homelessness

[curmugeon]

I can sympathize with the homeless. I once found myself very ill and with less than $33 dollars to my name. I was that close, but being a veteran, I had one option and it worked for me. I also had a social safety net known as a family.

Every day I watch those less fortunate from my office window, there are the elderly (I have seen them die in Civic Center), I've seen the mentally ill, there are a lot of them. I watch as a few groups defy the law and set up feeding operations several times a day. 

In Anza, we have our share. I've noticed a large number of mentally ill, (they even admit they are) living as squatters on land, or living where they have been 'dumped', in old motor homes, in travel trailers, getting their disability check, and maybe some SSI, getting by, but they are fortunate, they have their freedom. The few I know well were dumped from Camarillo State Hospital when that closed. They were told they were well enough to take care of themselves, and put out on the street. 

No, homeless are all around us. What is really bad is that many people today are only a paycheck away from homelessness. No savings, no safety net,  just discarded because they do not fit into the compasionate conservative dream.

Comments

[gracegiver]

I don't mean to parade on anyone's rain and this is just an observation, and I think you'd agree, the homeless here in the US have much more opportunities for food and shelter than they do in many other countries. Because of all our shelters, food banks and religious organizations, it's unnecessary for anyone to starve to death. And THAT's destitute.

[n6vfp.livejournal.com]

The homeless have some resources at hand, but there are still more homeless than there are beds at night. No one starves to death, but they lack medical care, drug treatment, and mental health services. In Santa Ana we have approximately 1600-2000 homeless and 40 shelter beds.