719
Edit
I kinda made this post out of spite for the fact the most previous post in this community, whose title I quoted/copied, was getting so many downvotes... At the time I posted this, the previous post had about a 30% downvote rate, and it really, really made me mad.
I am relieved tho to see people in the comments here who have real, actual empathy for their fellow humans. Thank you for contributing here.
It blows my mind how normalized it is to hate on those who are struggling. Especially in 20fucking23 when so many of us now are on the verge of it ourselves. Let's be better, everyone - to everyone. I beg you.
I disagree... public space is our space. No one's need is greater than anyone else's. The homeless need help, the pubic space that we use to get to the store, play with our children, buff highway noise is not the place to get that. Now, I'm not saying financially penalizing or jailing them are the only alternatives but safe camping/RV spots with access to access social services, Wi-Fi, gather for ac/heater, etc seems like a better approach.
I'd rather we just give them housing and a support network to prevent homelessness in the first place. Until then, homeless people have a right to access third spaces for as long as they don't have a living space.
Where I live housing is provided but some homeless people are so because they trash the apartments or they can't or won't respect very basic rules of not constantly causing a disturbance and the like. Addiction is big part of that. There's lots of programs and services for that too but can't really force people to use those services.
You can do a lot by offering help but some still refuse it. In that case I feel like it's fair to make sure they're not a disturbance to other people just wanting to go about their day.
Most people don't choose to be homeless. If, and this is highly unlikely, homelessness in your area is due primarily to addiction, then the solution is not "usher them out of sight". Supervised injection sites should be provided, so those people taking drugs can do so safely under medical supervision. If someone is homeless due to drugs, then they should also be able to live in third places without being harassed. The city becomes responsible for making sure that those homeless people can discard of their trash properly and have needle drops to make sure needles stay off the ground.
You can look into homeless in Finland but it sure seems like homelessness is primarily caused by addiction (usually alcohol).
Nobody has the right to harass others and make them have to fear just walking in public. Nobody has the right to do drugs and leave their dirty needless around other people. Homeless are no different. They have no right to subject others to that just as we don't have the right to subject them to such conditions.
We should absolutely do everything we can to help them but being homeless or addict isn't a pass to harass anyone. The city and the state has the responsibility to make sure everyone can live without harassment and sometimes that includes making sure homeless people don't just camp wherever to harass others.
I mean for fuck's sake, there's helping and being understanding and there's seeing them harass my wife, attacking people and making life hell for others.
It sounds to me like your definition of harassment in this case "existing in public while homeless".
There's been two attempted rapes and an assault and robbery so far. I'd consider that a bit beyond "existing in public space".
It's gotten so bad that especially women are afraid to visit or have moved away. They get the worst of it, with constant verbal abuse and sexual harassment, not to mention the fear about rape.
It's sick that some people instead of listening try to brush these things off just because the perpetrators are homeless. As if that made attempted rape somehow less bad.
need != convenience
Make it happen then. All those things you'd like to see instead of the unhoused finding shelter are great. But the hypothetical "better" solution is meaningless until it's implemented. Until then, decriminalize survival like the pic says.
Seattle is working through it's shit albeit slowly and with many mistakes. Mental health funding was the ballot just recently, our homeless authority CEO was basically fired for incompetence, small homes and apartments available with more on the way, RV/camp sites are growing, anti-open use law is still in the works, camp removal is stalled due to too ambiguous definitions of "blocking". I live and work in the city and I'll be the first to vote on sensible laws and bonds. What I find no longer tolerable is bottomless unquestioned empathy.
Seattle is working through it's shit albeit slowly and with many mistakes. Mental health funding was the ballot just recently, our homeless authority CEO was basically fired for incompetence, small homes and apartments available with more on the way, RV/camp sites are growing, anti-open use law is still in the works, camp removal is stalled due to too ambiguous definitions of "blocking". I live and work in the city and I'll be the first to vote on sensible laws and bonds. What I find no longer tolerable is bottomless unquestioned empathy.