Literally psyops instead of helping. The people who did this are the characters you see getting shot in the movies and don’t feel bad about it.
Let’s do more of that.
No one in power wants to help the homeless, progressive or regressive. Don’t pin this on ‘evil’ people, no meaningful social service growth has happened in ANY of our lifetimes and I’m fucking ancient by internet standards
I’m in a homeless shelter in Los Angeles. I am not required to leave during the day. We are provided with 3 meals a day (I always miss breakfast, sometimes miss others). The showers suck, and often run out of hot water. Each bed has an outlet, and an attached locker with various shelves.
The program that made this place happen didn’t exist 5 years ago. And sure as shit didn’t exist when I was previously homeless 13 years ago.
It’s not perfect, but it’s movement in the right direction.
Can I ask what you need today to make your situation better? I know there’s obviously big stuff like a home, but on your path to get yourself in a better position what is it you need today that you don’t have?
Thanks for the offer, but unless you have quite a bit of disposable income, my situation cannot be improved by one person due to the nature of how this country works. As kind as your offer is.
Homelessness is a systemic issue. Getting housing often requires a job. Getting a job often requires housing. And it’s easy to lose that job if you’re unhoused, even if you’re in a shelter.
Then there are infrastructure issues, like LA being terribly car-centtic while also having massive traffic issues, and pathetic alternative transit options. Lack of biking, walking, shade, third places, etc. There’re 2 buses that stop nearby, but they are slow, and connections infrequent. Even the fastest public transit is slower than typical LA traffic. The region has a short term car rental option that’s handy, but the kiosks aren’t within reasonable distance.
I live within a 15-minute walk from 3 different grocery stores, but they’re the “not good” kind. Many other homeless shelters are within food deserts. Since I can’t have a fridge and can’t really cook (1 tiny microwave for ~100 clients), I require shelf stable foods, which usually contain excess salt, fat, and sugar. Also more expensive per ounce / unit. And they’re about to crack down on our “pantries” because the COO did a walk thru recently and didn’t like what she saw (instead of trying to understand and rectify the causes).
There are no nearby gyms for things like cardio and resistant training, or alternative showering (the main driver of homeless in gyms). Yes I could go for a walk – or try some running, but I’m overweight with several injuries – but the aforementioned showers are terrible, so I try to shower every 2 days.
Most in this building aren’t permitted to do laundry on the weekends, as that’s reserved for people who work (with no apparent regard to when they actually work). And laundry hours are limited between 8am and 3pm. With ~100 clients it’s easy to potentially miss days of laundry. The laundromat nearby is a massive ripoff.
Public healthcare is often laborious with long wait times (like all other public assistance).
Wages have stagnated across the country. My last job was my best ever paying job at $22/hr. And while it’s possible to subsist on that in Los Angeles, it’s not a wage anyone can thrive on. Especially if they decide to use a car. I was taking Uber rides after work since there were no buses at that time.
I have a savings. I’m getting unemployment (after months of hassle). I’m even planning a trip abroad in the next year since the math works (because I’m not gonna sacrifice what little joy I might get in this shit life just because I’m homeless).
I lost my prior job working at a detox after 3 months due to “performance” (it wasn’t a good fit, I preferred more outpatient environs). Despite living in a tumultuous homeless shelter while working 2nd shift (and the shelter turns the lights on at 7am, off at 11pm), I managed to do the majority of my work effectively. They didn’t care. Bye-bye. Despite that, I’m possibly the person with the best stability in this specific shelter.
Again, thanks. But I doubt any single individual can provide what I and most other homeless need in this capitalist hellscape run by fascists.
In the USA, it’s easier for the housed to become homeless, than it is for the homeless to become housed.
Even the fastest public transit is slower than typical LA traffic.
No rail? 😲
We have rail. But often the rail is at-grade with the street, and cars get priority.
Thank you for your detailed response. Its very informative to get this level of information from someone who lives it. You’re right that I can’t fix any of that big stuff by myself.
There are no nearby gyms for things like cardio and resistant training,
Would a set of resistance bands help? Or is that more of a bother because its more items you have to manage?
Wages have stagnated across the country. My last job was my best ever paying job at $22/hr
Is there a tool or certification in needed in your field that would let you get a higher paying job?
At a minimum, are you comfortable saying what network of shelter you’re in? My googling shows a couple in the LA area such as the LA Mission or Shelter partnership. If nothing else it sounds like they’re providing some things helping you which I support.
Resistance bands would probably get confiscated at the shelter. First to Serve is what I’m under.
Resistance bands would probably get confiscated at the shelter.
Understood.
First to Serve is what I’m under.
Thank you for sharing that. I clicked through to the website but the “Donate” page/link appears to be broken. I called and talked to Maria who will put me in contact with someone else who can take the donation. They were also very interested to hear their donate page is broken.
Congrats, you’re getting assistance in one of the wealthiest and most progressive counties in the entire U.S.
Your experience is sure as fuck not the norm
It’s unfortunate it’s not everywhere. It’s fortunate that it exists somewhere. And it’s a proving ground that others can emulate.
All I hear is that those in power are all evil because they refuse to help the homeless. In fact both sides in government work actively to attack the homeless.
Attacks against the homeless are perpetrated by evil people, its just the people you voted for are also evil
So good people are doing this? Or trying to kick the “ugly” away isn’t evil, and is moray acceptable?
What’s your stance exactly?
What progressives? Are you talking about the US? You guys don’t really have any progressives. The NDP or Green parties here in Canada would do a lot more to help the homeless than our current leading party (LPC)
no meaningful social service growth has happened in ANY of our lifetimes
We just got tax payer funded dental care for a large portion of the population. I only bring this up because I hate the generalisation that we’re all American on the internet
This will drive them insane, but it will not deter them.
Soon, the city will be dealing with a bunch of unfortunate folks who are not only poor, but also enraged.
There you go, berserked homeless people!
I love the idea of deterring them as if they have a choice and are just very persistent in exploring their passion, being homeless…
“Ok, we hear you, but how can we add the irresistible craving to eat human flesh into the mix?” - the business owners, probably.
Evey street dweller will shout the lyrics to Baby Shark in every passerby’s ears!
And then they call the swat team to clear their camps and accidentally concuss and paralyze a few of them
Did they pay for the rights to play the song publicly?
“Are you going to help them? Use the money to help anyone, or maybe take this moment to highlight people in need?”
“The fuck? No, I’m going to make their lives worse for having the audacity to be poor and seeking shelter. How dare they ruin my view with their homelessness.”
oh, pretty much everyone’s a nimby when it comes to the homeless. it sickens me.
Just for the sake of my own learning, how can you help them?
In my personal experience when I’ve tried to help them they will take free clothes, food, and money… But if they don’t want to get off drugs and actually clean up their act then they won’t.
How can you help the ones who won’t help themselves? In this case the homeless encampment seemingly hurts business and communities.
I donate time and money to homeless shelters and things but the problem is just getting worse where I live. When these encampments pop up existing residents are less safe, and the sense of community as a whole goes down.
These are not bad people, but addiction is hell on earth it seems. I honestly want to know how I could help more than I do, but most people don’t know how to fix it either
Publicly paid for rent free housing. Not group shelters. Full on housing. That’s literally all it’s ever taken. Season on some free mental and medical Healthcare and you’ve got a recovery sandwich. Even if they don’t end up fixing their lives, the amount it costs the public to just give them this is cheaper than it costs to have the police harass them, build anti-homeless infrastructure, and repair damages caused by the unhoused from defecation or public property damages. The other one-two punch is fixing economic problems, which rent caps, unions, minimum wage being a living wage tied to inflation, and changing fines to imprisonment for corporations doing crimes will fix a lot of that.
It’s too bad this can’t happen while corporations can buy the government with “donations” and lobbying (legalized bribery), and massively benefit from homelessness as a way to force people into exploitative work, or imprisonment for cheap legal slave labor (See 13th amendment). Only way I can think to fix that problem is to remove the source of their power, which is to pull money out of the equation. Essentially building communities that work together without money like we used to, though the government has standing orders to kill or break up people who try that (see Malcolm X, M.L.K. Jr., or places like lake Lanier).
Someone already wrote a really good answer, but using the money to help fund programs would be a start. Maybe make a safe place where they can hang out that doesn’t offend you (not you specifically, just in general). If possible, I would even try and talk with them, become neighbors instead of enimies. While tackling homelessness would take a system wide change, I think sometimes just not adding to the problem and shame is the best we can do.
And I get it, I’ve had homeless people scream at me, see them urinate outside, not everything humans do is pleasant, and I also wouldn’t want all of that right in front of my business. But, at least in this example, there is a ton of empty space, the building itself is mostly empty. Come together and make the rest of the unused property a shelter. That parking lot behind them alone was gigantic and I don’t think I saw any cars there, why not let them have part of the parking lot? It just seems easier to be kind and try to work with them than set up a sound system to keep the entire neighborhood up.
So were they deterred? Did this help them find a home?
“We just need to show them that homelessness isn’t as comfortable as they think!”
Not so fun fact, ths cia used “i love you” by barney the dinosaur as a method of torture for prisoners during the war on terror and beyond!
The US Military used Metallica in Iraq after 9/11 too.
Oklahoma county jail used baby shark on inmates
That jail has killed at least 7 people this year by the way.
The DOJ was investigating the OKCPD, but 47 nixed that. Can’t investigate or press charges when a cop beats the shit of an elder Asian man, ofc.
😐
It’s great! If they ever pick me up for having the “wrong” maker on my drivers license, I’m sure that they’ll treat me with dignity and respect.
I think that was an Abu Ghraib favourite
Video unavailable
The uploader has not made this video available in your country🤷
But I know the phenomenon. They also do this for shopping promenades to deter musicians etc.
How about getting everyone who’s upset that they have to see homeless people and blinding them with hot pokers? That should work it out and we wouldn’t need to pay royalties.
You are kinder than I would be
Like Jesus, in fact.
Unfortunately the number of toddlers loitering about has tripled
This is permission for vandalism.
Any business that irks me in any way for the last year has instantly made my shitlist.
The only freedom Americans have left is where they spend their money
What little shits
