Best Way to Deal With Homelessness

[Da Skinna]

Here in Victoria, BC, we have more homeless people than New York, or so I've been told many times, and it is a real issue now.

I can't, nor can anyone else go downtown without seeing homeless people shooting up in broad daylight, right on the street corner, or their gatherings where they spit and leave messes everywhere whilst shooting up or smoking from some cheap crack pipe. It is disconcerting, and the issue has been brought to the fore recently with businesses losing money and customers and their entrances stinking of human feces and urine, now everyday the newspaper here has something about it.

We have Harper, who does not want to put up any safe injection sites, for personal beliefs, and that contributes to the rise of HIV and other diseases being spread through used needles. We have different sides on the issue, one for compassion and putting up places where they can stay and hopefully be integrated back into society through working and the like, and the other side who blames them for their own problems (I can see their point, yet these folks are still victims of unfortunate circumstances).

Also, I hear, not sure if it's true or not, that Vancouver police are giving their homeless money to ship over to Victoria, getting rid of their problems.

Homeless here love Victoria because its weather is much kinder, and has a sprawling tourist base for them to panhandle.

So, those here on the boards, I ask what knowledge they have in the matter of best dealing with homeless people. Answer away.

[IronBrig4]

I've taken courses on urban development and urban politics, and I'll say that needle exchange and reintegration programs are the way to go. They are by far the most cost-effective.

When dealing with the indigent population, people used to think that church volunteers and Salvation Army workers could solve everything by giving them a pep talk. The problem was, the average volunteer was "Three hundred pounds of sunshine." Poverty can be caused by personal vices (drinking and gambling, namely), but the poor are often victims of circumstances beyond their control like an economic recession.

[Ahiga]

It'd be better to at least offer ways to try and help them, even if they are not as substancial as those who would wish for more would like.

However, it'd best not be a welfare type of system, but rather one where they are fostered a little to put in and take out. I'd imagine something like what FDR did during the 30s, putting to work the poor, or in this case, the dregs.

There are a lot of tasks they could be put to work at, or even, drafted into doing things we normally allot to Illegals.

[Da Skinna]

Well, IronBrig4, our prime minister doesn't believe in the needle exchange and believes if homeless people really wanted to get up they would by themselves, in short pretty much.

Work would work for some, but of course how many businesspeople want to hire these dregs? They'd have to work in industries like... I don't know, garbage collection, or something where they are out of sight with minimal public relations, it would be a start, with maybe optimum results in reintegration and giving them jobs they can do.

[Ahiga]

Well, IronBrig4, our prime minister doesn't believe in the needle exchange and believes if homeless people really wanted to get up they would by themselves, in short pretty much.

Work would work for some, but of course how many businesspeople want to hire these dregs? They'd have to work in industries like... I don't know, garbage collection, or something where they are out of sight with minimal public relations, it would be a start, with maybe optimum results in reintegration and giving them jobs they can do.

That's what I was aiming at. Certainly not working in an office, but garbage detail, janitorial duty, and manual labor. The problem with a New deal type system is that with illegal immigration, there's a work force to nullify it.

I guess it gets a little communist/socialist to suggest having in areas of high development, 'work camps' or places where they can eat and sleep and live at, in exchange for working for the developers in manual labor tasks. They aren't forced into this, it's just an offer - If you work for them & follow the rules, you'll get clothing, food, and so forth, living in an army barracks type environment.

I would imagine that the cut in having to hire laborers might offset the funds needed to run their basic necessities, but I may be wrong. I also don't know what manual labor -would- be, since we aren't exactly building pyramids anymore.


It gets more iffy when you have homeless peoples with mental issues.

[sephodwyrm]

Is to provide cheap housing and job.
And to criminalize intentional homelessness.
At least that's what Singapore is doing.

The best place to be homeless is in the temperate zones where it is warm and not humid enough for mosquitos to suck you dry.

[TotalPeace]

Do we have to deal with it?

I mean its your responsibility to look after yourself.

If you let yourself disintigrate to that point its your problem to deal with, not others.

Having said that if they want help, sure, get them a job, a place to stay until they can afford their own, and off they go back into society.

Some of them want to be homeless. No need to deal with them unless they are trouble.

[Last Roman]

Some of them want to be homeless.

I can assure that the vast majority do not.


Yes, some, if not not the majority, are there because of poor decisions they made along the way (but do they not deserve a second chance?) But there are also those who are in this situation because of circumstances out of their control. I like Ahiga's and Ironbrig's ideas. Offer unskilled labor jobs.

[Big War Bird]

Yes, some, if not not the majority, are there because of poor decisions they made along the way (but do they not deserve a second chance?) But there are also those who are in this situation because of circumstances out of their control. I like Ahiga's and Ironbrig's ideas. Offer unskilled labor jobs.

Should these jobs have to pay a living wage? Minimum wage? Perhaps less? After all how much can labor value can you get out of drugged up urban outdoorsmen?

[Tigran of Sasoun]

It seems most of Canada is sending thier homeless to B.C because of our mild climate, it also seems that Alberta is behind most of it. I live in Richmond and I see more and more homeless here where a couple of years ago there was almost non. Affordable housing is a major issue, houses are going here for like 500,000-1.2million now. 2-4 years ago these houses were 250,000-500,000 $$$. And once the olympics come Hotles in downtown Vancouver are gonna kick out all thier renters who are gona end up living on the steets and jack up the price for tourists. I took urban geoghrapy and homelessnes is a major issue all over B.C, the aboriginal community seem to suffer the most on average of any ethnicities.

[Last Roman]

Should these jobs have to pay a living wage? Minimum wage? Perhaps less? After all how much can labor value can you get out of drugged up urban outdoorsmen?

Say I were in charge of this:

-No heavy drugs (cocaine, heroin, meth etc), random drug tests will be given
-rehabilitation will be given
-constant offenders will be kicked out of the program
-offer a wage that they can at least afford the basics (shelter, heat, water and food), but low enough that the city/county/state/province isn't loosing money
-offer education, so they can be reintergrated into the regular workforce

[Big War Bird]

Please refer to the homeless as urban outdoorsmen. Looking at it that way makes it not seem so troublesome.

[Da Skinna]

No, I don't think they want to be homeless per se.

And we do have to deal with it, no matter what happened to them to get them like that, they are a major drag now on the community and city and simply have to be dealt with. And there are certain important political people who do not want to help this with those low income housing and such-like.

[IronBrig4]

Maybe we need another Civilian Conservation Corps. It would provide a whole lot of jobs, impart skills to the workers, and get them out of the urban ghettos.

[ErikinWest]

Lol, I sure people will know what I am going to say. Get the gov't out of it! Give the common man back his right to make a buck! Drop minimum wage, drop regulations, and give the unemployed a chance to make something of their lives!

I remember reading an essay which showed that cities with higher amounts of planning (zoning) had more unemployment. Victoria needs to get rid of planning and let help drop the cost of housing.

And hey, I live in Vancouver so I have a sense of the area,
Erik

[harm]

This is easy. Get manufactoring jobs back in the us. Problem solved. Who cares about Canada.

[Big War Bird]

This is easy. Get manufactoring jobs back in the us. Problem solved. Who cares about Canada.

We are going to need a lot more Mexicans beforethat will happen.

[Da Skinna]

Harm: shut up.

Anyways, there is a lot of stalling on the gov't's part to deal with this, as they seem to be mixed about it here in Victoria. I'd like to know what New York has done or any other major city, other than the obvious (though not so much here) solutions of shelters and aid programs...


Oh and no offense. - Then don't post something that can be construed as a troll... - imb39

[Erik]

I'd like to know what New York has done or any other major city, other than the obvious (though not so much here) solutions of shelters and aid programs...

In Amsterdam (and most other Dutch cities) many homeless people sell their own newspapers.
It's not a job that will take them off the streets, but rather something to make ends meet (instead of begging or stealing) and it turns them into more respectable figures which increases their chances of getting a real job.

They also sold coffee on the ferry and near subway stations for a while.
But sadly the people from public transport kicked them out because apparently they have something against homeless people.

I have nothing against the homeless myself, and I think neither do most people in Amsterdam.
They are hardly a problem, except the drug addicts who steal bicycles all the time.
Giving them free heroine/methadone solves 99% of the problems they cause.

The homeless guy who usually stands in front of my supermarket is actually a very nice guy.
Many dog owners let him watch their dogs while they go shopping (for a small fee I suspect).
He also sells newspapers and he never begs or anything.

[harm]

I live in downtown sacramento. I deal with them on a daily basis. I use to be the good liberal and thought ok about them.....but after living here for 8 month, I want to kill them all.