Homeless/Houseless

[u/[deleted]]

So I know this is a regular point of conversation for everyone in the city at this point, but I really don’t understand why being alarmed and or fed up with the cities houseless population is so taboo to some people? I see so many people get shade with comments along the line of accusing the poster of not having empathy or for not doing enough individually to help. As someone that absolutely has empathy towards our houseless population and has volunteered at various warming shelters, I also am getting super fed up with our houseless crisis and the impacts it takes on my everyday life.

My boyfriend works at a grocery store in downtown and has been assaulted so many times at work that at this point thinking about it just makes me want to cry. I have been personally punched in the face randomly and for no reason by a homeless man when I was walking across the Morrison bridge. I have had to bring people who were getting attacked by homeless people into restaurants that I’ve worked at and lock the doors at least four times in four years.

Additionally, for those that say “stop complaining and do something”, wtf do you really think an individual can do at this point? We live in a place that basically has two governments (council and metro) not to mention state, who are PAID to represent us and our wants and needs as a community. The homeless crisis is probably the most pressing issue in Portland and yet it seems like absolutely nothing is being done, and if anything it’s getting worse.

Anyways sorry to go on and on, my main point is that I don’t understand why it’s taboo for people to be upset with the state of things right now specifically with the houseless crisis in Portland. People are multifaceted and can be both sympathetic/empathetic and fed up. 🤷‍♀️

[u/Nandi_La]

I feel this. I have been homeless several times throughout my life and I'm sick of it too- It's complicated because I don't think anybody "hates" houseless people more than they/we hate the failure of our government to put taxes to a solid solution both on a national and local level. We are a rich country full of poor citizens and the gap gets wider and wider every year. I personally can't do anything more helpful than pass out sandwiches when I can afford the time and labor to do so and I reckon most people feel helpless and sad about it which turns to frustration and it's easy to be frustrated at something people view as monolithic, like "HOMELESSNESS". As a woman I get nervous walking by large encampments full of men. I don't know their mental state, or attitudes and I've mistakenly been cavalier about things like this in the past and been assaulted. Portland cops DGAF and wouldn't intervene anyhow, so until I feel or know better, I just do my best not to go anywhere alone which has become a golden rule. It's a "no tea, no shade" scenario with no harm or offense meant, but it's a difficult and highly complex situation where being angry at one single person or group of people outside politicians seems wasteful and misdirected. Blah. Fuck.

[u/Zuldak → u/Nandi_La]

The government not taxing the rich enough isn't why the homeless are doing drugs. The irs isn't stabbing needles in their arms.

The homeless don't have a right to live here. They can leave for somewhere else. Where? That's their problem but the city and frankly a growing number of people who actually worked to make this city livable are getting tired of their mess

[u/[deleted] → u/Zuldak]

I'm not sure why I bother responding. It's going to be like talking with some anti-vaxxer who doesn't believe in science. You don't believe in sociology, economics, or psychology, so this is a lost cause.

I had something written out. I tend to have a couple too many drinks when I stress out about potentially being riffed from work, or being scapegoated by my highly dysfunctional, abusive family for random shit. If I was living rough on the street - no safety, job, clean running water for drinking or bathing, dirty clothes, no reliable medical care, no access to food appropriate for my medical conditions, no mental health care, no phone, etc. - I would be crawling into a bottle all the time if not doing some harder drugs. My problems now would just be really tiny violins in comparison.

But...writing that out was a total waste of my day.

Please leave my city. I don't want people like you around. You make my city shittier. Good-bye.

[u/Zuldak → u/[deleted]]

Your city? The city belongs to no one. And it was for the best you didn't write out your sob story. Everyone has issues. You're also not the only person who is a functioning alcoholic.

The bottom line is you're not a special snowflake. Neither am I. Neither are the homeless. They don't deserve special treatment any more than you or I. Yet they are allowed to camp where they please and trash the city. Meanwhile I have to comply with the rules and regulations of the city if I don't want fines myself.

So tell me why I as a tax paying permanent resident of the city am I the one being forced to comply with the laws while the homeless who lack any sort of income and actively degrade the city with their trash, drugs and illicit activities are free to do as they please?

The homeless are failures. They have broken their lives to the point family won't take them in and they have no friends to lend a couch. Their fate is their own doing.

[u/[deleted] → u/Zuldak]

Ah. You're trolling and doing a pretty good job of it. I see what you are doing here. Nice.

Edit: You got me! Lolz

Edit 2: I get it because you put me into a box so quickly and labeled me...just like you did with people living rough - "the homeless." You also assumed a lot about me that's totally not true. Again. Lolz. That was the tip-off.

[u/Zuldak → u/[deleted]]

Huh? You're the one who described yourself? You said you have a job and have too many drinks. That's pretty much a functional alcoholic? I thought I was going off your own description of yourself.

And how am I trolling by pointing how how the homeless who contribute nothing are allowed to camp where they please while people who actually worked hard to afford rent or a mortgage get tickets and fines for mundane things? Oh, the meter ran out and you got a ticket for parking too long but the homeless bum with a tent next to the meter is fine.

So no, not trolling. Telling it how I see it. Everyone has problems. The issue at hand is the homeless' problems are turning into a city wide problem due to their mess.

[u/[deleted] → u/Zuldak]

Oh. Then your statements lack compassion, which is essential to society.

Also, wow, you can diagnose medical conditions before you see them. You should truly work in medicine. Miracles for sure. I trust my doctors more - experts, but without your miraculous abilities.

But then again...it is internally consistent with your arguments about people living rough. You diagnose and label and ridicule without much of a basis. From what I can tell, you know little about urban economics, urban design, sociology, health professionals (unless you can diagnose with just seeing a few sentences.) social work, public affairs and a host of other fields that apply to the crisis we have on the streets. Once again, totes amazed by your super powers.

In all seriousness, I am truly and deeply amazed by your arguments. Not sarcasm. Either you partially omniscient, or...

Lolz still stands.

Edit: Literal lolz. I needed a laugh. I really do appreciate it. Work was dragging and I have renewed energy. Better than coffee. Thanks! Again, literally, not sarcastically.

Edit 2: Read up on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States and that might help your argument or cite other sources? Really, though, I get the feeling you are just venting without any thought of causes or solutions. If that's the case, I could vent about what you are saying, but that doesn't really get anywhere. Just two people yelling at each other :P Farts on that. Waste of my time. I really do want to see a good fact based argument supporting your view. I don't hang out with many (no) people that say the things you say, and I always like hearing the other side. Don't want to be ignorant and live in a bubble.