Tiny homes gifted to homeless only to be seized by the local police.

originally posted by: nobunaga
a close friend of mine marisol viera is spear heading this with a group of friends.
...
my friends were ridiculed by the mayor, the sanitation department and people passing by. telling her that they are druggies dead beats and pos.. however, most of these homeless people are vets. and got hooked on drugs due to ptsd and similar diseases. give htem back their lil houses... let them feel normal

This idea is great and a good thing and I hope they keep at it, but I also hope they find a way to work with local governments. It sucks that they actually managed to get a bunch of these built but then they were just getting confiscated and presumably destroyed. A little coordination should result in the locals finding somewhere they can put them without them being hauled away asap.

If your friend is the type of person who can get people to work together to make things like this happen in the first place, it won't take her long to figure out how to work with the system to get them somewhere they can put these and more if they can make them.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

This quote from the linked article really pisses me off.

"'Tiny houses' for the homeless seen as health and safety problem"

Yet, making these people truly homeless and exposed to the elements is somehow healthy and safe? Give me a break. Humanity sucks hard. If you have never been homeless, you will never fully understand what those 4 walls and a roof and floor mean to someone.

There solution is to force people into the homeless system so they can control and monitor there movements and yet do nothing for them. Homeless shelters are the most filthy and unsecure places a person can be. If the fellow homeless don't rob you and harm you then you have to deal with the staff security and admins who are like thugs more times than not. And the bed bugs, crabs and vast variety of body lice is ridiculous.

this seems largely driven by petty-minded vindictiveness and a determination to keep certain people(s) firmly in their place, which is nowhere. the 'health and safety' label is a useful cover-all justification which is deployed without any actual concern for either.

originally posted by: EternalSolace

Councilman Curren Price, who requested the cleanup, said the structures posed a serious health and safety problem.

"Police have identified firearms, drug activity going on," Price said. "A box of plywood is still a box."

Price said the homeless people had been offered alternatives, including shelter beds.

'Tiny houses' for the homeless seen as health and safety problem

Who are you, Councilman Curren Price, to label to anyone's home a box. To you, a plywood structure might be just a "box". It's easy to say something like that while you're likely living it up an a home that few can afford with a fully stocked fridge and a mailbox. But to those people, those plywood boxes are a home. Excuse those people for not wanting a public shelter, but a place to call their home.

I guess for some people that's just too much for the poor to have.

Meet Curren Price:
Curren Price Website

originally posted by: onequestion
We love to hate the poor and less fortunate here in America. If your not perceivable successful you are rejected and looked upon.

Welcome to the new world!

You're looked down upon if you demand the fruits of someone else's labor. It's not the state of being poor that people look down on since most all of us have been there at one time or another.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

I'd like to see some data and opinions from the other side of this story. A lot of the time, people only see one side, and get caught up in the angle of "injustice", and never see the whole picture.

There are things not really covered in the article.

1. What legal right did this guy have to place structures where he did? Public land means for LL the public, not just a group of homeless people. That it's stated he wanted to buy land leads me to believe he didn't have a legal right to place them where he did.

2. What was the condition of these structures, when the authorities decided to remove them? We have no pictures, which makes me wonder. If they were all clean and well-maintained, why not show us that? One place is described, with no pictures, but the rest are not. I believe there is a reason for that omission.

Here's the thing. I know a bit about the mentality of some homeless people. NOT all, but some. I know that some folks have a run of bad luck, and just need some help for a while. This sort will try to work, take care of the little they have, and truly push to get back on their feet. However, there are a LOT of the other sort. My brother was one of the latter type. Was, because he isn't around anymore. Stepped in front of a car, drunk and stoned, and died as a result. Thanks ahead of time for any sympathy, and it's appreciated, but you have to understand.

This guy would not do anything to improve his situation. No physical disability, and the only other sort was drug abuse. That was a choice of his, because he flat didn't think he should have to support himself. e actually told family members that he shouldn't have to pay for things like housing, food, clothing, etc. Any money he got was supposed to entertain him. No, I am not exaggerating. Not even close. He literally thought he was too good to work. When people offered help, as in free housing, he would trash whatever he was given. Literally. He'd steal and break things, and behave worse than a wild animal. I won't even list some of the behavior, but you wouldn't want your kids around it. Many people tried to help, and he did nothing. He could find work, but didn't want to.

That sort? In teeny houses? It would be trashed in under a month. Drugs would be in use, and all sorts of nasty behavior brought into whatever area he was in. I wouldn't want that close to me, either.

So, what sort were in these places this guy provided? Did they toss garbage all over, use the whole outdoors as a toilet, etc? Bring in drugs? When we have no pictures, of the homes or the area, I have to suspect that's the case.

I am all for help for those willing to try, and some sort of homes, even these teeny ones, but keeping out the lazy sort would be difficult. If people truly want to help, they need to buy land, place the homes, and carefully screen who gets them, and how they are kept after being given. If all is clean and legal, then,a nd only then, can people complain of unfair practices.

We have to look at the whole picture.

To make it clear, after a two month stay with us, my brother was NOT welcome back, at all. As in, ever. Stealing, breaking things, horrible behavior toward everyone, bad-mouthing people who helped him, and more; NO ONE can help someone like that. Waste of time and money. I miss who he once was, and who he could have been, but who he became? Not so much. Substance abuse really can change a person.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

I have a brother like that too. He freaked out children with his crazy behavior so could not live with anyone. He did end up homeless until we finally got a judge to help him get mental services. I get that you think the homeless should live by civilized laws. Personally, I would have slept better knowing he had shelter, no matter how undeserving. But, touchy feely feelings don't matter much in our country.

Prepare to hate me.

Homeless people should not be allowed to set up camps or shanty towns in cities. At all.

I've seen what happens over and over again. First, someone sets up nice tent or shelter then others quickly do the same. Within weeks the area is ruined and overrun. The people living there habitually liter and urinate in the open. On two occasions I witnessed women sh*tting in boxes right in the open, I mean who wants to crap inside their shelter? Afterwards where did the feces go? I don't have to guess, it right in the street. After about a month it becomes a spot for drug dealers, a week after that you can't safely walk by the spot. Don't believe me? Go visit the corner of MLK and Franklin (in Baltimore) RIGHT NOW. School kids have to walk through the open sewer lined with drug dealers every morning and every afternoon.

What happens during the day? The people living in these places take to the corners of every intersection to walk through traffic and begging/extorting money. If you have your windows down they've been known to lean all the way in to your car. Also they fight each other over corners. I mean fists flying, man vs woman, whatever. In traffic, at rush hour...AT EVERY LIGHT.

Many are asking: Where's my compassion? I know these are fellow human beings. I know the reality is some people can't do what it takes to not be homeless. I'm more than happy to have a portion of my taxes go to helping take care of them. Soup kitchens, real shelters, drug addiction help, whatever will really help them. But what I don't want is homeless people claiming and ruining places in cities, towns or other public places. Tiny houses are not houses. Yes they are better than a cardboard box for the occupants. But allowing them will encourage more, and more. Let's not pretend any of us think whole towns of these things, without running water, sewer access, outside ligthing and other services, will be good in the long run.

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

I have a brother like that too. He freaked out children with his crazy behavior so could not live with anyone. He did end up homeless until we finally got a judge to help him get mental services. I get that you think the homeless should live by civilized laws. Personally, I would have slept better knowing he had shelter, no matter how undeserving. But, touchy feely feelings don't matter much in our country.

With mine, I'd have liked to see him get help, but the laws are such that, unless you could prove he was a danger to himself, they wouldn't do anything. Apparently, endangering your life by lifestyle doesn't count. I'd have liked to see him sheltered, but he's have demolished anything he'd been given. He actually did, in one case. Friend was letting him live in a camper, small but decent, and he trashed it in short order. In that case, it isn't so much a matter of "deserving as one of simply not wasting the resources. If someone will not care for what hey have, giving them more doesn't help anyone. Now, that said, I don't think most homeless people are like that. Most would appreciate such a gesture.

The cities need to work on setting up places like those tiny homes for those willing to care for them. Surely there are vacant lots that could be used for that.

The land and resources belong to all creatures great and small. Any thuggery or abuse of others to take rights and land from people, ie survival of the fittest or who is the biggest demon on the block, is criminal activity.

The homeless have rights to ignore unlawful ordiances and laws created by criminals even if they are a majority of evil thugs or brainwashed drones. And any human supporting this is also a criminal and everyone from a beaver to a human has the right to build their own houses, grow their own foods.

No business has the right to expect slavery, you don't owe them to live. If they have a project to lift off the ground and need workers, then they better have some incredible reasons and perks to get your hours and energy gifted to them.

That is the real problem here. And you can't support criminal violence slavery and abuse of people. You can't say, thats the way it is, thats like being a demon saying flaying people alive for a thousand years is the way it is, because I work hard doing that, and was lucky enough to get the flaying position, and you should work hard too or just be flayed, and thats like saying its the right thing because my ancestors are flayers.

When the majority or even a good hefty minority, the bottom 1/3 for example, ignore criminal concepts and start to form counsels and build their own villages, it will be the most wonderful day on earth!

I'm so completely fed up with these crimes against all souls and people endorsing it. Quite frankly I don't give you or anyone permission to violate me or anyone else. So shove you slave system. I WILL NOT COMPLY!

I find the disdain for building and health/safety codes rather interesting.

Will you be going after the providers of these homes when they are mold infested and the homeless occupants start dying?

There is a reason that the cities that are doing this have actual plans and utilities. And, why cities that aren't doing it are not allowing 'feel good' citizenry to do it, with a complete lack of knowledge/awareness as to why they shouldn't be.

And, before anybody asks, yes, and unprotected alley is safer. A poorly maintained simple structure will make the inside of a public garbage bin look like paradise (in terms of mold and disease) in very short order.