going ! its a shame that a few bad apple can ruin the bunch.

[EmilyB]

Anyone who uses the Plus 15s would recognize a few people from that last category - they walk the Plus 15s all day and you KNOW they should be institutionalized

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Yah, scary shite. That dude freaks me out.

I hate when I have to work downtown. I also hate 17th Ave and the uninvited window washers. I like blasting on the horn just before they touch down, when you have already said no.

I hate the downtown parkades with elevators that have crap and blood on the walls.

I pretty much think we all have a right to feel safe.

My brother did some computer help work at the Mustard Seed, there are some who want to get past their current dilemma for sure.

However, I wouldn't want this in my neighborhood either.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/RTGAMA...calgary.ctv.ca

[Der_Iron_Chef]

The problem is that most people only think about when it inconveniences them. Or when they feel threatened because someone's sleeping in a stairwell, etc.

There's a difference between crime and homelessness. There's also a difference between annoying people on the street....and homelessness.

I just recently read a province-wide study that was conducted over 4 years, and surveyed young men living on the street, who used prostitution/sexual exploitation as a means for survival. Almost 86% of them left home because of abuse. Most of them started trading sex for shelter, food or clothes. Drugs sometimes became an issue, sometimes did not. Did they CHOOSE to leave home and make their way on the streets? Yes. Sure....if you call that a choice. Did they CHOOSE to have abusive families? No. Did they CHOOSE to do something about it and leave? Does that show a hidden resilience? A strength?

YES.

So that's where I'm coming from. Find that hidden resilience/strength as a starting point. Criticizing and making idiotic generalizations is not only pointless, but insulting.

And maybe I feel particularly passionate about this, because I've devoted the last half decade to it. I can tell a new story every single day....and to hear it wrapped up tidily in such superficial ways is insane to me!

[EmilyB]

Personally, I would like to see the homeless have more public toilets made available. I think this could be a good thing.

This way, I don't have to see some woman squat down to have a crap when I am taking my grandchildren to the zoo.

Nor would I have to walk through it in high heels from a parking lot in Inglewood.

[findingnemo1]

Originally Posted by EmilyB

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I pretty much think we all have a right to feel safe.

I agree with this.We all deserve to fell safe. But what about them? Do they not deserve to feel safe as we'll?


However, I wouldn't want this in my neighborhood either.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/RTGAMA...calgary.ctv.ca

OMG what is wrong with this. It is a subsidized housing complex? Everyone wants them off the street but they don't want them in there neighbourhood. Its the vicious circle...we want them off the street,but they can't get off the street without affordable housing,so we set up affordable housing but we don't want it in our neighbourhood.Where are they supposed to live in the booneys?

Subsidized housing means a few different things. They are either employed and just need some help when it comes to rent(gee do you think in Alberta) Or they have a physical or mental health issue and they are on a program like AISH.

I agree with the fact that people who moved to Alberta to enjoy the "boom" Should have researched alot more before they came. BUT they do not deserve to live on the streets with there families. And what about the people who were born and raised Albertans that have been pushed out of there homes by over bearing and money hungry lanlords that thought it would be okay to raise the rent 1000.00 at a time. What about them???

I can tell you about them...They are the casulties of our "BOOM" They are the ones that have gotten lost in our system. And they are the ones who will suffer the consequences in more ways then everyone thinks. Then starts in the severe deppression as they have nothing. Then regular run of the mill people like you and i have mental health issues. And it just spirals from there.

Like really people we all want to point a finger but no one wants to do anything about it but whine and complain.Do what ever you need to do but don't bring it to my back yard?How is that a solution to the problem.

[digital-audiophile]

I've been working in the downtown core for the past decade. After all this time I see the same people on the same corners begging for money after ll these years. The current system is not working, but I don't have the answers on how to fix it.

I really don't think Broncos plan of giving them all a place to live is going to make a difference.

I agree that there are a lot of mental health issues in the homeless community.

Speaking of walking the plus 15's I assume you are talking about the one dude that wears the brown work overalls and jacket? That guy is lucky to be alive as during the summer he tends to walk in traffic, last summer he came within literally 2" of being a splatter on my bush guard.. scared the crap out of me!!