Homeless and American

In the United States. Right at this moment, August 21st, 2023, we have a homeless epidemic crisis the likes of which haven't been seen since the depression. Since our media seems to not want our government to be seen in a bad light, we just see little snippets here and there. Our homeless problem is compounded by drug addiction to very dangerous chemicals. Fentanyl being the most dangerous, followed by meth amphetimine. Both are extremely cheap and both can lead to death if abused. Fentanyl being the main culprit. Some of these people take both at the same time, they want to experience the opioid high but not fall asleep. To make matters worse, now there is a horse tranquilizer in the mix that actually causes boils and infections in and on peoples bodies. I think it is called xylazene, or something like that. If you want to see videos of these people, just search on youtube for "homeless in Philadelphia", "homeless in Los Angeles", "homeless in Seattle", "homeless in Portland". There are hundred and hundreds of videos. Hundreds of stats, we all know how to find them. I looked up what it costs to run a homeless shelter and found this link:

www.profitableventure.com...

In this link I found the costs associated with running a homeless shelter:

How Much Money Does a Shelter Need to House a Homeless Person for One Night?
It is a fact that it costs about $10,000 per person, per year, to give homeless persons homes of their own. $10,000 per year works out to around $27.40 per day. Add in food costs (there have been cases of estimates of around $1.50/meal/person being reasonably achievable), and that’s another $4.50 per day = $31.90 per person/day.

Recommended: How Much Do Homeless Shelters Make Yearly?
Maybe double that to cover miscellaneous costs for toiletries, bedding, water and electricity, and wages for non-volunteer shelter employees, and it can come around to $60/day/person. Note that this cost can be way lower too. Some claim around $25 and even $5.

How Much Money Does The Government Give To Homeless Shelters?
At the federal level, as per Budget 2017, the Government of Canada is currently planning to spend about $4 billion over the next 11 years on homelessness initiatives. The biggest slice of which is the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, at $2.1 billion. This certainly goes for most of the states.

How Much Food Stamps Does a Homeless Person Get?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the program formerly known as food stamps. It is a federal nutrition program that helps you stretch your food budget and buy healthy food. SNAP benefits can be used to purchase food at grocery stores, convenience stores, and some farmers’ markets.

Recommended: How Long Can You Stay at a Homeless Shelter in 2023?
For 2018, a single person meeting the SNAP income eligibility requirements may receive a maximum monthly amount of $192. For a homeless household of two people, the maximum amount is $353. The SNAP benefits are credited to a card each month that the person can use to buy food.

I found this link on what the USA spends on homelessness:

my.neighbor.org...

How much does the U.S. spend on homelessness?
Considering the many public, nonprofit, and private entities working across the U.S. to end homelessness, it can be difficult to calculate the total of how much the U.S. spends on homelessness services.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness calculated that, in 2021, the U.S. federal government enacted over $51 billion in funding for selected homelessness and housing programs. This, of course, does not include city, county, or private dollars invested in homelessness and affordable housing as well.

In a 2015 study, researchers estimated that the total revenues for nonprofits providing shelter to people experiencing homelessness were approximately $8.5 billion, some of which likely includes some Federal funding.

However, that number doesn’t take into consideration additional support services, supportive housing programs, or health services for people who are homeless.

According to Giving USA 2021: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2020, giving to human services totaled $65.14 billion. While not all of these funds went to homeless services specifically, we know that a portion of these funds includes philanthropy benefiting homeless services.

Altogether, with this information, we can assume that total spending on preventing and ending homelessness in the U.S., is a multi-billion dollar investment each year.

So, it is ALOT of money. Should more be given? Should the USA prioritize this very bad problem we have over foreign aid? As an American I think so. Should America start reflecting on its -lets be honest - almost demonic culture of sex, drugs, rock n roll, gangster rap, corporate wokeness, and so on? As an American I think so. It really does seem that the USA is a sinking ship, and the rats that cant jump off are committing suicide as fast as they can.

I see this mainly in the USA, It doesnt seem to be happening in other so called 1st world countries. What is it about this country that makes our citizens so prone to self destruction? What is it about our culture that we have people that cannot seem to make enough money even for a basic amount of food and shelter?

Edit- you will see how unimportant this issue is if say in a week or so you compare the amount of responses to it to whatever OP there is about the Ukraine war, or Trump, or Biden, or pretty much anything. I have to wonder if it is really that people dont care (which is also part of the problem) or if they are just embarrassed by it and it just makes them uncomfortable thinking about it.

a reply to: greendust

US govt. would rather give billions to a losing war in the Ukraine rather than worry about it's own citizens.
The US economy, culture, and social issues is absolutely wrecked. No surprise though considering we have a leftist government.

In the words of the late great George Carlin:
"they call it the American Dream... because you have to be asleep to believe it"

I'm not sure to the solution to homelessness, but I do recall a time that many people suffering from mental illness which does make up a large portion of homelessness where house in medical facilities that turned out to be the stuff of nightmares. I don't think humanity is capable yet of what you or I would think is the right thing and it's not something that can be forced.

a reply to: greendust

The bureaucrats who run these cities and run on policies to "helping the homeless" are exacerbating the homeless, mental health and addiction problems because it helps them stay in power and get more funding. This is well-documented and obvious to anyone who pays attention to the cause and effect of such policies.

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: greendust

The bureaucrats who run these cities and run on policies to "helping the homeless" are exacerbating the homeless, mental health and addiction problems because it helps them stay in power and get more funding. This is well-documented and obvious to anyone who pays attention to the cause and effect of such policies.

I watched an interview with a guy from Portland that said not only was it a money making scheme in Portland - meaning that the people starting the newer sort of shelter in Portland viewed it as a business first and a charity last - but also they had no carrot or stick for their patients. The idea there is to just give the people methadone and clothes and sometimes food and then just let them wander back out on the streets. I don't know how true that is, but he seemed pretty convincing. The stick part is that he said in Portland, ALL illegal drugs are legal now. So the cops can't even really do anything about any of this behavior unless someone becomes completely violent and even then sometimes nothing is done.

It seems like in some places we are no longer even trying to have a society.

a reply to: resoe26

Portland threw over a billion dollars at the homeless problem during a 4-year period and the problem only got worse. The problem is not money. It's the democrat policies that turn these cities into major #holes.

Portland Still Struggles With Homelessness Four Years And $1 Billion Later

a reply to: greendust

The people in charge of the homeless problem don't want to solve the issue. They have job security by continually fighting the problem.

a reply to: tamusan

The link you have is broken, probably because MSN. :-)

Just for those who havent actually seen how bad it is watch this video:

a reply to: greendust

I'm not sure what's up with the link in my previous post. I'll give the two links referenced by the MSN article in this post.

We're spending more money than ever on homelessness, but where is that cash going?

Homelessness in Portland

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: greendust

The bureaucrats who run these cities and run on policies to "helping the homeless" are exacerbating the homeless, mental health and addiction problems because it helps them stay in power and get more funding. This is well-documented and obvious to anyone who pays attention to the cause and effect of such policies.

I believe this to be true. A homeless guy who hung out at my work last week told me that he has broken at least 75 phones, when I asked if he had the insurance, he replied, “I’ll just get a new one for free, f that”. Of course he could have been making this up, but his I don’t give a sh$t attitude was sickening.

My ex who maybe worked 10 years out of his life, gets $1,500.00/month for being a drug addict (he claimed he saw dragons in the kitchen (crazy), and his mom (nurse) was friends with his psychiatrist.

I also met a girl in a homeless shelter who told me about the scams, they usually go through a lawyer they know and get the monthly check.

Put them in a mental institution and I guarantee they will be miraculously cured.

This country has lost its way! Greed, corruption, coveting and drug use and sexual deviance all contribute to this new hellhole.

a reply to: greendust

I was able to get the link in my first post to work.

a reply to: resoe26

We've sent almost $10 Billion to the Taliban since we left Afghanistan two years ago.

www.nbcnews.com...

a reply to: tamusan

Thanks, yeah i see it. My best pal from my days at the USN is and was a "ridin with Biden" guy, but oddly he is one of the few that still doesn't mind communicating with me.

Anyway, he is a lifelong Seattle-lite (that is how they say it right?) and he said that in the last year he just can't go downtown anymore, he said its awful. And that is sad, last time I was in Seattle say about 15 years ago, as a person from Saint Louis area I was jealous. He has been here a few times and in his opinion Seattle is getting worse than Saint Louis. And keep in mind that Saint Louis proper (its actually a small area of the metro maybe 350.000 or so people in a metro with roughly 3 million people) has had one of the highest crime rates going back decades. Probably 50 or so years.

I say let it run it's course. Freedom is paramount, el numero uno, but it is not without consequence.

That's what illicit and illegal industries thrive on, our freedoms.

The homeless/drug recovery industry is just that, an industry. Here's an appropriately titled video to explain the schemes:


yeah, real noble.

-OR-

We can open, and reopen, mental asylums and get these people en masse into MANDATORY ASSESSMENT and treatment. Make it a dual program. You can either choose treatment or all the dope you want but you can't leave the facility and no medical aid will be rendered if you OD. That way they're not assaulting the public, trashing the environment and creating unsanitary and unlivable conditions for everyone. It's not about being out of sight, it's about getting a foothold in order to really clean up our country.

Too harsh? Why? What this does is it pushes the drug situation into a corner instead of it wildly spreading out of control. Arrest and commit every person lying around, slumped over, "zombified" or that simply will not stop doing drugs irregardless of how many bodily appendages they lose or festering abscesses they create.

"But but but, what about freedom?" Yeah, but at what cost as it pertains to the socioeconomic health of an entire country that in turn effects an entire planet??

This whole purposely orchestrated symphony of utter destruction is only going to get worse until people get tired and bored with being loaded and miserable.

The government will continue to throw money at the problem INSTEAD of allowing people to exercise that freedom to self-destruct. Nobody really gives a snip what other people do. It's called minding your own business.

You're never going to clean up the streets, neighborhoods and cities until you forcibly remove and relocate these people to the aforementioned mandatory programs.

-OR-

Like I mentioned initially, let it run it's course. Eventually people will die off from their choices and hopefully it'll become less appealing to be a fkn waste of life and a drain on everything and everyone.

However, admittedly, that's a lot to bank on as our economy craters and people look to bury their woes through substances.

originally posted by: EternalShadow
I say let it run it's course. Freedom is paramount, el numero uno, but it is not without consequence.

That's what illicit and illegal industries thrive on, our freedoms.

The homeless/drug recovery industry is just that, an industry. Here's an appropriately titled video to explain the schemes:

yeah, real noble.

-OR-

We can open, and reopen, mental asylums and get these people en masse into MANDATORY ASSESSMENT and treatment. Make it a dual program. You can either choose treatment or all the dope you want but you can't leave the facility and no medical aid will be rendered if you OD. That way they're not assaulting the public, trashing the environment and creating unsanitary and unlivable conditions for everyone. It's not about being out of sight, it's about getting a foothold in order to really clean up our country.

Too harsh? Why? What this does is it pushes the drug situation into a corner instead of it wildly spreading out of control. Arrest and commit every person lying around, slumped over, "zombified" or that simply will not stop doing drugs irregardless of how many bodily appendages they lose or festering abscesses they create.

"But but but, what about freedom?" Yeah, but at what cost as it pertains to the socioeconomic health of an entire country that in turn effects an entire planet??

This whole purposely orchestrated symphony of utter destruction is only going to get worse until people get tired and bored with being loaded and miserable.

The government will continue to throw money at the problem INSTEAD of allowing people to exercise that freedom to self-destruct. Nobody really gives a snip what other people do. It's called minding your own business.

You're never going to clean up the streets, neighborhoods and cities until you forcibly remove and relocate these people to the aforementioned mandatory programs.

-OR-

Like I mentioned initially, let it run it's course. Eventually people will die off from their choices and hopefully it'll become less appealing to be a fkn waste of life and a drain on everything and everyone.

However, admittedly, that's a lot to bank on as our economy craters and people look to bury their woes through substances.

I agree with you. Something different has to be done. Do other 1st world countries still have mental institutions? I mean I remember the Giraldo video from back in the 80's that made everyone freak out about them and caused almost all of them to close. I think that was overblown just like everything is here. In the US its like we are always in solutions looking for a problem mode. I have no problem with any of these people I see in these videos being forcibly removed from the streets and locked into institutions at the moment. Whatever we are doing now is obviously not working.

originally posted by: resoe26
US govt. would rather give billions to a losing war in the Ukraine rather than worry about it's own citizens.
The US economy, culture, and social issues is absolutely wrecked. No surprise though considering we have a leftist government.

Wait until you cannot afford to buy THEIR water and see how the world behaves. The problem will kill itself when H2O is rarer than a bag of pills or powder.

It seems like the government manipulates employment figures by creating a crisis, then an infrastructure to fight the crisis.

It's a no-brainer where the vast majority of drugs are coming from. Hint: it's not the few corrupt doctors who gave out opioid prescriptions like candy and got paraded in the news to make it look like the DEA actually have a purpose.

The entryway for illicit drug trafficking could be blocked.

The use of drugs known to cause psychological problems are being given to children to treat ADHD, Autism and whatever excuse needed to keep the Big Pharma industry raking in massive profits. The LGBTQWERTY agenda has created a whole new avenue for enrichment.
We've created a drug-dependent generation where many live a fantasy life, chasing their next fun moment. Alcohol and M-J are so yesterday!

Without the drug abuse, there wouldn't be major problems with mental health, gender dysphoria, homelessness......and many thousands of employed people wouldn't have a job.....BUT the main reason this crisis was created and allowed to grow to such gigantic proportions is control.

People who've succumbed to the drug/street life are no longer play a part or have a say in the direction our country goes; the remainder are left divided and fighting each other over who/what is causing the problem and what should be done to fix it.

a reply to: greendust

Dont worry, it will become a visible crisis the minute a republican is sworn in. Those people should vote GOP if they don't want to continue being ignored.

a reply to: greendust

Geraldo ginned up the hysteria, made his name in journalism, the democrat congress passed laws to force states into new regs or close, states saw an opportunity to save tons of money, the libs were happy and when the homeless became an issue, blamed Reagan.


Just like it always happens.