Homelessness in America: What's not being addressed in this crisis? | Vargas Reports

The controversy surrounding the handling of the homelessness crisis in America has reached the Supreme Court, which is hearing a case on the issue that originated in Grants Pass, Oregon. Michael Shellenberger, an author, and David Ambroz, who was homeless during childhood, debate the issue on "Elizabeth Vargas Reports." Shellenberger says many people blame homelessness on poverty and housing, but don't address the root causes - drug addiction and untreated mental illness. Ambroz argues that the policy in Oregon essentially recriminalizes homelessness as if some people have a choice, and adds that the vast majority of those experiencing it do not fit the stereotype.
#homelessness #SupremeCourt #GrantsPass
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[@Mason-ci8gj]

Part of hunger problem comes from people selling their food stamps. I've seen it countless times. If you ask the homeless some of them want to be on the streets because they hate being in an apartment. Need access to drugs and associates.

[@charlesyates6687]

I'm deaf and homeless and not eligable for foodstamps or another solcial programs . I'm 60 and been homeless since 11 and never been able to get help no foodstamps for deaf no ssi no pandemic check and now if you hold a sign you go to jail for asking for help .

[@CBB1981]

Year after year, decade after decade this is discussed and that's about as far as it goes. Never any action. Pictures, videos, etc but no real plan of action. If we have the money to help all these other countries, it's really sad and sick that this can't be addressed here.....

[@lukeyellowtail1145]

I moved to Portland Oregon from Montana in 2015-2020. I went to start a better life turned out to be one of the hardest times of my
Life. I was homeless for awhile there. I had to start over twice in that span of time. When I slept in the shelters and in the streets. I’ll tell you most of the people in the streets really are making a choice to not do anything for themselves. Sorry to say but from the hundreds of people I met that where homeless make such poor poor decisions and always mess up the chances they get from all the really good programs in Portland. Most of the people will get clean cuz they’re tired of the streets then fall off when they get their own places. Then it ends up being waisted money from those nonprofits. Not all of them are pos’s. I know there’s more factors. But I’ve seen people shooting up at parks in front of children. People passed out with their privates out. It’s a mental health epidemic in reality

[@meatwad1]

In 1994 I wanted to move from Iowa to Wisconsin. I didn't want to wait for several months, so I got a one-way bus ticket, went there and went straight to a Salvation Army shelter. I got a temp job as soon as I could and was planning to save up for a cheap rented room and move out of the shelter as soon as possible. While I was there, I got to hear the other residents talk. I realized that there's a whole subculture of people who go from one shelter to another without looking for work or planning to get a place of their own. I'd hear them talk among themselves. They would talk about the shelters in various cities. I remember one guy saying, "Do they feed there?" meaning, "Do they also give you meals there?" I have to say, I was disgusted. Those people were nothing but freeloaders. I'm not saying they're typical of homeless people. They're typical of a subset of homeless people.

[@edlauber3585]

When the city could no longer keep the homeless out of the parks, occupancy in the biggest shelter went down!

[@debbiewilliams9435]

I was homeless for many years. You are right. The issues are mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction.

[@iMatti00]

⛺️ ~ People should not be put in jail because I don’t have a place to sleep. I’m not very sympathetic to the homeless, but think about a future world where housing is even worse than it is now and you have middle-class people who are forced to live on the streets. Then the powers that be like you up in prison for that. I’m 99.99% sure that the Supreme Court will overrule the ninth circuit appellate courts decision. And as far as constitutionally speaking, that’s the right thing to do. But as far as morally speaking, it’s not. All you have to do is get some parking lot and put a whole bunch of tents in there and then maybe even put some kind of a rough structure to provide even more protection kind of like heavy duty tarp or metal carport-type roof. As long as you have space for people to live, then you can take it or arrest homeless people who refuse to stay there. All we need is some basic form of shelter.
And the guy is probably correct that the homeless “Advocates“ are draining money by wanting everybody to have their own nice apartment instead of having some nice typical homeless shelters or maybe even some old hotel 6 Type Pl. to house homeless. But you said you want them to live in the Taj Mahal for their “dignity“ but then when the money dries up everybody else is left without a place to stay. And the truth is the homeless people do need an incentive to get their act together. I know from personal experience that well I have dealt with depression I have sit at home unemployed until I was forced to get a job or be out on the streets. So when you tell homeless people that they can have a nice apartment paid for without any requirements, because some places are doing that, that Alma seems like something I would take advantage of. Why not. You have to give someone an incentive to get their act together. And you also have to be careful with the money we’re spending.

[@joemisek]

There is too much resistance to building shelter options in cities where there is a substantial homeless population. I'm near one right now and there have been advocates, donors, nonprofits, and regular citizens willing to run and contribute to a low threshold shelter, but the city doesn't want to zone out the space to build the shelter, or permit an existing empty building to be redesigned and repurposed for a shelter. The prospective shelter is always too close to businesses or entertainment districts or residential or whatever. The cities want the shelter to be somewhere else and the homeless to go somewhere else, and they absolutely divert funding to build apartments that end up being too expensive for homeless folks to afford and put a dent in the problem.

[@jackiemcdaniel7956]

This is for david Ambroz thank you I think they need some one that's been in that type of life and to defend the homeless cuz yr right there is a lot of homeless people that's not drug users and that's wear they keep going with homelessness I feel there not doing enough and there not bringing up the mentle I'll there not helping them enough so thank you and will you be working with them so they stay on the right track

[@JohnLee-vt3el]

Look for solutions. We in Singapore, 80-90% live in public flats and at least there is roof over our head. Our building technique revolve into Lego module construction. All modules for dining, living, toilet, store rooms prefabricated in nearby factories and delivered to building sites. Once housing available to the homeless, rents will drop and your streets will not be so unsightly. Every human deserves a concrete shelter. The homeless guys can be employed at building sites and earn a salary to pay the rent.

[@garyrouleau4676]

This is not about law! If you have no where to stay what do you do!!!

[@SunS13707]

God bless Michael Shellenberger.
God bless the Guv'nors.
God bless David Ambroz.
The Lady in Red. ❤❤❤

[@donsullivan1137]

Homelessness is only an issue for the media when a Republican is in the White House.

[@andywilson1054]

Homeless folks should camp in the woods that's where you can hunt for food stop expecting the cities to take of you

[@roguelegend4945]

criminalising the unhouse??? how about all the renters evictions... they will be homeless for at least a few months or years...

[@traci635]

Opening the flood gates at our southern border isn't helping! All the drugs flowing into our country is awful! Take care of our homeless people! Get involved! Work with homeless shelters in your communities! It starts at home, work with your local politicians and advocate for affordable housing and recovery centers.....

[@charlesyates6687]

For every homeless persons you have rich with more money then they need for 10 lifetimes .

[@roguelegend4945]

i've seen coyotes on the city streets, the unhoused need tents..'''

[@carlosalenduran4630]

First of all what the homeless need is housing if you want a person to be clean to be healthy to be safe all they need first of all it's housing I've been homeless for 5 years living in my car and I don't do drugs I don't drink alcohol and I keep myself clean and I know a lot of homeless people around me that are living on the streets they don't have a car and they don't they don't do drugs or they don't do alcohol and they are killing people

[@T-coon]

Proverbs 30:11-14 If you delete this comment; I'll go live on the tube and discuss this !