How can we get the homeless to take care of themselves?

Question

Getting them jobs, Place to live and self reliant.

Answer 1

Ffor the majority of the homeless population there is acute mental illness and drug addiction
Giving them a home and a job is not the answer cause they are at that stage unable to hold down a job they need treatment facilities.
For the other homeless, a job and a home would be the correct answer to their problems,
Now just find out which is which and go for it... it would be amazing if it were that easy

Answer 2

There is another question with the same answer. How do we rehabilitate a criminal?

The answer is we don't or perhaps more correctly we can't. Many people in either class are there because of choices they made. Not necessarily to be homeless or a criminal but to be dependent on drugs or alcohol, some gamble, some are lazy, some feel the world owes them a living, some are mentally ill, while some are right where they want to be.

The only person that can fix a broken person is the broken person. They have to decide that their way of life is not what they want it to be. Then they have to decide to do something about it. When they decide to change, then and only then, will help matter.

Now I'll grant you that a man or woman who has one set of clothes, has worn them for months, only bathes when it rains and doesn't own a comb will have a problem getting work. A fresh start in this arena is possible but I think shelters, the Salvation Army and any number of church groups will help anyone get cleaned up if they ask for the help.

I don't think handing them money is the answer and I doubt any amount of money would make a significant change in the overall picture.

Honestly, sir, I am a senior citizen, a Vietnam vet, and a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. I know some of these people that hang around, many are vets and all of the ones I know are broken people. And the war in Vietnam broke a lot of them. I consider myself fortunate for having survived the experience with as little damage as I have, and make no mistake about it all of us are damaged. Some more than others but we are all damaged.

I applaud your concern but at the same time I have seen and heard these people beg with one hand out and refuse work at the same time. I guess I am just a bit skeptical.

Answer 3

I have worked with the homeless on the streets in various places, cold and hot. People want to simplify a very complicated and difficult problem. Since I am a teacher, I would say that the question: "how can we fix our schools?" is really the same.

These huge problems (which are happening to some extent all over the world), get back to the goals and norms of a society. The fact is that many mental patients are roaming the street since many people do not want to pay for their care through tax money.

Some of these ex-mental patients are not dangerous but some are very dangerous. I have seen people living on the streets but on a dramatic mad man act when approached late at night. I can usually tell who is faking and who really is totally insane.

Now if you corner an animal or threaten its young, it will attack. I would never say that these unfortunate people are animals, but it is human to protect one's self and one's young.

Some homeless are so depressed or confused that they cannot care for themselves. Others should but people waste energy arguing about the politics of the issue.

I tend to think that church and community groups are better equipped to deal with this problem but obviously, without some government help, they cannot deal with a problem of this magnitude.

So, what can we conclude. Homelessness needs to be fought street by street, city by city by caring people who are taxpayers, gov. officials or somehow involved with church or community organizations.

Answer 4

Well, we could work on corporate greed, for starters. Companies used to have to be in deep financial trouble before they laid off workers. Now, they downsize workers so they can reap deeper profits. What about the thousands of workers who are laid off?

"Getting them jobs" is a very simplified answer. I was a top performer at a major telecommunications company for close to 15 years - and was downsized twice - along with 10,000 co-workers on the second layoff. It has been financially devastating for myself and my family and we have never rebounded.

You can't downsize millions of people and not expect homelessness to be an end result for some of those people. Without assistance from various agencies, that is exactly where myself and my daughter would be.

The core of this problem is corporate greed.

Answer 5

First take time to find out why they are homeless.
Poverty?
Jobless?
Orphan?
Drugs?
Family incompatibility?
Past criminal background?
etc.
etc?
And then deal with them on a case to case basis,slowly removing the causes and adding other relevant support structures.

Convince them that it is okay to receive help.They can after all repay in any way they please later on!!

Find the bare minimum funds required first to put them on a self esteem pedestal after convincing them that it is perfectly alright to receive help.

If possible give them a change of place where they may not feel inferior.

They can be found suitable hostels,homes etc. for a short period for them to subsequently move on and be on their own.

Bring them around to start exploring new possibilities,very imperceptibly,to gain confidence, and then actually finding themselves actually actively moving forward from their homeless or any other deprived situation !!

Answer 6

You / We can't... People need to make their own decisions and want to change. We can talk till we are blue in the face but if they make no changes then they will accomplish nothing.

Do not feel sorry for them for they wake up each morning with the same decisions to make as you and I do. They simply make different ones and choose to be where they are.

Answer 7

Visit them often and let them know in some kind way that you are not ashamed of them. and they may respond to that touch of kindness. let them know you are showing love for your brother/sister in a way you would want kindness to be given to you. and take time to liston to their stories even if you have heard the same one a thousand times before. do not be ashamed to sit in public with them ,make the space your private space with them.and bring joy. they may drink of it with you.

Answer 8

Throw them hot dog!!

Answer 9

you cant. ppl have to want to change.