topic Re: my heart breaks in Community Chat

my heart breaks

shortbreadlover — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:36:11 GMT

we have so many homeless in this city. my heart just breaks for them. with winter coming fast,and no home to keep warm, i just don't know what they will do. i honestly don't know how to help them either.

the city doesn't really care. they keep building over priced apartments that no one can really afford unless they are really rich. one building wants $4,025 .00 per month for a 3 bedroom apartment.

few to none of the folks that i know can afford that kind of rent. even with roommates , it is costly. what have we as a society become?

Re: my heart breaks

shortbreadlover — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:40:26 GMT

i think that i am very concerned because the library has so many homeless people coming in everyday. i have gotten to know many of them and see upclose how the problem is really terrible. i hate to see people that are beaten down just trying to survive each day .

Re: my heart breaks

deepwaterdotter — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:42:37 GMT

Capitalists?

Re: my heart breaks

shortbreadlover — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:44:35 GMT

i aam not sure that i understand what you mean by your reply. please explain if you don't mind.

Re: my heart breaks

software — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:48:16 GMT

Many homeless are just that for a reason.

They don't want to assimilate. It's their choice.

Some have fallen on hard times but I don't want my city taking care of them.

There are many charities in my town that step up.

Homeless shelters, soup kitchen, child care, transition assistance.

Support the charities with your time & money.

Why is the government obligated to fix it?

That's not the purpose of government.

Re: my heart breaks

deepwaterdotter — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:48:32 GMT

@shortbreadlover wrote:
i aam not sure that i understand what you mean by your reply. please explain if you don't mind.

Private ownership motivated by accumulation of profit.

Re: my heart breaks

cherry — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:50:52 GMT

Many of them have the same sort of problems like your ex-neighbors ..

Re: my heart breaks

shortbreadlover — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:51:02 GMT

thank you

i thought that was what you meant but was unsure.

and i agree with you.

this city has a building boom but it is all very high and over priced apartments and homes..

the developers don't want to build homes tat real people can afford.

Re: my heart breaks

CLHS68 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:53:15 GMT

So your heart breaks for them as long as they don't live next door.

Re: my heart breaks

shortbreadlover — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:55:09 GMT

no it is not the job of government.

but in my city, we are seeing people pushing out of homes because the developers want to build costly housing. they city just wants the income from the building fees , taxes and permits.

many of the homeless that i know, are people who just can't afford the rents on the ages that they are paid. i also see retired people on a limited income that can 't afford over $1200 per month rent.

Re: my heart breaks

Drythe — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:55:37 GMT

@shortbreadlover

Likely your recent neighbors, about whom you posted frequently, have now joined the ranks of those homeless.

Re: my heart breaks

AuntG — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:58:52 GMT

You are a very caring person @shortbreadlover. Luckily, the cities near me have enough reasonably priced apartments that a person with a job can afford. I used to work with younger people who even took a second job to improve their financial situations. While not lumping everyone together, I truly think bad choices (like drugs and alcohol) account for a lot of homelessness. The largest city in my area has shelters, but for safety reasons, cannot accommodate drug addicts.

Re: my heart breaks

software — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:01:25 GMT

I can't afford $1200 per month rent but I'm not homeless

@shortbreadlover wrote:
no it is not the job of government.

but in my city, we are seeing people pushing out of homes because the developers want to build costly housing. they city just wants the income from the building fees , taxes and permits.

many of the homeless that i know, are people who just can't afford the rents on the ages that they are paid. i also see retired people on a limited income that can 't afford over $1200 per month rent.

Re: my heart breaks

Mj12 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:10:21 GMT

Most people want to help the homeless, but few want low-income housing next door or down the block or even in their town. It's a huge problem in the US. I don't know what the solution is.

Re: my heart breaks

shortbreadlover — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:26:57 GMT

i would not mind low income housing next door to me. but i do not want a drug house or people that steal and such things.

Re: my heart breaks

kitcat51 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:31:57 GMT

There are plenty of things you can do just be getting involved so contact Homeless Shelters...they have mobile units that handout food & hot drinks while giving info for beds & warming centers, volunteer at hospitals that get many homeless patients, volunteer at Habitat For Humanity...they give a hand up without giving a handout & there are lots of other organizations that deal with mental illness, job training, education, child welfare & on & on. There are many reasons for being homeless & none will be solved by wringing hands, saying so sad, blaming companies that make money or depending on government go fix it because they have blown through billions & accomplished little. Citizens feet on the ground & hands to work...get involved.

Re: my heart breaks

GAQShopr53 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:32:43 GMT

@Mj12 wrote:
Most people want to help the homeless, but few want low-income housing next door or down the block or even in their town. It's a huge problem in the US. I don't know what the solution is.

@Mj12 You have addressed the real Elephant in the Room...I truly believe people want to help the homeless (those homeless that want to be helped). Just don't come into my neighborhood or gated community!

I believe the solutions have to start with why the people are homeless in the first place. I have always said that some are only one paycheck from being on the streets depending on where you live and your economic circumstances. There are some living on the streets and they had no intentions of being there but "Life Issues Happened"

Re: my heart breaks

CelticCrafter — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:38:10 GMT

@Mj12 wrote:
Most people want to help the homeless, but few want low-income housing next door or down the block or even in their town. It's a huge problem in the US. I don't know what the solution is.

I've seen what low income housing or section 8 housing did to the two neighborhoods I grew up in.

Re: my heart breaks

cherry — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:42:59 GMT

WE have a paper put out by the homeless called groundcover news. They sell the paper ,and keep the money ,to help them a bit, financially. It breaks my heart ,when they ask ,if you would like to buy a paper ,and people say I'm good, and walk right past..If they were so good, they would cough up a buck ,to help these people

Some of these people are delightful. One lovely older lady, escaped a violent marriage with just the clothing on her back. She was able to go to a women's shelter. She was clean ,articulate ,and well educated. There are homeless people that have a job. They are saving to get a place to live. I know this ,because my church shelters them

Re: my heart breaks

pigletsmom — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 20:47:56 GMT

Do you have a homeless shelter there? We have one that works pretty well for people to sleep and eat at.

Most of the homeless people around here will likely be like that forever. Lower rents wont help them. Severe drug addiction or mental illness have taken over there lives unfortunately.

I see a number of them every morning. Many of them are along my running route. I speak to all of them along the way unless they are sleeping. Except for one who is a little volatile. The deserve to be treated the same as the others I see when I'm out there.

I try to help them out when I can with a little cash. I have a pair of boots in my car to give to one guy that I see all the time. I'd say the community is just trying to manage life for these people so they don't freeze to death or starve. We do have a van that goes around to check on people and take them to the shelter if they want to go. Very sad.