90 year old arrested for feeding the homeless.

[Arachno 1D]

When did this become about mental illness there is no proof that all homeless are either mentally ill or the thieves and vagabonds thats being portrayed here.

The issue is a restrictive law preventing a charitable act by good people,Im surprised no one has actually suggested stoning them yet..........it so reminds me of the "care home" practice once used of wheeling people outside in the cold until they eventually got pneumonia and died.A totally misplaced lack of compassion on the Governmental side of the street.

[Gaara sama]

Their is not a single homeless person in america that does not qualify for 200 dollars a month in food stamps and 200 dollars fast cash under SNAP. I don't see the problem here. Come to Portland Oregon and look around at the homeless sleeping under bridges when shelters are not even half full and they refuse to go. that said, this is still attacking the symptom. Mental health and education on available benefits is what we should focus on to combat homelessness, not this.

really? come to Mass ans see Veteran  homeless.  

[DocM]

When did this become about mental illness there is no proof that all homeless are either mentally ill or the thieves and vagabonds thats being portrayed here.

>

Wrong, totally. Not even close to reality.

Starting in the 1970's committal laws were "reformed" to the point where now it's extremely hard to force a protective psychiatric hospitalization for longer than a few days. Many leave assigned group homes, go off their meds and you can guess the rest.

The result is that of those homeless that are single, about 30 to 40 percent are mentally ill. Many unmedicated schizophrenics or severe bipolars.

Many of these are your basic bizarre acting 'street people'.

Others that the system cannot forcibly hospitalized make up the vast majority of the spree killers we discuss almost daily, great examples being the Virginia Tech. and Colorado theater killers and dozens of others.

[SierraSonic]

What if they set up shop in your neighborhood? Then the "homeless" (not always harmless) also set up shop in your neighborhood. I'll bet a shiny nickel that the sentiments would be different.

They are, and they are growing in numbers, but I wouldn't treat them as a pest or menace as easily as you would.

 

Wrong, totally. Not even close to reality.

Starting in the 1970's committal laws were "reformed" to the point where now it's extremely hard to force a protective psychiatric hospitalization for longer than a few days. Many leave assigned group homes, go off their meds and you can guess the rest.

The result is that of those homeless that are single, about 30 to 40 percent are mentally ill. Many unmedicated schizophrenics or severe bipolars.

Many of these are your basic bizarre acting 'street people'.

Others that the system cannot forcibly hospitalized make up the vast majority of the spree killers we discuss almost daily, great examples being the Virginia Tech. and Colorado theater killers and dozens of others.

So what about the other 60 or 70% not mentally ill? That was the question at hand, since it's obviously not all as he stated and you tried to claim otherwise?

 

 

 

The major causes of homelessness include:^{[21][22][23][24]}

• The failure of urban housing projects to provide safe, secure, and affordable housing to the poor.^{[21][22][23][24]} Additionally, many workers cannot afford to live where they work, and even in moderately priced communities housing costs require a large portion of household income.^[25]
• The deinstitutionalization movement from the 1950s onwards in state mental health systems, to shift towards 'community-based' treatment of the mentally ill, as opposed to long-term commitment in institutions.^{[21][22][23][24]} There is disproportionally higher prevalence of mental disorders relative to other disease groups within homeless patient populations at both inpatient hospitals and hospital-based emergency departments.^[26]
• Redevelopment and gentrification activities instituted by cities across the country through which low-income neighborhoods are declared blighted and demolished to make way for projects that generate higher property taxes and other revenue, creating a shortage of housing affordable to low-income working families, the elderly poor, and the disabled.^{[21][22][23][24]}
• The failure of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide effective mental health care and meaningful job training for many homeless veterans, particularly those of the Vietnam War.^[27]
• Deprived of normal childhoods, nearly half of foster children in the United States become homeless when they are released from foster care at age 18.^[28][29]
• Natural disasters that destroy homes: hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, etc. Places of employment are often destroyed too, causing unemployment and transience.^[30]
• People who have served time in prison, have abused drugs and alcohol, or have a history of mental illness find it difficult to impossible to find employment for years at a time because of the use of computer background checks by potential employers.^[31]
• According to the Institution of Housing in 2005, the U.S. Government has focused 42% more on foreign countries rather than homeless Americans, including homeless veterans.^{[21][22][23][24]}
• People who are hiding in order to evade law enforcement.^{[21][22][23][24]}
• Adults and children who flee domestic violence.^{[21][22][23][24]}
• Teenagers who flee or are thrown out by parents who disapprove of their child's sexual orientation or gender identity. A 2010 study by the Center for American Progress shows that a disproportionately high number of homeless youth (between 20?40%) identify as LGBTQ.^[32]
• Overly complex building code that makes it difficult for most people to build. Traditional huts, cars, and tents are illegal, classified as substandard and may be removed by government, even though the occupant may own the land. Land owner cannot live on the land cheaply, and so sells the land and becomes homeless.^{[21][22][23][24]}
• Foreclosures of homes, including foreclosure of apartment complexes which displaces tenants renting there.^[33]
• Evictions from rented property.^[33]
• Lack of support from friends or family.^{[21][22][23][24]}
• Individuals who prefer homelessness and wish to remain off the grid for political and ideological purposes. Often self-identified as Gutter Punks or Urban Survivalists. The Department of Housing and Urban Development rarely reports on this counter-cultural movement since Gutter Punks and similar individuals often refuse to participate in governmental studies and do not seek governmental assistance for ideological or political purposes.^[34]
• Lack of resources in place in the communities to help aid in prevention of homelessness before it becomes a crisis.^{[21][22][23][24]}

Most of these reasons seem to be things that aren't mental illness, or lawlessness, though they are part of the reason, they are no way the majority reasons.

[Argi]

Only in Florida.

[Memphis]

They are, and they are growing in numbers, but I wouldn't treat them as a pest or menace as easily as you would.

So what about the other 60 or 70% not mentally ill? That was the question at hand, since it's obviously not all as he stated and you tried to claim otherwise?

Most of these reasons seem to be things that aren't mental illness, or lawlessness, though they are part of the reason, they are no way the majority reasons.

Mental illness and addiction to alcohol or drugs are the number one reason we have homeless in America. This doesn't make them bad or evil, they just need help that sadly america has not found a way to properly help them. Its times like these where you wish you could show medical charts without violating HIPPA so people can see what your talking about. All I see is ETOH and mental health diseases when I see a homeless person in the ED or ICU.

[Arachno 1D]

Mental illness and addiction to alcohol or drugs are the number one reason we have homeless in America.

 

 

 

 

Im sure there is a similar distribution of the same malady's amongst those fortunate enough to be homed this does not or should not, affect the kindness and charity shown by humans to other humans.I always thought the idea of having higher functioning brains was the ability to show compassion to others but I guess Politics has none to show,

[Memphis]

Im sure there is a similar distribution of the same malady's amongst those fortunate enough to be homed this does not or should not, affect the kindness and charity shown by humans to other humans.I always thought the idea of having higher functioning brains was the ability to show compassion to others but I guess Politics has none to show,

 

Your right, we need kindness, we need properly funded community and halfway housing, properly funded social support programs and a 2x increase in funding across the board for mental health and addiction treatment. That is kindness and compassion, we do not need the homeless sleeping under bridges and getting a meal once every so often from a grandma in a park, or if your in King County, WA literally sleeping on the court house lawn so that the staircase going to it is so covered with feces and urine that its hard to not puke when going down the stairs. That isn't kindness, its cruel and unusual and a prosperous western nation such as the USA should have no problem treating this issue properly.. I understand the want for help for the homeless, but letting them sleep under bridges and letting people feed them and give them money for drugs and alcohol along side the road isn't helping, it encourages them to not seek addition treatment, shelters, or mental health treatment.

[Arachno 1D]

If the intention was to get the homeless off the streets then maybe that is what should be done in the first place,not harassing those who are helping them survive another Winter of discontent and political point scoring,Pretending  having a half azzed funding projects may fly in politics but obviously there is an undercurrent to the problem thats preventing it working, so maybe just maybe this is where the Mayor should be addressing his time.

 

Im sure anybody who lives in such depravity and living hand to mouth every day of whats left of their existence probably does at times, seek some form of escapism be it drink or drugs.This doesn't make them any less worthy of life and liberty than any body else on this little Green planet we call home.

 

I'm more inclined to think the mayor doesn't want masses of homeless seeking food supplements on the streets is because it advertises the clear lack of facilitys and compassion in his state.

[NinjaGinger]

I suppose itll be classed as tidying the city. No homeless here.

[Arachno 1D]

I suppose itll be classed as tidying the city. No homeless here.

Maybe he should be sponsored by China

[Memphis]

If the intention was to get the homeless off the streets then maybe that is what should be done in the first place,not harassing those who are helping them survive another Winter of discontent and political point scoring,Pretending  having a half azzed funding projects may fly in politics but obviously there is an undercurrent to the problem thats preventing it working, so maybe just maybe this is where the Mayor should be addressing his time.

 

Im sure anybody who lives in such depravity and living hand to mouth every day of whats left of their existence probably does at times, seek some form of escapism be it drink or drugs.This doesn't make them any less worthy of life and liberty than any body else on this little Green planet we call home.

 

I'm more inclined to think the mayor doesn't want masses of homeless seeking food supplements on the streets is because it advertises the clear lack of facilitys and compassion in his state.

 

 

Somehow every time I write something, it seems you completely misinterpret We share very similar views and both agree the current implementation is "half azzed" and I sure do not promote the current system. I think that you should reread what I am writing and realizing your emotions on the subject are making it hard to see just how much we agree on.

[Arachno 1D]

From todays Facebook

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

Saw this a few days ago.  Pretty sad times when a someone cannot help a fellow human.  What next, close all the free clinics?

 

What do You mean free clinics? All the clinics are free?

[DocM]

Im sure there is a similar distribution of the same malady's amongst those fortunate enough to be homed this does not or should not,

No. Wrong. Stop. Sidroc and I have seen this up front and personal; day after day, year after year for longer than we would care to remember. Combined, probably longer than you've been alive. Learn, Grasshopper.

...affect the kindness and charity shown by humans to other humans.I always thought the idea of having higher functioning brains was the ability to show compassion to others but I guess Politics has none to show,

First, the majority of homeless are short term, not chronic. Of the rest, the mentally ill, alcoholic and addicted make up a very large percentage. I would argue all of these qualify as mentally ill because their brain chemistry is altered.

I witnessed the deinstitionalization of the 1970's and 1980's when thousands of people were turned out from large facilities. It wasn't liberals or conservatives, it was both for different reasons. Liberals because they felt outpatient therapy was universally better (it isn't) or keeping people in institutions (where they had a roof and four square meals) was cruel, and conservatives to save money (wrong as well.)

Ex: the Detroit area went from having a 450 bed county General Hospital with a large public health facility, thousands of psychiatric beds, many old TB beds used to temporarily shelter a smaller population of homeless, and a large long term care facility to almost nothing in less than a decade. Zip. All closed up and the hospital sold off, only to also be closed in a few years.

Tell me that didn't increase the problem, and it was repeated across the country. A great many of the mentally ill now simply walk out of poorly secured group homes to live on the streets. Off their meds, they're not only tragic but often dangerous to themselves and others.

The committal laws were also "reformed" so that now it nearly takes an act of Congress, and a lot of luck, to get seriously ill people off the streets (housed or homeless) before a catastrophe happens. Can you say "spree killers"? Most all of them qualify.

Also, many people that go to food banks, soup kitchens etc. are not homeless, they just can't afford to pay rent or house payment and buy enough food to get through the month, so they supplement their meals with handouts. A great many of these also refuse to sign up for food or housing assistance programs. The same goes for health care programs. You can't force them to sign up. Reasons vary from pride to the mentally ill folks fear of MiB's who will implant microchips in them or their benefit cards. Seriously.

[pjak]

Isn't supporting vagrancy still a crime in US? Honest question as Daily Mail seem to have missed that point...