So what do you think should be done about it?
Indefinitely commit them to lunatic asylums like the good old days.
I honestly think this is a better solution than what cities are currently doing. If it was up to me, mental asylums would still be a thing in America, we obviously still need them.
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I wonât pretend to have all the answers, so Iâll give you AIs answer which seems pretty decent
1. Housing First (Permanent Housing Without Preconditions)
This is widely considered the gold standard in homelessness policy.
What it is
Instead of requiring people to be âreadyâ (e.g., sober, employed, compliant with treatment) before getting housing, Housing First gives permanent housing first and then offers supportive services as needed (for health care, substance use, employment, etc.).
Finland â A Leading Example
Finland is often cited as the most successful country model:
⢠The national Housing First strategy began in 2008.
⢠Homeless shelters were converted into apartments or replaced with independent flats.
⢠Homelessness (especially long-term homelessness) has dropped significantly â itâs one of the only countries in Europe where homelessness has actually declined.
⢠Supportive services are integrated with housing to help people stay stably housed long-term.
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Makes sense to me. Just need to be willing to pay for it.
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Itâs partly a question of taxes and partly a question of how government spends their tax dollars. Finland spends 2.0-2.5% of GDP on their military. We spend 3.4%.
Helsinki is a great place to visit and to do business.
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You donât have to go to Finland to see success in reducing homelessness. There is a great example right here in the US, a model for the country, and that is Houston. Their success is noteworthy around the country. When I was there earlier in the year in multiple parts of the city I did not see one person panhandling and in fact there are large signs saying not to give to the people on the corners. But I did not see any and I was in up and coming neighborhoods, affluent areas and not so affluent areas.
This a one stop clearinghouse for all things homeless in the Houston region and they have made great progress. Charlotte has started to adapt some of their programs and ways of doing things.
Before any of that, you need to reopen mental institutions so you donât have people like Camacho roaming around, constantly in and out of prison until they kill someone.
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I think that we have to take a long hard look at how we ensure public safety in our city, and I think that public safety includes everyone including those unhoused, with addictions, mental illness, etc. Nobody should feel unsafe in their own home, and nobody should feel unsafe because of any aspect of their identity or personal conditions.
That said, I think that itâs a fine line between not criminalizing someone for addiction, mental challenges, hunger, homelessness, etc., and protecting them and others from any unwanted behaviors associated with those conditions or challenges. For example, in the richest country in the history of the world, people shouldnât be hungry AND people minding their own business should not be harassed by aggressive panhandlers. Particularly in North Carolinaâs wealthiest county, neither of those things is okay.
We also canât stop policing dangerous behavior or let things slide because we feel sorry for people either. However, we also canât ignore that people need help.
Iâm certainly no expert in any of this, and I donât have a degree and/or experience in psychology, social work, etc., but I have lived in urban environments for the last 30+ years and Iâve seen and experienced the failure to address these challenges effectively. Iâve tried to give food to people who said that they were hungry, only to have them flip over the food I was offering because they wanted money. Iâve tried to engage, only to have people become VERY aggressive. While I have volunteered at food banks and soup kitchens from time to time, I wouldnât consider myself a power do-gooder, but I also donât consider myself completely flippant about others either. I am mostly just trying to live my life to the best of my ability, and that sadly now comes with mostly not engaging with anyone on the streets anymore because of the bad experiences Iâve had in the past.
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Yup. Stopping panhandling and behavior like this only works when everyone realizes that you shouldnât give money to random people asking for it. When you or someone else gives a person whoâs panhandling a dollar, it incentivizes that person to continue asking for dollars in that area.
The supreme court has determined that asking for money is legal and protected free speech. So, there arenât any laws cities can create that would directly or indirectly stop this. Itâs up to everyone to realize that their actions are causing this.
Personally, I do like to feed people as well. Like John, Iâve been in too many situations where the person pulled a bait-and-switch and went from wanting food to wanting money. Iâm absolutely fine with giving people food, but refuse to engage with people asking for it anymore since it does feel like itâs more likely than not that they will try to take advantage of the situation.
I donât give money to anything I donât want to see more of. Panhandling in places I frequent, tip screens when Iâm standing up at a counter and ordering food. Generally, if something is asking for money and itâs either me feel uncomfortable or feels designed to make people feel uncomfortable, I feel like itâs important to fight through the discomfort and say no.
(this does not include tipping workers whoâs salaries are based on tips)
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So many times Iâve offered food and been met with âno thanks, do you have any money?â and my response is to laugh and continue walking. If youâre not doing so poorly that youâre hungry enough to eat anything offered to you, you donât need my money either. And those that are in a tough place and truly DO need a meal and are incapable of providing for themselves, WILL seek assistance at local shelters/organizations and follow their (often strict) directions in order to be served. Those that donât want to do so, for the most part, choose not to do so.
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Being perhaps a bit older than most of the participants on this forum, I remember the widespread institutionalization of people with mental illness during the 1960s. (A family member was institutionalized for a while.) Those institutions were pretty awful places. One Flew Over the Cuckooâs Nest got it about right; it was based on an Oregon institution in the early 1960s. (See the film if you havenât). When psychiatric meds became available, the politicians rejoiced and declared that it wasnât necessary to maintain such large institutions anymore. Well, thatâs true only if there are adequate public health services for people to be diagnosed, medications prescribed (and verified that theyâre being taken), patients followed etc. Of course, those support services never happened because everyone wanted to claim the savings from shutting down operations like Dix.
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One Flew over the Cuckooâs Nest scared me for life. I watched it much too young. Combine that the with all the news at the time, like 60 Minâs and others, on the horrorâs of the nationâs mental institutions really had an effect. Unfortunately we as a nation swung way to far in the other direction, and deinstitutionalization created a whole new set of ills. There ought to be a better way. Ironically, this is what Dorthea Dix was promoting, humane treatment for the mental ill.
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Paranoid schizophrenic who wouldnât take medication.
Itâs almost like they used to have a place where they locked up people like that and made them take their meds. You know, so they didnât go crazy and kill people.
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I work with the homeless in Concord (and yes NCâs 10th largest city has homeless too). Offering food is the right thing to do, giving cash is not. Cash can be used to further an addiction and if they say they need it for food then circle back by and give them a meal. Our leaders stress you should not ever give cash. If you want to help the homeless give to those organizations serving them meals or providing shelter or helping them get off the streets.
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