Homeless shelters are kind of dumb.

[Robertcw]

Right?

Doesn't this just look bizarre?

Bunch of beds in a big room with a couple banners that read 'Healing' and 'Dignity.' Like, what?

If a person is homeless it's because they ran out of money. Really simple. The way to get money is to get hired.

Okay, right?

So they should get a job. Obviously.

But that's the definition of unemployment, seeking a job (without having one). Some homeless have jobs, but let's exclude them for this discussion. Let's assume all the homeless here are unemployed and they just ran out of money trying to cover expenses, and so say they just got evicted and that was the end of that. End of story, they're homeless now.

The question I want to ask is this: why doesn't somebody hire them? Surprise, I'm twisting this one and pinning it on the community business owners.

What's wrong with you that you won't hire an unemployed person?

Right?

This is the question that we as a society need to fess up to. Because in all seriousness, what is that homeless shelter?

It's just a big room to stuff the people nobody wants to hire into so that they can feel better about not hiring them. Like, 'yeah I mean I do own the means of production and all, so I guess the least I can do is donate to a shelter.'

🤷🏻Right?

I don't know man. There's something really nasty and messed up about this situation when you break things down and realize that the same people funding shelters are the same people who are business owners. That's all I'm saying.

✌🏻

[Kaneki05]

It's called idiots not realising that hiring a homeless person is basicaly a free worker and if they smell bad give them a free shower and some basic clothes not expensive to do at all then boom they look fit to work But it is also called ilegal.

It is ilegal to hire someone without ID homeless people tend not to have ID, and ones who want them would need to pay, and actaul meet whatever the ID needs heck some need a place you have lived for 3 years which ofc cannot be streets.
Then also it is ilegal to hire someone who don't have a rent or some bs.
it's all legal shit tbh.
which are all really dumb. Then the fact they could be drug users and shit.
then there records of maybe bad grades or unrealibleness or just no work hinders everything.

[Kaneki05]

What the actaul dumb thing is how hard it is to get work and dumbass laws like this.

[joeblow123]

@Kaneki05

Is English you primary language?

[Kaneki05]

@joeblow123 have dexylixc but well done for pointing it out.

[SjE78]

having spent time in a homeless shelter from 2015 to mid 2016
I can quite catagorically state they are not dumb and the fact that many homeless people dont become homeless because of losing money due to bad management of their finances, being an alcoholic or even drug abuse/addiction
and a fair few homeless people were in employment but unfortunately many employers' won't employ someone without a fixed address or if they are homeless.
I was lucky when i was in this situation cos of my ex wife, i moved south (in the UK) and for a short time i stayed with family, I managed to get 2 jobs while i was without my own home, only cos i had a fixed address at the time, albeit a temprorary one. then health struck again and i needed to find myself a job which i could do physically, that's where my second job was applied for.
a couple of months into my 2nd job, i found myself needing to look for a home, unfortunately the local council for housing was dragging their heels about helping me, as far as they saw it i had employment, so therefore i wasn't a priority. but the income from both jobs wasn't sufficient to private rent. and due to disability and ill health this made it even harder.
over the following months i ended up in a night shelter, while holding down the 2nd job as the shelter conflicted with my work hours for my other job.
I collapsed at work when my back went out and my health started taking an even more worse turn.
then a few months into my job i collapsed in the shelter, i was rushed to hospital where they did an emergency operation which the surgeon stated had i have ignored what happened any longer, had i have not been admitted to hospital I would be dead. apparently a 20+ year old issue had become life threatening.
during my time in the shelter i learned so much, not everything is as black and white as we are lead to believe, only a small number of homelessness is because of gambling, drugs or alcohol addiction/abuse... the most common reason for people being on the streets or in that situation was relationship breakdown, loss of family, health issues... so when you see a homeless person... dont assume they did it to themselves cos you may find that they actually didn't, dont even bother to assume that their situation was cos of poor personaly decisions, cos chances are you'd be seriously way off.
and many of those on the street are refused work due to their circumstances and cos of teh fact that closed minds and assumptions can often give the wrong impression

[SirRexington]

Homelessness is seriously misunderstood here the U. S. we treat them as criminals instead of victims of a system that is stacked against them. Who wants to hire a person who likely can't shower regularly, who doesn't have reliable transportation, doesn't have an address to send a check to? Not a lot of people. Yet still, nationally around 44% of homeless people (that we know of) work at least one job. We also know that between 40-60% of people who are homeless have disabilities. Another 30% are veterans, many of whom have disabilities. About 25% of homeless people are singles mother's mothers or women escaping abuse, foster children that never got adopted and victims of healthcare bankruptcy.

Most homeless people do drugs AFTER they become homeless. Which is something I don't support doing but most people don't realize this fact. Homelessness isn't about a lack of values or skill or character, it's a lack of opportunities, access to resources and money.

Homelessness is a financial burden on the economy as well. If we spend in the short term to end large scale homelessness for the long term then we will save money. People need shelter first, not a job.

And shelters are dangerous. The majority of people who go to shelters are criminals and druggies. The majority of homeless people stay out of the way of shelters because it's safer there then at the shelter... they only come around when it gets cold.

I've been homeless since 2016. I live in my car. Its difficult. I have multiple disabilities that have gotten worse as time goes on. Same as my mom. I need a roof over my head where I can cook my own food, create content online and make money that way.

[MrOracle]

In the US, you have 2 groups of homeless: short-term homeless who generally get a new job and recover within a year, and long-term homeless. Jobs help the short-term homeless.

If you look at long-term homeless, many are mentally ill but due to changes in the law cannot be held in an institution against their will. Most others are addicts - both alcohol or drugs - and most have no interest in quitting. Finally, a few are people who simply don't want to be told what to do - they don't want to work or bathe or be on-time or whatever.

For these long-term homeless, a job isn't going to help them - many can barely function and very few are in any state to work.

Until we stop talking about this as a "homeless" problem and start talking about it as a mental illness and/or substance abuse problem, nothing will change.

Giving either group free housing just results in destroyed housing or people who won't accept it because it comes with rules. That's not the answer.

[douride2]

Best comment on this question.

[Flower7]

@douride2 I agree... this is a very insightful comment and is very well thought out.

[nukankuru]

Speaking from experience of 20 odd years of homelessness people won't hire homeless people because of one thing that is media scrutiny by which it is broadcasted that homeless people are 10 times more likely to have a mental illness and or have drug addiction and alcoholism and cannot afford to pay for rent I mean the fact that the rental in this country has gone through the roof along with everything else you need to purchase living on the streets in some cases you feel like you have money for a while. However the majority of people who are homeless are addicted to drugs and have mental health issues. I don't think this should prevent employers from not considering hiring them but social stigma attached to the title of being a homeless person is what drives their decision. Myself personally have not let this affect me to the point I became a democracy ambassador for the Victorian electrol commission in the lead up to the 2018 state election and currently on the way to becoming the advocate for the homeless people in Victoria liaison between the government and people who I will be representing. Being homeless is not an excuse it's only a reason for ignorance.

[PrimalInstinct]

Absolutely no offense but you should go work in a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen for a month. You'll learn. I worked with homeless & street people as part of an after-hours weekend group colleagues did at my last job for 5 years.

And let me give you a basic education on it. A number of homeless aren't homeless because they simply ran out of money. Mental issues, disabilities, drug or alcohol problems, abandonment by their dear & loving country (veterans), language problems, sheer lack of skill, illegal immigration, minority status, and of course criminal records.

If you think it's so easy for such people to get hired, they'd be off the streets already.
But when some cities have a high unemployment rate (California, where homelessness is particularly bad, a number of major cities have unemployment above average) why would someone hire a person off the street versus a skilled worker?

[KrakenAttackin]

I agree with much of what you say, but you are showing a pretty bad bias. California has done a particularly bad job and has exploded the homeless crisis (and yes it is a crisis). The policies of liberal cities that refuse to recognize the overwhelming majority of homeless are afflicted with drug/alcohol problems is one particularly bad omission.

You must be a white person, as your statement "being of minority status" is a risk factor for homelessness... is that not racist?

What do homeless people really need? First a safe place to sleep, eat, detox. Second, they need treatment for addiction/mental issues. Third, skills training and job placement --- almost everyone can do something, however menial.

With earning an income formerly homeless will begin to re-enter society as productive people.

lastly, we have to recognize that some people will always fall through the cracks. This is just a reality in a big country.

I completely agree that the homeless problem is one that should be aggressively addressed with REALISTIC approaches (not candy land liberal approaches).

[PrimalInstinct]

@KrakenAttackin California was the easiest example regarding high unemployment & predominant homelessness, nothing more. And it isn't drug/alcohol abuse that's rampant there, do kindly educate yourself. There are large illegal immigrant & minority groups in California brought in to work the farms for below liveable wages subsequently forgotten about.

I must be a white person? ROFL. Have you ever heard the saying, to assume is to make an ass of U & me. It's a statement of fact. As for statement being of minority status being racist? I forgot we live in a lala land where fact is offensive. To not state something like that is to ignore it & remain blissfully stupidly ignorant.

You really do think it's that easy? Pfft. You know about as much as the homeless as the guy who originally posted - close to nothing.

The mental health system is overworked & understaff - and poorly trained as exemplified by cops who have such shit mental health awareness - for people who *have* working jobs & insurance where or how on earth do you think it'd be spread to seriously include homeless? And as said it's far more than that.

Third skills training and job placement --- almost everyone can do something, however menial - did you miss out on the fact a number of homeless have criminal records? Did you miss out on the fact there's a high unemployment rate in a number of cities? Did you miss out on the fact a number have mental issues - treatment doesn't work if someone doesn't believe in 'crappy western medicine'? Did you miss out on a number are illegal immigrants? Did you miss out on the fact a number are minorities and racism is very real in America?

Jeez. Like I said to the OP. Go work in a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen. You're sheltered white lifestyle is almost as bad as the liberals & their ignorance.

[Robertcw]

Actually we agree. My whole point is everything you said. The dumb part is that nobody hires them.

We have things they can do.

[PrimalInstinct]

@Robertcw - "We have things they can do" - like what?

[Catnap240z]

I worked near a homeless aid. It is unfortunate to those who are humble and want nothing more than to eat and have a safe place to lay their head without being attacked or have their items taken by others. I try helping those who want to do tasks for me for food. I even share my lunch with a few who I can personally say I trust. But there are many bad apples out there. So bad that the ones I trusted warned me to be careful around them or even tell them to leave. The ones who steal, harass or just straight up drunk or high. I do wish the ones who do good would have a better chance to have a job and thrive. Sadly, the bad ones make it hard to think that there are some who are worthy to have a job. I know my boss would not give them a chance even if I recommended ones to them (and I have). Best way for them to get a job is probably labor work.

[Robertcw]

That is true. Some homeless people *are* scary and genetic freaks.

For instance, I've seen a few guys on the street I wouldn't f*ck with. A couple were insanely tall, at least 6'5" or more. Honestly looked about 7" and I'm not even joking. I know what 6' looks like and they were significantly taller than that with highly masculine faces. I was like 'nope.'

I've also seen guys who were normal heights but super jacked with fucked up teeth and intimidating faces. I mean they have no food so I don't know how they keep up the muscle mass, seriously.

There definitely is a small portion of homeless who are just scary ass genetic monsters who can handle harsh conditions and laugh it off. They had women with them too. It's wild.

[Robertcw]

They're honestly probably injecting Tren or other steroids.

[igiem]

I’m not saying you are wrong, but you are looking at this in the wrong way. People who are homeless do not necessarily have no money. They may have mental disabilities, they might have had their money stolen, they could be immigrants or refugees and have no means of support themselves. People who lump them into the “no money” stereotype or the “slacker”, “degenerate” stereotypes dehumanizes them further. Homeless shelters offer these people a place to feel human again and also gives them a place to stay warm, fees their families, rest, socialize and over all enjoy life just a little more.

Just remember that there is always more to the story than just the “the have no money” and they are poor.

[Robertcw]

That could be. I guess this applies to the have no money and no one will hire me crowd.

[meesegoMoo]

Who is going to shower them? I know Christians who try to either hire homeless, or introduce them to people who will, most just won't. And there IS a reason.

Who is going to drug test them? Most of the homeless population is addicted to some kind of drug, and these habits often keep them homeless. Who's going to rehabilitate them? What about mental illness? A huge section of the homeless population suffers from extreme mental illness, and this is true throughout the world. Schizophrenics without any resources to deal with their problem often end up homeless, could they really be expected to do any better? These illnesses are disabilities and that particular section of the homeless population NEEDS treatment. How do we tell the junkies and those in need of pharmaceutical intervention apart?

[Robertcw]

I think that is the root of the problem. Many respond by bussing them out if a city, which clearly represents a community which views itself as better than the average person and the unemployed people as worthless individuals. Rather than hire them so they can work, they don't even want their work. Would rather just shoo them away instead.

Many right-wing politicians argue homeless are welfare leeches and such -- so why not hire them then? Unless the answer is that actually deep down they view them as just basically lower in worth and don't want them to work.

[meesegoMoo]

You countered not a single argument I put forth. Please rebut properly. All those problems I mentioned are still there. I believe many of them are a drain on the system, that's why I want them to work and pay taxes. I think many of them would if sober. Most people who aren't high would rather not be homeless, it's a displeasant way of life.

Actually read the first thing I wrote, then suggest some solutions to the problem. Should you have solutions, I would gladly agree with you and act on those locally with any community leaders I may meet.

[Robertcw]

I think there are plenty of regular people who have no addiction to drugs of any kind who just run out of money.

You know, they could be fired for being late and then not get rehired soon and that's it. Evicted and so forth.

[Robertcw]

They could also fail out of college and be stuck. You know, if a person fails out they don't have any way to get hired besides shotgunning minimum wage and low-skill labour jobs, most of which won't call them back.

That's pretty much a surefire road to instant homelessness, from dorm to street overnight.

[Robertcw]

Those people aren't drug addicts. You know? Just that no one will hire them to flip burgers or whatever. It's just dumb.

[meesegoMoo]

Again, you have yet to present a vetting process that doesn't involve drug testing expenses. You haven't even made any suggestions, just more complaints!

How do we tell the good, responsible people you mentioned from the drug-addled and mentally unwell?

[razzamatazzp01]

Well homeless shelters are good thing because without them, those people would be on the sidewalks in tents. Take a look at the epidemic in California. Is that what you would want for where you live? Also sometimes it's really cold, and it's nice for them to have shelter as well so the next day there's not a whole bunch of dead Frozen bums on the sidewalk. there's always going to be extreme poverty, and extreme wealth. It doesn't really matter why they're homeless or what I need to do to get money. some of them, especially the ones who use drugs are content with their life the way that it is.

[Daniela1982]

It is hard to get hired for a job if you have no address, phone, or bank account and if you smell like a dumpster

. Also homeless shelters are mostly for families. It's main purpose is to shelter people in a dry and warm place in inclement weather and to see they at least get something to eat.

[WalterBlack]

This looks like an emergency shelter or warming center. In other words, a temporary homeless shelter that does NOT operate on a continuous basis.

Homelessness is a complicated subject. Some homeless people have problems with physical or mental illness or substance abuse which makes it very difficult to get or keep a job. Other homeless people are voluntarily unemployed because they are unwilling to work. Some communities just do not have enough jobs for unskilled workers. Or the homeless person may have job skills which are not currently in demand.

[anametouse]

I see your point and it's not wrong, but I think there's more to it than that. You would also have to consider that particular homeless person's issues or reasons for being homeless. If they are addicted to drugs then they make for poor workers especially if the drug takes precedence over his or her employment, ya know skipping days not showing up always hella late that kinda thing. Then it becomes the point of why are they even hired?

Not to discredit your point at all, you are correct to say that business owners tend to be greedy bitches and could easily contribute way more if they were not so caught up in making the most profit, but then if it's an advantage to be homeless with proper housing and food why be employed at all? Some assholes would take advantage of that for sure.

[Smegskull]

Wasn't it the army that found after testing there was about 15% of the population that they couldn't find anything they could do productively.

Who will hire drivers when Google car is everywhere?

Soon all the homeless people will just have #learntocode tattoos.

[Robertcw]

I agree. Not everyone can learn to code. That's a dumb assumption.

I didn't realize the 15% figure, that's a really high number.

[DorkVader]

And automation is set to make a lot of people unemployed, so what happens then?

[Robertcw]

@DorkVader Well I say make the robots slaves and switch to socialism so we all get paid on the profits of the machine labour. I know it's crazy.

A more practical solution is a freedom dividend or a federal jobs guarantee.

[DorkVader]

Are you Yang Gang? I'm totally Yang Gang!!!

[Robertcw]

@DorkVader Lol. I'm BernieSquad, but I like Yang.

[Smegskull]

What profits? Once everything is automated what is money for? Star Trek had to deal with this, when you have a "replicator" the vending machine model becomes redundant.
We are approaching the awkward transition phase where value will only exist in certain markets. We can cope with 100% unemployment due to redundant by automation but anything between 20% and 80% is going to be hard to handle. You can't put the unemployable % on welfare at that point without an unsustainable tax burden on the employable % but you also can't get rid of money yet because you need market economics to drive the employable % and to increase automation.

[drickettstxx]

Ok as someone who has lived in a homeless shelter its not that black and white and homeless are not all the same. Its not the fact that i didn't want a job its that i couldnt. And after about 9 months of working a 9 to 5 then i could buy an apartment.

This is honestly ignorant, i lived with mothers, fathers and all of them had their with their kids with them. Its not that we were choosing to not own up to our responsibilities its that we had circumstances that forced us out of our previous homes or we didn't have the finacial support for it. I lived in a 5 story shelter not like this. I lived in Lotus shelter overtown miami.

[Marriedwith2]

The bigoted and stupid like to think that homeless people are just lazy losers who don't want to work... smh

I remember volunteering at a shelter and met a middle-class family whose home had burned down, they had no other options and decided not to sleep outside on a December night... granted those same stupid people wouldn't insult them because they were young and white.

My point is the tiniest thing can mess your life up... sometimes it's a loss of a job... sometimes it's just horrific luck.

Some people just have a horrible lack of empathy and are just bad people. (we know who they are)

[Flower7]

That's true that sometimes random circumstances can be life-changing. Things can be turned upside down in an instant.

[Mel78]

With all due respect, you have no clue what you're talking about. You just slapped together a theory based on no first hand knowledge.
If you want to stop the homless epidemic in America, then you just need to kill all the drug dealers.
It has nothing to do with money or jobs, it's all about drugs. Meth and heroine are fucking huge right now. Shelters require you to be clean before you can stay there. Most of the street people don't want that, so they choose to live on the street.
I might not be a GAG editor, but I work with this stuff on a daily basis.

[KelliOcean]

Don't just kill the drug dealers, kill big phrma that's cranking out the artificial heroine that's doled out like candy, via the tax payer's expense.

[Mel78]

@KelliOcean
Suboxone is the latest and greatest scam out there. It turns rich people richer, and addicts into zombies.

[talloak]

Just as an exercise, put on filthy clothes and apply for jobs. In the application, put down no recent work and no address or phone number. Take a wild guess how many job offers you will get?

Your philosophy makes you responsible to hire homeless people to help resolve the problem. If you are unwilling to do so then you are a heartless bastard who blames victims of problems that you help create.

[Waffles731]

A. You've obviously led an INCREDIBLY privileged life.
B. That's what people like FDR did and people like Sanders want, a way to make the unemployed feel good about themselves, contribute to society, all while yes working for the government unless you are both literally unable to work, but your privileged life doesn't let you see the world for what it actually is

[Robertcw]

I support Sanders and FDR. 0% unemployment + a min. wage high enough to pay rent is the obvious solution.

The only thing stopping this are businesses who don't hire the unemployed.

[JustJen]

Depends. Some are homeless because of bad circumstances, like losing their source of income, in other cases there are other underlying causes like drug/alcohol addiction and/or mental illness.

[MackToday]

It's more complicated than that. "Homeless people" are almost always severely mentally ill. Society doesn't want to provide the facilities to take care of them so the turn them lose in the streets. Calling them homeless is just a way to deny what they really are.