Portland Has Come Up An Idea to Stop Spread of Coronavirus in the 'Houseless' Community

a reply to: ketsuko

Sounds like these idiots running these areas should have been doing something about their homeless society long before this.

What will clean up the urban campers is when men in spacesuits have to go in and start removing the sick and the dead.

And end loaders and dump trucks are needed to clean up the mess left behind.

Well this should work great, after all if there’s anything homeless people are known for, it’s following directions and rules, respecting authority, respecting personal space, and caring about their effect on others around them and their environment.

Well, the world is going to end in 12 years anyway.

a reply to: ketsuko

Washington state has purchased hotels to house those who need to quarantine but do not necessarily need medical treatment. To keep hospital beds open for the critically ill patients.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
a reply to: ketsuko

Sounds like these idiots running these areas should have been doing something about their homeless society long before this.

It's a tough problem to grapple with, and I don't think there will be any easy answers.

a reply to: Vasa Croe
They will. Just as soon as the Census finishes counting them. Then they will be of no more use.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: ketsuko

Washington state has purchased hotels to house those who need to quarantine but do not necessarily need medical treatment. To keep hospital beds open for the critically ill patients.

I live in Seattle... They bought the Econolodge outside Seattle, in Kent, WA, and the plan was to convert it into usable space for coronavirus patients to be treated, but the purchase is being challenged by the mayor of kent and their city council. They dont want it in their city... and they are adding modular centers around Seattle, funny thing is, they all end up in the poorer areas... We aren't seeing these modular centers in Bellevue or Medina..

a reply to: ketsuko

If we had true compassion in this country, there wouldn't be a homeless problem.

My question would be that given the practice of power washing the streets of the feces from the "houseless" population, would that in effect aerosolize any CoVid-19 that might still be alive? Further endangering pedestrians and the people actually tasked with that duty?

Adding more "houseless" peopl onto that street would increase the changes of a wider community outbreak, wouldn't it?

Making it even worse for those patronizing those areas. Which, would reduce the number of patrons, further effecting the local economy.



Naaaah....as long as they use the term "houseless" to ease the feelz, all be OK.

originally posted by: Psilocyborg
a reply to: ketsuko

If we had true compassion in this country, there wouldn't be a homeless problem.

How many are you personally housing and allowing to live in and around your home now, Mr. Compassionate?

Do you walk your talk or expect others to do it for you?

originally posted by: Psilocyborg
a reply to: ketsuko

If we had true compassion in this country, there wouldn't be a homeless problem.

What exactly is compassion? I know what you want to believe it is -- taking what others have that believe they have too much of to simply give it to those who don't have it regardless of why they may not have it forever.

Or is it more compassionate to fix why a person doesn't have what others do even though that's hard, harder than simply trying to cover over their problems with a false veneer of normalcy.

I think if we're going to address the issue, then we really need to try to address it. Things don't heal a person.

I stopped reading after the first sentence.

Portland Has Come Up With Brilliant Idea

originally posted by: Krakatoa

originally posted by: Psilocyborg
a reply to: ketsuko

If we had true compassion in this country, there wouldn't be a homeless problem.

How many are you personally housing and allowing to live in and around your home now, Mr. Compassionate?

Do you walk your talk or expect others to do it for you?

FTR...We are currently housing a homeless 30 yr old.
My step-son just moved into our basement.

a reply to: IAMTAT

He just texted me.

You're almost out of toilet paper.

originally posted by: ketsuko
All right, this actually *is* a valid concern for the west coast cities in the US and for any other city in the US that openly allows for what is politically correctly called "urban camping" (which means allowing the homeless to build shanty towns wherever they wish). And in this day and age where I see an increasing call for quarantines and house arrests, how do you accomplish that in a place with populations that have no homes to self-quarantine in?

How do you reduce the risk of infectious spread when you allow people to poop where they wish and discard freely provided needles wherever they happen to be? Sure, some cities will pay workers over $100K/year to clean up the poop, but we are talking about a disease that has been isolated in fecal matter.

Portland sees the risk at least. I'm not sure their guidelines will help much though.

KGW-TV reports that city and county officials have requested that homeless shelters ask "houseless" people to stay six feet from each other in the shelters and if they won't do that, send them back on the streets and demand they separate themselves there.

The city of Portland wants their homeless shelters to ask their residents to stay 6ft away from each other all the time. That's assuming they will or can comply. It also will have the effect of possibly reducing the numbers those shelters can serve, meaning more people on the street where their health will be impacted by possibly poor conditions in addition to whatever challenges they may already face (like possible addiction). And if their residents refuse to comply, the shelters can kick them out ... but ask them to stay 6ft away from other people on the streets once they're out.

I'm not sure that's going to work out well, either. If they weren't going to stay 6ft away from people in a supervised space, what makes anyone think they'll do it in the freedom of an unsupervised world? But it also calls into question the larger picture --- What good does a quarantine do if you have a large, roaming population you cannot quarantine because they have nowhere to go?

Build a town in the desert about 100 miles from any civilization. Put job training into place, trades and colleges. Build a train line to the town but no roads. Ship all of the homeless there. They can leave when they earn a degree or trade....or they can just stay there...either way it would be impossible for them to get the drugs and alchohol that fuel their homelessness

originally posted by: IAMTAT

originally posted by: Krakatoa

originally posted by: Psilocyborg
a reply to: ketsuko

If we had true compassion in this country, there wouldn't be a homeless problem.

How many are you personally housing and allowing to live in and around your home now, Mr. Compassionate?

Do you walk your talk or expect others to do it for you?

FTR...We are currently housing a homeless 30 yr old.
My step-son just moved into our basement.

You meant "houseless", think of his feelz.

a reply to: Krakatoa

He is a drug addict...and was living in his (non-working) car in Michigan until we brought him back.

We've got him in counseling...and he's now working two jobs.

This is not the first time we've had to do this.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
a reply to: ketsuko

Sounds like these idiots running these areas should have been doing something about their homeless society long before this.

It has gone too long and too far. What has happened to society, or at least this particular segment of society, is virtually beyond help now.

An individual here and there may actually seek help and stay clean, but most won't. Even addicts and mentally ill people with resources, family support, and incentives fail to rise above their addictions and limitations more times than not.



So, IMO, what we have now will just have to play out till it's over. Meantime....

We now have a president that is trying like no other president I have ever seen to actually tackle the unpopular (to some) and difficult task of STOPPING the flow of harmful drugs into our country. The border wall, the arrests, the deportations, are all required to help stem the flow. It's not going to be 100% successful, but, new and stronger measures should start now for the future generation.

Tough enforcement of laws to keep the manufacture and distribution of this poison out of society is necessary. But, what do we see instead? Sanctuary cities, disrespect for law enforcement and border patrol and ICE, policies that enable addicts, and a blind eye to the repercussions of inaction.

It may take decades of societal cleanup, education, community support, and a continuing fight. Rather than spending hundreds of billions on other countries in climate slush funds and bogus initiatives, let's focus on our own mental health infrastructure.

a reply to: IAMTAT

It's frustrating isn't it? And sad. I hope he finds what he needs to really make that change this time.