How to get the homeless off the streets

[redfox]

Living wages can help prevent homelessness. It can also help keep working families off public assistance, increase stability in neighborhoods, and has a raft of supportive health indicators. Yes, money is a commodity; one that is required to buy adequate food & shelter in this society, hardly the abstract object that is implied by 'commodity'. Didn't our founding mother call money life energy? I work towards a world that works for all.

[catherine]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/..._scarcity.html

Awesome!

I like the idea of:

"Under the circumstances nobody needs to work to survive and there's really no point in maintaining a cash economy. "

"The point of running your restaurant or your vineyard is essentially to show off your mastery, not accumulate wealth."

"Federation Credits exist primarily to let people consume government-provided by scarce resources. Housing, interstellar transportation, child and elder care, energy-intensive capital goods for your hobby/business. This is not a currency per se. It exists to ensure that there isn't wild overconsumption of goods that are nevertheless intended to be generally available."

Beam me up, Scotty!

[Lainey]

From the horse's mouth: I'm going to re-post what I posted in the Review forum of a book I read which was authored by someone who panhandled for several months in the 1990s:

"Will Work for Food or $" by Bruce Moody. A memoir of his few months as a begger on the freeway ramp. He was just shy of 60 years old, a college grad, and had been laid off. He went through his savings, and was trying to get temp jobs, but it wasn't working. He was eventually greatly helped by a generous woman who paid him $15/hr to do some work at her home, which enabled him to save $90 to post an ad in the paper as a handyman, gaving him steady jobs thereafter.

Was fascinating to read what was going through his mind as he stood there for hours every day, and the difference a few dollars can make to people who are destitute. "

[redfox]

This is all complicated by the fact that many mentally ill people also have a substance abuse problem, and vice versa.

New antipsychotics have been developed in the last few decades which have a much lower side effect risk. And some of them cost nearly 1000 a month. But still cheaper than hospitalization which is over 1000 a day...

This is my life. Psychiatric nurse in the court ordered setting. No easy answers.

My my sis is a state licensed MHP. She works nights on call in the ER & jails, determining whether someone is legally detainable on an involuntary 72 mental health hold.

[pinkytoe]

Just finished a book called Average is Over by Tyler Cowen, an economics professor and in it he writes about the state of work now and in the future. He believes that due to a number of factors - greater efficiency, automation, technology - work will never be like it was before. Those who are proficient in technology, medical, energy and finance sectors will continue to excel. He predicts a lot of new human/machine jobs. Perhaps some of these WalMart workers should be training for those. Even automated processes still require humans to program, operate, maintain and repair them. Sadly, though, he thinks it won't be pretty for those at the bottom.

[redfox]

It's not pretty now for those at the bottom.

[bae]

It's not pretty now for those at the bottom.

Is there some golden era in human history when it *was* pretty?

[redfox]

Is there some golden era in human history when it *was* pretty?

Documented? Unlikely. Worthy of moving towards? Absolutely.

[razz]

I am reading a compressed history about the years up to 1500 AD. So many efforts have been made to reduce the number of homeless and poor over the years/centuries.

People have a right to make bad choices with tragic consequences. Add that to the numbers that are unfortunate to tragic happenings that no one planned or could avoid. Add to that a large number simply have no choice due to challenges from birth.

I admire the tenacity and efforts of those on SLF and elsewhere who have supported the provision of shelter and safety for the poor and homeless. I will confess that I simply make a very large donation as my contribution to a worthy support agency. In our small town we have full free dinners every Monday supplied by local churches, substantial free lunches (November to April) every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for those who lack sufficient supply of food, several clothing suppliers, a food bank but the need seems never-ending. Some people are unemployable especially now as the type of limited skill job has disappeared. Addiction is a huge problem.

Not sure what I am contributing to the discussion except to say that I don't believe that the problem can be solved too readily with an increase in pay scale. The low-skill jobs simply don't exist! Small employers cannot be expected to assume the responsibility of employing the homeless when their profit margins are already limited and it is small employers who drive the economy.

[redfox]

How to not be a gentrifying influence in a neighborhood of color...

http://www.alternet.org/culture/20-w...-be-gentrifier