It's horrific here in So. Cal and pretty terrible in No Cal (SF area). Most are not wanting Help, they are mentally ill and addicted to drugs of all types. The state has been spending millions on trying to help them and so many do not want help, they like their lives on the streets and living in tents. The weather suits them.

Those who are fairly healthy and just fallen on hard times, take the help that is offered and many with children.

Now so many here on CA streets are from many other areas of the country and even Europe.

And I have heard that during Covid there has NOT been a high sickness and death rate among them.

I would suspect there is a homeless problem in most states but just wonder... I know what it's like here. Horrible.

In my city of about 250,000 people we have a Salvation Army adult rehabilitation center with about 130 beds, A Rescue Mission that just built a new 3 story sanctuary with about 150 beds, a shelter for women with young children @ 150 beds, a shelter for women victims of domestic abuse @40 beds, a place that specializes in men recently released from prison @50 beds and several outreach centers based with churches that provide temporary "emergency" shelters for the recently evicted. There are also a couple shelters that are pretty much permanent residency for the mentally disabled, but these are not government operated, they are private, donation supported operations. And on top of that there are two shelters just for veterans, (2) 40 beds each.

The Rescue Mission also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily to the public at large...all you gotta do is show up sober and you can eat free...about 200-250 meals per seating. And they also do thanksgiving and christmas take-home meals for a couple thousand.

One of our churches also operates a fairly high volume soup kitchen, hundreds of styrofoam cups of hot soup per day. And this church also does take out meals for the holidays.

There are also a couple other churches who offer evening meals one day per week, on the condition that if you show up to eat, you gotta pray with them...evangelizing..etc.

So, all in all that looks pretty good, doesn't it? Once a homeless person learns the ropes, and where what meals are served in what locations on what days, they need never go hungry, and can find a bed with a roof over their heads.

The reality is, all of those shelters require sobriety to enter. So, during non-winter months they are usually 30-50% occupied, as many homeless prefer to NOT live sober.

All the shelters do get pretty close to 100% capacity when the weather drops below about 10 degrees outside.

Oh there are so many shelters and beds and food and many go to these shelters and MANY do not, they don't want help and want to live on the streets with the drugs they are addicted to.

I'm thinking all this homeless here in my area started maybe early 80's, and gotten progressively worse from vets coming home from wars to so many just down and out and end up on the streets and Skid Row in downtown LA.

I've always had compassion but continue to throw millions to this problem and no solutions. And converting motels, old bldgs and warehouses, it goes on and on here.

And a lot of these people are violent, attacking and killing people.

On the numbers of homeless in LA area alone I've heard numbers like 80,000, the numbers are forever changing.

Just thinking about CA and I love living here, and it's a huge patchwork quilt of the very rich (Hollywood, Music Industry etc), the very poor, (migrant workers), illegals, and all those in between (me) and all the mega homeless.

I lived near Oakland for 3 years, and near LA for 10...and had a very good paying job. So much so that it really upped my average for the purposes of determining my social security benefit amount now that I am retired. Now living in Indiana where the cost of living is cheap, I feel very comfortable on my benefit.

But, as I was living in LA, most of my younger co-workers needed second jobs to make ends meet.

And, I had 3 different friends who were technically homeless, but who lived at auto junkyards as general labor, and lived in sheds, or broken down Winnebagos....basically meaning they were squatters who the owners did not throw out because they were expected to lend a helping hand when needed, and chase off any latenight scavengers who tried to break in.

Housing is the MAJOR issue and when we arrived here in the mid 60's, talk about shock coming from PA. But we all adjusted/adapted, as there are so many good things about living here, no snow tires. no chains (unless one goes to the snow), no boots, hardly an umbrella, we have gone thru droughts and are in one now, so being asked to NOT waste water... And NOT owning a house is not the end of the world, I owned a condo for 5 yrs, and talk about an albatross, got rid of it and broke even, bought high sold low, not smart about big business like real estate. I panicked when I was making really good money so ran out and bought, I know now.

I lived in houses and enjoy the freedom of apt living.

Some issues need to be addressed in apt, I call the Mgmt Company, they are on it.

One of the things I found quaintly peculiar about California, and I observed this in both the suburbs of Oakland and Los Angeles....there was a time, I'm not sure if it was the 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s...but at one point it became popular to build an additional house in your back yard, and either move into it and rent your old house out, or vice versa.

The architecture (of the newer homes) looks a little old to me to be 1950s...probably a result of mass migration, making the dirt too expensive to do nothing with....so they developed rentals on their own property.

The first time I saw the practice I thought it was kinda creepy, but eventually got to the point I was used to seeing it.

Also, when you get into neighborhoods where the houses lining the streets are 1950's era and later, you no longer see the practice

So, I'm thinking the original front houses were likely built in the 1920s, and the twin houses were built later, with varying efforts to match what was already there.

We also have a 501 c(3) called "The Community Harvest Food Bank" which as a registered non-profit charity gives the local groceries a chance to donate their out of date and otherwise unsalable food items for a tax deduction. With the food items distributed to food pantries throughout the area, as well as to the soup kitchens and free meal providers mentioned earlier. So, despite being a "Hopelessly Red Republican Stronghold", we have a robust safety net.

And I could tell you stories for hours about pan handlers I encounter trying to plea that they "haven't eaten in days".....where I offer to give them a ride to one of the outreach locations, only to be rebuffed.

One snowy day after work I was sitting in an Arby's eating dinner, and still had on my tattered and torn work shoes, which were pretty sorry looking.

This bum comes up to hustle me, and after his spiel I notice he is wearing a brand new pair of insulated arctic boots...couldn't have been more than a day old.

So, I swing my feet out from under the table, and really started drilling him with guilt over how my feet would be freezing once I got out in the snow, and how he should give me his boots.

The expression on his face as he realized he had fallen to the wrong side of the hustle, was absolutely priceless!!

.

Yr_NffmjYpE

Also on the situation here, the cost of housing has gone to the sky, rents out of control and the average person can barely afford a single or 1 bedroom apt...and if they've lost their jobs, forget it. They can be on the streets...and then there are stories I hear about 7-8 people living in a 1 bedroom apt....all trying to keep a roof over their heads. And probably many are here from other poor countries but probably have better lives here in many ways than their own controlled by crooks.

I've also met quite a few people getting SSDI for mental infirmity. Full blown government support because they managed to get themselves "approved" as incompetent to hold a job and support themselves.....who rail continuously about how messed up the system supporting them is.

LOL, I often have to remind them that their opinion is the product of a mind that has been expertly evaluated, and deemed "deficient"....

I know where there are 2 homeless camps in our city because I see the people going in and out of the little patch of woods where they are. And both of the camps are near 2 of our Walmart stores. Which I find odd. I'm sure there are more but those are the only 2 I know of. We have a few agencies that help them and some churches that help. They've talked about building some of those tiny houses for the homeless but nobody wants it in their area.

I know where there are 2 homeless camps in our city because I see the people going in and out of the little patch of woods where they are.

We have a couple of camps secluded behind walls of scrub, as well, and our bike paths pass right by them.

As I'm out riding, I'll yell "GET A JOB, YOU BUMS!!" as I roll past.

You should hear some of the things they yell back. :lol:

We have a couple of camps secluded behind walls of scrub, as well, and our bike paths pass right by them.

As I'm out riding, I'll yell "GET A JOB, YOU BUMS!!" as I roll past.

You should hear some of the things they yell back. :lol:

I can just imagine. We have several homeless people that panhandle at stop signs. Do you have that where you live too?

I can just imagine. We have several homeless people that panhandle at stop signs. Do you have that where you live too?

The panhandling"hotspots" here are in the parking lots of gas/convenience stores, and the exit lanes of the big box stores, where people are stopped to exit the parking lots, to the main road.

The panhandling situation is almost long gone here, and now it's tent cities all over the place.

As I'm out riding, I'll yell "GET A JOB, YOU BUMS!!" as I roll past.

You should hear some of the things they yell back. :lol:Imagine punching down and being proud of it.

Yeah, yelling " Get a job you bums" to people who are obviously mentally ill and / or drug addicted is really cool and funny ( Sarcasm) !! :rolleyes::(

BTW, "Gentleman Jim"never responds to my posts, I think he has me on ignore or he's just rude? IDK ? :confused:

I’ve never understood why people put others on ignore. If nothing else, I wouldn’t be able to follow a thread without full context.

I was lurking for a few months before I started posting again, and you’ve always seemed like a pleasant person to me, Bonniegirl.

I used to give to panhandlers whenever I walked/drove by one, but now I really do not. After I heard a story from one of my friends on someone he knew who "begged" for a living and seeing news reports by investigative journalists who followed some of these panhandlers to see where they went (some had nice homes), I don't trust them.

Now I am more likely to offer to buy them food/clothing at a nearby store. Not too long ago a homeless woman (I assume homeless - she had missing teeth and reeked of cigarettes) gave me one of the classic "spiels" saying that she needed some money because she had somewhere she needed to get to.

I pulled out my phone and said that I was willing to get her an UBER and asked where she needed to go. She just grunted and walked away.

I try to give to someone if I see HOMELESS cause ya gotta hope they arent lying and really need it.. I have a friend that is mean to them when we go by,I guess she doesnt understands what it means to be homeless :(

Im proud of you Jimmy!!

I used to give to panhandlers whenever I walked/drove by one, but now I really do not. After I heard a story from one of my friends on someone he knew who "begged" for a living and seeing news reports by investigative journalists who followed some of these panhandlers to see where they went (some had nice homes), I don't trust them.

Now I am more likely to offer to buy them food/clothing at a nearby store. Not too long ago a homeless woman (I assume homeless - she had missing teeth and reeked of cigarettes) gave me one of the classic "spiels" saying that she needed some money because she had somewhere she needed to get to.

I pulled out my phone and said that I was willing to get her an UBER and asked where she needed to go. She just grunted and walked away.Every once in a while, I'd see homeless people outside the 7-Eleven near my house when I lived in California. If they asked me for money, I'd bring them into the store and buy them hot food and a soda of their choice when I could afford to.

It always worked out well, though one time, eight years ago, a guy I bought a meal ended up in the local news a week later (https://www.chicoer.com/2013/06/02/man-killed-in-oroville-suspect-is-in-custody/) because he stabbed another homeless guy to death with a broken meth pipe at a different convenience store. That was kind of a mind****.

Ah Brad your a sweetheart :)

I've taken panhandlers claiming they have not eaten in a week, into a restaurant with a salad bar, bought them full access, sat them down, and had them complain "well, you know I can't eat just anything" and then checking back on them 30 minutes later only to find them gone. (Hadn't eaten in a week, but managed to get filled to satisfaction in under a half hour?)

I've also offered to drive homeless claiming to have not eaten in days, to a shelter that provides hot meals to any "walk-in" willing to stand in line long enough to be served. Only to be refused because that location is "too far" to have to walk back from. (10 blocks) So they haven't eaten in days, but walking 10 blocks, for an apparently healthy person with no obvious physical defects, is too much of an inconvenience? (SPOILER ALERT, HE KNEW WHERE THE FREE MEALS ARE AVAILABLE, YET HADN'T EATEN IN DAYS?)

I could go on and on (and on) recapping these experiences, but I would hope the noteworthy message would be that I didn't get to the point that I am in, all in a vacuum. I too am a "product of my experiences" just as they are.

You get to where you look for clues....full packs of cigarettes in their pockets, intoxication, jewelry, new shoes, did this guy have a bottle growing out of his face the last time I saw him? Stuff like that.

Giving them cash assistance really can work to their detriment by enabling their continued self abuse.

Sometimes "tough love" is the best remedy, refusing to further enable them, thus forcing them to seek bonafide help.

At least that's the excuse that works for me. I know there is enough help available in this town that no one need go hungry, anyone can get a roof over their head.....Help is readily available, and they know where it's at. They just choose not to participate. So why should I play into their hand by giving them money?

And, I have no one on ignore. But I often do choose which discussions I am willing to further, based upon apparent merit.

Not to sound "preachy", but anyone who truly wishes to help their community address this problem, would serve themselves well to familiarize themselves with the help readily available in their communities that is designed expressly to help those in need.


The Rescue Mission that I mentioned earlier offers 3 hot meals per day to ANYONE who shows up asking. Additionally, they provide emergency shelter for 30 days to ANYONE asking. Even Bill Gates could show up and say "I need help" and instantly would have a bed with a roof over their heads, with shower and laundry, and 3 meals per day....for 30 days ... provided they are willing to be "helped".

During that 30 days, they will also receive professional counseling, to determine the nature of their malfunction, along with job leads that will hire you. The counselors are good at determining if the individual truly needs help, or if they are just looking for a free ride. Depending upon evaluation, the 30 day limit is flexible, and for the subject merely displaying good effort ...the counselor can extend that to 60 days..

Provided the person is cooperative and still can't get their feet on the ground, they may be accepted to a more indepth 180 day program, geared towards rehabilitation....for the "hard cases". During that 6 months the counselor works with other charitable organizations, to find permanent assistance (section 8 housing, etc)

The key is, the person has to "want" help. That concept is subject to a broad interpretation, and is frequently seen as sinister by those beneficiaries who are uncooperative or not sincerely looking to improve their condition.

Also, you should check to see if you have a Salvation Army "Adult Rehabilitation Center" in your community. They have been doing this for 150 years, they are skilled and efficient at providing people with a fresh start. Their resident program starts at 6 months ...again providing a bed, meals, clothes, showers, laundry, as well as easy tasks geared towards encouraging people to read, hone basic life skills, and solve the kind of problems we all must deal with every day. Vocationally, they have sorting rooms to process their donations, and can teach their residents fundamental work skills as they are "eased" back to having a productive mindset. Preparing them for employment in retail.

You can literally walk in one day with no more than the clothes on your back, and provided you have the ability and willingness to be trained, in as little as two years be managing one of their Thrift Stores.

But once again "You Have to WANT to be helped". That last part is the biggest sticking point for some folks. They do weed-out the free loaders after the first 6 months.

SO, personally,...I feel that the best help we can provide these people is to steer them to a productive path, where they can help themselves through programs staffed with professionals experienced in addressing exactly this problem.

And those encampments that I so ruthlessly torment with my quips as I ride by? Those folks know where these programs are...They choose to not take advantage of the help available to them.

End of Sermon. :tiphat:

Imagine punching down and being proud of it.

I don't know what's worse: screaming at homeless people to get jobs, or bragging about it. Either way, it's terrible behavior.

:violin:

If they genuinely feel traumatized by my quips, they may feel free to boycott the convenience stores where they always panhandle me.

It's said that people should not give handouts to panhandlers, it just encourages them and they continue, there is HELP for everyone by the agencies but MANY/MOST refuse, they will not give up their drugs, and the shelters are housing people who are clean and sober.

And we hear so many reports of attacks and killings by homeless on the citizens and even stories I've heard that a person found a homeless person in their house when they came home. It's constant in our state as it's HUGE. And as I said before many here come from all over.

there is HELP for everyone by the agencies but MANY/MOST refuse, they will not give up their drugs, and the shelters are housing people who are clean and sober.



And I believe that is the main reason most of these agencies insist that the individual must WANT help.

Wanting help means a willingness to make changes so that the old ways of suffering do not return. To constructively rearrange your life to eliminate self destructive habits.

If they are unwilling to commit to stop doing the wrong things, then simply funneling support to them becomes a bottomless pit

And I do know several of them who believe that working for a living is for suckers.

If they genuinely feel traumatized by my quips, they may feel free to boycott the convenience stores where they always panhandle me.

Or maybe you can come to the realization that screaming at homeless people is a terrible idea, for many reasons.

I'm going to ignore the idiotic posts in this thread about homeless. Not all of them are homeless because of drugs. I get into fights with one of my friends because she generalizes all the homeless as nothing but drug users and alcoholics. It's false. There's a lot of factors that could happen to any of us for why someone is homeless. I used to volunteer at homeless shelters. One of the things I learned was instead of handing out money, hand out socks and bottle water to homeless. The socks can be used to keep either their hands or feet warm in the winter and the water to stay hydrated. The homeless is really bad where I live and seeing the city keep moving them around is heart breaking. You have to wonder if the workers who are forcing them to move is letting them keep their stuff or throwing it away claiming it's garbage. Some of these people don't have very much so I hope what they do have, they're able to keep. For everyone in this thread and reading this, be thankful for what you have and work hard to keep it. Anything can happen.

Or maybe you can come to the realization that screaming at homeless people is a terrible idea, for many reasons.

Sincerely, I see the practice as a direct rebuttal to all the "hey mister, got any spare change?" solicitations that I would just as soon not be confronted with.

I've actually taken the time to lecture a few of them on "what constitutes 'spare'?" And pointed out to them that if I had any spare money that I would invest it, instead of giving it away. But it was obviously way over their heads, and I believe they might have preferred a succinct "Get a Job" over what I gave them.

There is a guy locally, I assume he must be wealthy, who every Christmas takes several hundred dollars in $20 bills down to the one of the Shelters and plays benefactor to the masses.

He stands there dispensing cash to a groveling mass of humanity, and it's actually kind of sick that he must get some thrill from all those people (frantically) begging for the next bill.

After several years, the Shelter staff now requires him to conduct his little escapade off their grounds. Citing that he is actually doing them more harm than good. I know one of the people involved in making that decision, which is why I know that.

I'm going to ignore the idiotic posts in this thread about homeless. Not all of them are homeless because of drugs. I get into fights with one of my friends because she generalizes all the homeless as nothing but drug users and alcoholics. It's false. There's a lot of factors that could happen to any of us for why someone is homeless. I used to volunteer at homeless shelters. One of the things I learned was instead of handing out money, hand out socks and bottle water to homeless. The socks can be used to keep either their hands or feet warm in the winter and the water to stay hydrated. The homeless is really bad where I live and seeing the city keep moving them around is heart breaking. You have to wonder if the workers who are forcing them to move is letting them keep their stuff or throwing it away claiming it's garbage. Some of these people don't have very much so I hope what they do have, they're able to keep. For everyone in this thread and reading this, be thankful for what you have and work hard to keep it. Anything can happen.

I don' t believe anyone said ALL, but many are, many are down and out due to job losses and not being able to get back up, increased rent prices and it goes on and on, and yes many are there and do not want help, our state spends millions and trying to help them and many do not want help, and yes so many are mentally ill and addicted to drugs.

It's one of the main issues on my radio all day.

I don' t believe anyone said ALL, but many are, many are down and out due to job losses and not being able to get back up, increased rent prices and it goes on and on, and yes many are there and do not want help, our state spends millions and trying to help them and many do not want help, and yes so many are mentally ill and addicted to drugs.

It's one of the main issues on my radio all day.

I suspect that he overlooked that we were talking primarily about the ones who refuse the help of organized programs as being the ones likely addicted to alcohol and other recreational drugs.

If one is sober and sincerely looking for help, why would they not go to a bonafide assistance program?

Homeless issue being talked about NOW on radio and a survey was done from those living on Venice beach in tents, and 23 states were mentioned, and some other countries too. The Venice beach issue is a Total Disaster and it's not being fixed, people who own oceanfront property and love to live there are insane with what they have in the front yards. I have spent many years on the Venice Oceanfront Walk and now it's 100's of tents...

And another major issue is from homeless trying to cook in their camps and causing fires, and our state has been thru so many wild fires and this is a major fear.

If one is sober and sincerely looking for help, why would they not go to a bonafide assistance program?

There are 3 major Missions in our town and one has to be clean and sober to go to them.

I'm going to ignore the idiotic posts in this thread about homeless. Not all of them are homeless because of drugs. I get into fights with one of my friends because she generalizes all the homeless as nothing but drug users and alcoholics. It's false. There's a lot of factors that could happen to any of us for why someone is homeless.

Some great points, there. Lots of factors: mental illness, drugs, sudden loss of income, bureaucracy, poverty, and lack of affordable housing are all among the causes for homelessness.

And I think nearly everyone here understands screaming at homeless people to "get a job" is terrible behavior.


I used to volunteer at homeless shelters.

Thank you for your service, sir!

screaming at homeless people to "get a job" !

It's not like we're face to face, or anything. They are safely secluded behind a wall of scrub, 25 yards away, not even any eye contact. :goodnews:

If I didn't yell, they likely wouldn't even hear me.

And a small reminder that is not mentioned, MANY on the streets are returning Vets who are very damaged and drug addicted. The VA can do so much but can't deal with it all, they try.

You have to wonder if the workers who are forcing them to move is letting them keep their stuff or throwing it away claiming it's garbage. Some of these people don't have very much so I hope what they do have, they're able to keep..

We've had two "purges" in the last decade or so, with afternath photos in the newspapers.

Plastic 5 gallon buckets with feces, mildewed blankets and sleeping bags, empty bottles of all kinds, used syringes, derelict shopping carts liberated from local stores, and other forms of refuse top the lists of items left behind.

Oddly, no aluminum cans,...I'll leave you draw your own conclusions there.

I wonder how they safely dispose of the feces? I hope they aren't dumping it in the nearby river untreated. That would be unsanitary.

I wonder how they safely dispose of the feces? I hope they aren't dumping it in the nearby river untreated. That would be unsanitary.

Unsanitary, I could talk about more stories of where the homeless are found and just recently hearing about rat infestation in our city.

The workers who work to clean up the mess, where all the crap is disposed, I would have to believe they know what they are doing but the rat mess????

When they did our last "purge", the clean up workers were wearing haz-mat "moon suits".

Or maybe you can come to the realization that screaming at homeless people is a terrible idea, for many reasons.Ya IF they are truly homeless they dont deserve to be cut down and made to feel worse........

The recent from the loco governor, who is going thru a recall soon. My daughter and her children talk more about moving to FL.

https://gazette.com/newsom-invites-worlds-homeless-to-california/article_2037283a-eb36-11eb-a20c-df400987b695.html

Dude, have you ever encountered homeless all over the place? I get the impression you have not.

No I guess you have honey??

If the homeless are truly scarred by my "good advice", then they should do what my neighbor always tells me: "don't like the noise of the big city? Perhaps you would be more comfortable out in the country on a nice farm?"