Quote:
Originally Posted by pukicabuki
This is the ugly truth that the well meaning, though generally misinformed, public fails to realize. My wife worked in the community court serving one of the largest homeless populations in the country for many years(Portland) and it was a revolving door of kids from middle class homes that like the lifestyle and want to rebel and older people that want to be left alone to do as they please.
The ones that are homeless and don't want to be are the ones taking advantage of every program available to get back on their feet. The public thinks that all homeless people are these people, but they really aren't. These are the invisible homeless. They aren't living in tent communities, destroying neighborhoods and stealing things to feed an addiction.
There is a significant portion with mental illnesses, but without institutionalizing this portion of the homeless population, you cannot treat them. The others that came through the system were offered treatment and housing as a means help break the cycle and 95% of the time they would take the fine, knowing they wouldn't pay it, and go back to what they are doing.
Its a shitty realization to come to, but my wife saw this day in and day out for years. All the best intentions in the world won't make someone take help when they don't want it.
|
Yes. I worked in downtown Toronto for much of my career. A huge homeless population. Tons of shelter beds that for the most part remain empty even in the middle of cold shitty winters. Mental health issues, drug addiction, violence, petty crime etc are rampant. They have put these shelters in marginal areas but have also started putting them in more affluent neighbourhoods.......now all the progressive folks are dealing with human waste, dirty needles and crime right on their doorsteps literally and figuratively. There are camp grounds set up in just about every park in the city with no method to treat the drug addiction and more of a significant problem in my view serious mental illness.
In the 90's the Ontario government changed many sections of the Mental Health Act, so patients were related from secure facilities where they got three squares, a clean bed, treatment and medication. I get that wasn't a perfect solution but I think the argument is easily made that it was much better than what we have now. Some of the ongoing "remedies" being implemented and proposed are safe injection sites and decriminalizing all drugs in Toronto.....I'm going to predict this isn't going to make it better but what do I know, I'm just an old retired policeman.