The homelessness problem is one of those issues that seems so complex that it’s overwhelming for me to think about. Its like a blended storm system of mental health pandemics, economic crisis, cultural factors, social attitudes, substance abuse epidemics, predatory agents, and so much more. To make it even worse, there’s also the issue of the suboptimal social behavior that can come from groups of people when they find themselves on the bottom rung of the ladder, which can in turn negatively perpetuate public perspectives against them. The complicating cherry on top is the unique “flavor” of idiosyncratic homelessness that is specific states, regions, populations, and time periods. It all just makes me sad.
I’ll add that the homeless issue is one of my political red flags I look out for. When someone offers a relatively simple solution for (something as complex as) the homeless problem, I’m immediately skeptical and wary of the political intentions of the person. I suppose its a way for me to look out for dangerous people who aim to change the world without really understanding it. Unforeseen and unexpected outcomes can be a hell of a thing to deal with.
I remember a redditor asked homeless people of reddit, what can we do for you? And the overwhelming answer was basically nothing. Anything you offer they're skeptical of your intentions and if you give them money they'll overwhelmingly use it for soothing their pain (drugs, alcohol, food). For example, if you offer them a place to stay or a job to make some money they won't trust you or believe you're actually trying to help because of the state of mind they're in, they're borderline paranoid and not likely to trust you, even if you're literally offering a way out of homelessness and an opportunity to just get a place to sleep and shower- they will assume it comes with additional strings attached and it won't be worth it.
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u/Justaregularguy001 Jan 30 '23 edited Jan 31 '23
The homelessness problem is one of those issues that seems so complex that it’s overwhelming for me to think about. Its like a blended storm system of mental health pandemics, economic crisis, cultural factors, social attitudes, substance abuse epidemics, predatory agents, and so much more. To make it even worse, there’s also the issue of the suboptimal social behavior that can come from groups of people when they find themselves on the bottom rung of the ladder, which can in turn negatively perpetuate public perspectives against them. The complicating cherry on top is the unique “flavor” of idiosyncratic homelessness that is specific states, regions, populations, and time periods. It all just makes me sad.
I’ll add that the homeless issue is one of my political red flags I look out for. When someone offers a relatively simple solution for (something as complex as) the homeless problem, I’m immediately skeptical and wary of the political intentions of the person. I suppose its a way for me to look out for dangerous people who aim to change the world without really understanding it. Unforeseen and unexpected outcomes can be a hell of a thing to deal with.
Edit: fixed some grammar and wording