deziloooooo
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Post by deziloooooo on Aug 25, 2015 15:20:51 GMT -5
Came across this just now...not sure if it is true or not but lets say it is...and if it is this way in LA then it also has to be a big problem where ever one lives...I run across it here in South Florida..we have folks at cross roads / major intersections..collecting $ for homeless shelters..they get to keep a portion of what they collect as a salary / reward...usually if in a stop will give some spare change..what ever ..and actually in some communities they are trying to move these folks out..Just happened in Ft Lauderdale...Occasionally see some one on the street..super market or recently at a library..older woman sitting outside the branch library with the cart and possessions...slipped her a few $..most appreciated...but over all don't see much...but this article got to me....13,000 per month..ok , say it's wrong ..only 8,000 per month..?? How does that minimize the problem....Something is wrong in river city folks...and so many against say minimum wage of eventually $15 per hour..There are too many trying to get by on minimum wage and not all are kids in after school jobs..many adults..many with responsibilities and no not on drugs or are criminals...any thoughts...disturbing big time to me.... america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/8/25/13000-los-angeles-county-residents-become-homeless-every-month.html
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 25, 2015 15:50:05 GMT -5
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 25, 2015 16:03:06 GMT -5
Now you are in my wheelhouse. I work for a non-profit that serves SMI, dually/multiply diagnosed and medically fragile homeless people - you know, the folks no one wants to touch. I spend a lot of my days hounding (aka writing grant requests) to the local CoCs for HUD money to house folks who have nothing. If this homeless number sounds overwhelming to you, remember that LA County has 10 million people - so an average yearly point-in-time homeless count of 44,000 is actually .0004 of the total population. This is not to dismiss or trivialize the problem, but our homeless population is bigger than some cities in this country. And yet it's a tiny fraction of the total population. It's all about proportion.
Add in the fact (that the article so correctly and succinctly points out) that there is a severe housing stock problem (a lack of it) AND that FMR for a ZERO bedroom (aka, a single apartment) is $913 per month (when the average SSI payment is between $600 and $700 per month) - - - and yes, you have a huge problem on your hands .
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 25, 2015 16:09:15 GMT -5
I just looked up FMR for Metro/County/LB:
0 bedroom: $ 913 1 bedroom: $1,103 2 bedroom: $1,424 3 bedroom: $1,926 4 bedroom: $2,145.
The average SSI payment is $600-$700 per month. If you add in/are eligible for both SSI and SSDI, you can probably pull in $950 - $1,100 per month.
See the problem?
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Aug 25, 2015 16:19:56 GMT -5
I just looked up FMR for Metro/County/LB:
0 bedroom: $913 1 bedroom: $1,103 2 bedroom: $ 1,424 3 bedroom: $1,926 4 bedroom: $2,145.
The average SSI payment is $600-$700 per month.
See the problem? yep. i see it here, too. if you use the 40% rule, here is what you get for gross annual income per household, and hourly wage: 0 bedroom: $27,400, $13.2, $13.2/person 1 bedroom: $33,000, $15.9, $15.9/person 2 bedroom: $42,700, $20.5, $10.25/person 3 bedroom: $57,800, $27.8, $9.30/person 4 bedroom: $64,400, $31, $7.75/person not fathoming how anyone can rent an apartment working for minimum wage.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 25, 2015 16:26:12 GMT -5
And yet - - how DARE those lazy, entitled minimum wagers lobby for a higher living wage! Why can't they just be patient and wait for their trickle-down?!?
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Aug 25, 2015 16:29:21 GMT -5
And yet - - how DARE those lazy, entitled minimum wagers lobby for a higher living wage! Why can't they just be patient and wait for their trickle-down?!? oh, they get that- when their slumlord refuses to fix the upstairs neighbor's plumbing.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Aug 25, 2015 16:31:51 GMT -5
The problem is the same faced by everyone in that area (and other HCOLA places like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago). It's a nice, warm temperate area. People want to live there. It's going to be expensive, even for those that have a job. Surprisingly, if you look at the stats Chicago had a 5% homeless rate. I had to combine two sources to come to that - not sure I believe the numbers: www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/suburbanstats.org/population/illinois/how-many-people-live-in-chicagoWhat do you propose as a solution? More money from bankrupt coffers? Should people who are positive contributors to society have to bear an even greater burden so people can be subsidized in HCOLA's? I note you never hear about the homeless problems in small towns where housing is cheap. I have family in small farming towns. They can't get enough workers and houses can be had for less than $30k. Yea, it's not exciting and you won't get people to put money in your cup so you can buy booze, but I at least think it would be better than life on the streets.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 25, 2015 16:32:50 GMT -5
And yet - - how DARE those lazy, entitled minimum wagers lobby for a higher living wage! Why can't they just be patient and wait for their trickle-down?!? oh, they get that- when their slumlord refuses to fix the upstairs neighbor's plumbing. Their slumlord? You mean Donald Sterling?
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Aug 25, 2015 16:44:24 GMT -5
And yet - - how DARE those lazy, entitled minimum wagers lobby for a higher living wage! Why can't they just be patient and wait for their trickle-down?!? oh, they get that- when their slumlord refuses to fix the upstairs neighbor's plumbing. Not always the case. I'm a landlord and take very good care of my properties. In the process of evicting a tenant now who can't find another place to rent because they are a major fuck up and I won't lie about references. They will be homeless and I really don't give a damn. Three able bodied adults (two parents and an adult son) and (as I come to find out) two grandkids living in a three bedroom unit and can't even cover below market rent. I found out about the grandkids (NOT on the lease) when I was asked to provide copies of the lease agreements so they could apply for public aid and get into the local school. There are jobs here, many of which pay $15 an hour with benefits if you are capable of learning and doing basic tasks (we're hiring BTW). $30K won't make you rich but it will cover $1K a month in rent (in the burbs) and food with a decent amount left over. Three people working would do a whole lot better.
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mroped
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Post by mroped on Aug 25, 2015 17:00:22 GMT -5
But if we decide to help the poor and needy we could put a big dent into the problem just by reducing the DOD budget by as little as 10/%. <br>Although, some people might get upset if we cut defense spending claiming that we might become "defenseless" and God forbid, some other country might have to do more and not just expect US to take care of every problem.<br>And the folks at Boeing, Northrup, Haliburton might get upset too because we may not buy the useless shit that they keep churning and overcharging for.<br><br>Homeless and poor! What's that? We need our planes and rockets and ships not food and shelter!<br><br><br>Captain, you say that LA County has 10 million inhabitants? Holly cow! That's almost the entire population of Pennsylvania!
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 25, 2015 17:04:58 GMT -5
you say that LA County has 10 million inhabitants? Holly cow! That's almost the entire population of Pennsylvania! Yes, we are closing in on being twice the population size of the country of Ireland.
But remember that LA County is a really huge place, too - it is almost 4,800 square miles. Bigger than a couple of US states. Bigger than some tiny countries. BUT that's a LOT of miles for those 10 million people - we are not piled on top of each other like other places (like Chicago, Miami or NYC).
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 25, 2015 17:19:13 GMT -5
And if it seems overwhelming, deziloooooo, remember that those 13,000 folks are not brand new fallouts every month (that somehow get added to the 13,000 the month before, and the month before that and the month before that, and so on. It is not a cumulative number - it is a rolling number).
According to the HUD HEARTH Act, a person who is "chronically homeless" is defined as someone who has been living in a place not meant for human habitation continuously for at least one year or on at least 4 separate occasions in the past three years. Many MI homeless fall in and out of housing placements. Regularly. So do non-disabled individuals and families who live in extreme poverty. Regularly. When one lives on the precarious edge of extreme poverty, the loss of even one day's wages can start a pretty disastrous cascade of events that lead to homelessness.
Know that the numbers can be tricky. Again I'm not saying this to dismiss or trivialize the problem (which is bad for certain segments of the population!), only that reading statistics can get overwhelming if one does not have a handle on the larger picture. Just sayin' . . .
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deziloooooo
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Post by deziloooooo on Aug 25, 2015 18:15:59 GMT -5
I am not against spending for defense but do get a bit unwound when I see the F-35 is costing..each by the way..$150 million dollers [minimum] and up ...depending whether it is for the Airforce, Marines or navy...Believe Navy is the highest...Ok so the weapons are needed...How about the new uniforms for the Army folks..going to blue from the green..how is that helping our defense...then a few years ago they went to the berets..now I believe they are being phased out...remember the "Ridgeway "hat "..the went to the baseball style....While we were inactive big time Afganistan . Iraq..uniform of the day was cammys..now back to class A's and why do the navy need cammys at all...All that cost $ that might be spent other prioritys with out compromising security...Just saying that's all....
{ You talk reuniforming that many folks..when not needed ..that does add up a bit}
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Aug 25, 2015 18:48:06 GMT -5
$150 million dollers [minimum] and up
Just curious ......... how many people does this $150M pay wages to?
The minimum wage problem is that .... a problem. Raise wages to a 'living' wage for unskilled workers and work and they are replaced either by robotics or the prices go up and the $15 per hour is no longer a living wage.
I don't know what the answer is. For those that wish to advance, getting a needed skill is the answer.
Being homeless is very depressing. I don't see that problem here but that doesn't mean it's not here. We are far enough from the beaten path that people don't stop. Nothing here but a food bank and a couple of food pantries.
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Aug 25, 2015 19:07:47 GMT -5
$150 million dollers [minimum] and up Just curious ......... how many people does this $150M pay wages to? it would pay the board of directors for about (2) years. The minimum wage problem is that .... a problem. Raise wages to a 'living' wage for unskilled workers and work and they are replaced either by robotics or the prices go up and the $15 per hour is no longer a living wage. false. that has already been discussed. the heritage foundation did a study on this. i think we can both agree that they are about as liberal as is a slice of raw endangered tiger. their study showed that the inflationary impact IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY is about 10% for a 100% increase in FMW. in other words, the "price sensitivity" is about 10:1, IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY. if you look at the general economy, it is much LESS significant. so, saying that the food service worker will lose all of his wages to inflation is ridiculous. even if they only ate fast food (most can't even afford it), their take home pay would be significantly higher. but don't take my word for it- there are at least a dozen major studies on this, and all of them show exactly the same thing. as to the robotic threat, i am not buying it. at all. the "robots" these restaurants use to make this threat are kiosks, basically. that is not a robot. that is an AUTOMATED CHECKOUT STATION. and fine- some tellers will go away. big whoop. who cares? they are going to lose their job anyway. edit: so yeah, i am saying that a higher MW decreases poverty. it really is a solution. it is privatizing a problem rather than socializing it, so you and other conservatives should dig that. i don't understand why you don't. if the FMW went to $10.25/hr, people in LA would still have to share rentals, but at least they could afford an average apartment.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Aug 25, 2015 20:05:24 GMT -5
The problem is the same faced by everyone in that area (and other HCOLA places like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago). It's a nice, warm temperate area. People want to live there. It's going to be expensive, even for those that have a job. Surprisingly, if you look at the stats Chicago had a 5% homeless rate. I had to combine two sources to come to that - not sure I believe the numbers: www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/suburbanstats.org/population/illinois/how-many-people-live-in-chicagoWhat do you propose as a solution? More money from bankrupt coffers? Should people who are positive contributors to society have to bear an even greater burden so people can be subsidized in HCOLA's? I note you never hear about the homeless problems in small towns where housing is cheap. I have family in small farming towns. They can't get enough workers and houses can be had for less than $30k. Yea, it's not exciting and you won't get people to put money in your cup so you can buy booze, but I at least think it would be better than life on the streets. Oh don't worry. There's plenty of poverty in small towns, too. Especially among the older folks who are leaning towards retirement age. If you can't get a full time job, poverty & homelessness is just steps away...
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deziloooooo
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Post by deziloooooo on Aug 25, 2015 20:20:52 GMT -5
$150 million dollers [minimum] and up Just curious ......... how many people does this $150M pay wages to? The minimum wage problem is that .... a problem. Raise wages to a 'living' wage for unskilled workers and work and they are replaced either by robotics or the prices go up and the $15 per hour is no longer a living wage. I don't know what the answer is. For those that wish to advance, getting a needed skill is the answer. Being homeless is very depressing. I don't see that problem here but that doesn't mean it's not here. We are far enough from the beaten path that people don't stop. Nothing here but a food bank and a couple of food pantries. " for unskilled workers"....what actually is a "unskilled " worker...We hear the term bandied about but in reality what is the definition... I once watched a window washer..in this case he was on the ground doing business windows ..those large ones..display or what ever and I found it facinating..not a wasted motion..almost like a ballet..and the windows as clean as could be..."unskilled "..? Not in my book... A better example to me..late at night ..about 2 am in West Hartford , Ct...all night eating place packed and all the cooking being done on a grill in front of the counter...It was poetry in motion...the grill was filled..as the orders came in, found out the server..back then we called them waitresses..she was working the counter , was the wife of the grill guy...placed the orders the food was placed on the grill, never wasted movement..food moved as needed front to back..even once a egg fell to the floor..scooped up and trashed in one motion and the spatula placed in the sink as in one movement a fresh clean one was in his hand...the man never stopped..as said , place was packed as one left the stool finished another slipped into the place and the grill guy just kept it going..I got a few words in to his wife remarking how facinating it was to watch his skill..said been doing this for x amount of years..don't remember exactly but it was a time....This was not a Chef..this was a short order cook..Some might feel both these jobs were by unskilled workers...even dish washers ..with out them , even with the professional dishwashers...the kitchens would not be able to operate..yet dishwashers..unskilled...??hmmmm..I wonder
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deziloooooo
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Post by deziloooooo on Aug 25, 2015 20:25:51 GMT -5
$150 million dollers [minimum] and up Just curious ......... how many people does this $150M pay wages to? it would pay the board of directors for about (2) years. The minimum wage problem is that .... a problem. Raise wages to a 'living' wage for unskilled workers and work and they are replaced either by robotics or the prices go up and the $15 per hour is no longer a living wage. false. that has already been discussed. the heritage foundation did a study on this. i think we can both agree that they are about as liberal as is a slice of raw endangered tiger. their study showed that the inflationary impact IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY is about 10% for a 100% increase in FMW. in other words, the "price sensitivity" is about 10:1, IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY. if you look at the general economy, it is much LESS significant. so, saying that the food service worker will lose all of his wages to inflation is ridiculous. even if they only ate fast food (most can't even afford it), their take home pay would be significantly higher. but don't take my word for it- there are at least a dozen major studies on this, and all of them show exactly the same thing. as to the robotic threat, i am not buying it. at all. the "robots" these restaurants use to make this threat are kiosks, basically. that is not a robot. that is an AUTOMATED CHECKOUT STATION. and fine- some tellers will go away. big whoop. who cares? they are going to lose their job anyway. edit: so yeah, i am saying that a higher MW decreases poverty. it really is a solution. it is privatizing a problem rather than socializing it, so you and other conservatives should dig that. i don't understand why you don't. if the FMW went to $10.25/hr, people in LA would still have to share rentals, but at least they could afford an average apartment. Just to put it all in perspective..I remeber minimum wage was .50...then went to .75.....No I am not close to 90....about 60 years or less ago..give or take a bit..."come a long way baby"...isn't that the way the Virginia ASlims commercial went..along those lines...
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fishy999
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Post by fishy999 on Aug 25, 2015 20:38:20 GMT -5
The solution is further insanity- not good enough to cram 8 people in sardine style- time to go ultra tiny and modernize- who really needs more than 100 square feet anyway. Worker dorms with shared areas- would be awesome to pay $650 a month for a cubby hole- wonder what the comps are on that- talking Japanese style 30 square feet hotel/mausoleum style digs. At some point I would rather be homeless. I would buy a bus ticket to some area that is more reasonable.
Saw a show on HGTV called a Sale of two Cities- had no idea people were fine paying a million dollars for a one bedroom apartment disguised as a condo. No thanks.
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Aug 25, 2015 20:44:41 GMT -5
The problem is the same faced by everyone in that area (and other HCOLA places like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago). It's a nice, warm temperate area. People want to live there. It's going to be expensive, even for those that have a job. Surprisingly, if you look at the stats Chicago had a 5% homeless rate. I had to combine two sources to come to that - not sure I believe the numbers: www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/suburbanstats.org/population/illinois/how-many-people-live-in-chicagoWhat do you propose as a solution? More money from bankrupt coffers? Should people who are positive contributors to society have to bear an even greater burden so people can be subsidized in HCOLA's? I note you never hear about the homeless problems in small towns where housing is cheap. I have family in small farming towns. They can't get enough workers and houses can be had for less than $30k. Yea, it's not exciting and you won't get people to put money in your cup so you can buy booze, but I at least think it would be better than life on the streets. Oh don't worry. There's plenty of poverty in small towns, too. Especially among the older folks who are leaning towards retirement age. If you can't get a full time job, poverty & homelessness is just steps away... if we don't get a handle on medical costs in the US, most of us will die poor.
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Aug 25, 2015 21:48:12 GMT -5
what actually is a "unskilled " worker...
Someone who doesn't care enough to show up and/or do the job they are being paid to do to the best of their ability.
Personal responsibility is a skill.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 25, 2015 22:12:45 GMT -5
what actually is a "unskilled " worker...
Someone who doesn't care enough to show up and/or do the job they are being paid to do to the best of their ability. Personal responsibility is a skill. Responsibility is a personality trait and not a skill. Hammering a nail into a board is a skill. Building a house is a skill. So here is an unbiased definition of unskilled work or labor: DEFINITION of 'Unskilled Labor' A segment of the work force associated with a low skill level or a limited economic value for the work performed (human capital). Unskilled labor is generally characterized by low education levels and small wages. Work that requires no specific education or experience is often available to workers who fall into the unskilled labor force. INVESTOPEDIA EXPLAINS 'Unskilled Labor' Unskilled labor provides a significant part of the overall labor market, performing daily production tasks that do not depend on technical abilities or skills. Menial or repetitive tasks are typical unskilled labor positions. Jobs that can be fully learned in less than 30 days often fall into the unskilled labor category. Definition of Unskilled Labor/Worker
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Aug 25, 2015 23:38:23 GMT -5
just because a person is doing menial work does not give an employer the right to pay them starvation wages, imo.
the employer has no such right, in the absolute. he only has the rights we give him, as a nation.
choices.
in Indonesia, they seem to think it is fine paying 1/3 of poverty wages as minimum wage.
i don't want us to become Indonesia. do you?
choices.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 26, 2015 8:18:33 GMT -5
Oh don't worry. There's plenty of poverty in small towns, too
There is rampant poverty in a lot of the smaller rural Nebraska towns and Iowa too. Meth is a huge problem out there as well. I suppose if you want to be Walter White there is a job out there for you.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 26, 2015 12:00:54 GMT -5
The problem is the same faced by everyone in that area (and other HCOLA places like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago). It's a nice, warm temperate area. People want to live there. It's going to be expensive, even for those that have a job. Surprisingly, if you look at the stats Chicago had a 5% homeless rate. I had to combine two sources to come to that - not sure I believe the numbers: www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/suburbanstats.org/population/illinois/how-many-people-live-in-chicagoWhat do you propose as a solution? More money from bankrupt coffers? Should people who are positive contributors to society have to bear an even greater burden so people can be subsidized in HCOLA's? I note you never hear about the homeless problems in small towns where housing is cheap. I have family in small farming towns. They can't get enough workers and houses can be had for less than $30k. Yea, it's not exciting and you won't get people to put money in your cup so you can buy booze, but I at least think it would be better than life on the streets. I live in a small town with cheap housing. The local police also have a zero tolerance for loitering and will pick up homeless people and drop them at the county line. Our local churches have organized a food bank for poor people, but there is no homeless shelter (although you will spend the night in jail if you try to sleep in the local park - unless they just go ahead and drop you at the county line). To be poor in a rural area, you need, at a minimum, a car so you can get between the grocery store, your minimum wage job (if you can find one - most of the fast food/grocery store clerk jobs are occupied by the high school kids), the government offices/post office at the center of the town, and back out to whatever trailer you're renting in the countryside. Even with a bike, that's a lot of miles to get across. At least in our small town, no public transit at all. If you're homeless in a city, on the other hand, there are usually shelters, urban churches offering free meals, easier access to government offices, and usually communities of other homeless people where you can find some meager security, all within walking or public transit distance. Being homeless anywhere is hard, but being homeless in a small town with no car and with Bubba the cop on your back, being homeless in a small town is harder.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 26, 2015 12:09:25 GMT -5
I just looked up FMR for Metro/County/LB:
0 bedroom: $913 1 bedroom: $1,103 2 bedroom: $ 1,424 3 bedroom: $1,926 4 bedroom: $2,145.
The average SSI payment is $600-$700 per month.
See the problem? yep. i see it here, too. if you use the 40% rule, here is what you get for gross annual income per household, and hourly wage: 0 bedroom: $27,400, $13.2, $13.2/person 1 bedroom: $33,000, $15.9, $15.9/person 2 bedroom: $42,700, $20.5, $10.25/person 3 bedroom: $57,800, $27.8, $9.30/person 4 bedroom: $64,400, $31, $7.75/person not fathoming how anyone can rent an apartment working for minimum wage. Both Asheville NC and Chattanooga TN, two relatively LCOL areas, have downtown areas where builders are erecting lots of very expensive condo units - but almost no housing for the middle class or poor people. I understand that builders make more money on the higher end units, but in the interests of having a balanced community (and for giving the waitresses and bartenders at the high end restaurants downtown the opportunity to actually live where they work) I don't know why, when the city issues building permits, they can't require the builders to also build a certain ratio of middle and lower income housing units, too. Say, for every million dollar condo you build in the heart of the ritzy downtown neighborhood, you have to also build 10 moderate priced town homes and one lower income apartment building in the less ritzy neighborhoods. Unless cities are only interested in expanding their high end neighborhoods and pushing all the middle and low income people out to the decaying suburbs...
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Aug 26, 2015 13:07:39 GMT -5
The problem is the same faced by everyone in that area (and other HCOLA places like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago). It's a nice, warm temperate area. People want to live there. It's going to be expensive, even for those that have a job. Surprisingly, if you look at the stats Chicago had a 5% homeless rate. I had to combine two sources to come to that - not sure I believe the numbers: www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/suburbanstats.org/population/illinois/how-many-people-live-in-chicagoWhat do you propose as a solution? More money from bankrupt coffers? Should people who are positive contributors to society have to bear an even greater burden so people can be subsidized in HCOLA's? I note you never hear about the homeless problems in small towns where housing is cheap. I have family in small farming towns. They can't get enough workers and houses can be had for less than $30k. Yea, it's not exciting and you won't get people to put money in your cup so you can buy booze, but I at least think it would be better than life on the streets. I live in a small town with cheap housing. The local police also have a zero tolerance for loitering and will pick up homeless people and drop them at the county line. Our local churches have organized a food bank for poor people, but there is no homeless shelter (although you will spend the night in jail if you try to sleep in the local park - unless they just go ahead and drop you at the county line). To be poor in a rural area, you need, at a minimum, a car so you can get between the grocery store, your minimum wage job (if you can find one - most of the fast food/grocery store clerk jobs are occupied by the high school kids), the government offices/post office at the center of the town, and back out to whatever trailer you're renting in the countryside. Even with a bike, that's a lot of miles to get across. At least in our small town, no public transit at all. If you're homeless in a city, on the other hand, there are usually shelters, urban churches offering free meals, easier access to government offices, and usually communities of other homeless people where you can find some meager security, all within walking or public transit distance. Being homeless anywhere is hard, but being homeless in a small town with no car and with Bubba the cop on your back, being homeless in a small town is harder. if you are homeless, you learn this pretty quickly. which is why you end up in the city.
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kittensaver
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We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 13:12:51 GMT -5
I live in a small town with cheap housing. The local police also have a zero tolerance for loitering and will pick up homeless people and drop them at the county line. Our local churches have organized a food bank for poor people, but there is no homeless shelter (although you will spend the night in jail if you try to sleep in the local park - unless they just go ahead and drop you at the county line). To be poor in a rural area, you need, at a minimum, a car so you can get between the grocery store, your minimum wage job (if you can find one - most of the fast food/grocery store clerk jobs are occupied by the high school kids), the government offices/post office at the center of the town, and back out to whatever trailer you're renting in the countryside. Even with a bike, that's a lot of miles to get across. At least in our small town, no public transit at all. If you're homeless in a city, on the other hand, there are usually shelters, urban churches offering free meals, easier access to government offices, and usually communities of other homeless people where you can find some meager security, all within walking or public transit distance. Being homeless anywhere is hard, but being homeless in a small town with no car and with Bubba the cop on your back, being homeless in a small town is harder. if you are homeless, you learn this pretty quickly. which is why you end up in the city. EXACTLY. There are some very practical reasons why homeless people flock to big cities.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Aug 26, 2015 13:51:09 GMT -5
So the places that have the resources to serve the population, keep attracting more of the population creating a greater shortage of resources?
Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I have a relative who lives in San Francisco. Biggest liberal there ever was who fully supported the city's initiative to eliminate homelessness.
Cash assistance was given with relatively little strings, multiple temporary housing sites set up and city wide programs put in place for outreach efforts.
What happened? There was a mass exodus of homeless to the city to be provided for (note not transitioned off of) by the public. Public parks where you used to be able to walk were now tent cities and you didn't feel safe going there during the day.
My liberal relative did a complete 180 when he saw what this did to his neighborhood. Nice waking up to someone sleeping on your patio who refuses to leave unless you give them some cash or food.
The more that was spent, the more were attracted. It's kinda hard walking by a group of these tents smelling weed and seeing booze bottles overflowing the garbage cans (and let's not talk about the used syringes laying around) thinking about how it's sad they don't have homes.
Maybe it's for a reason?
The last time I visited I was advised not to go to walking in certain parks by myself. I can handle panhandlers but I guess they're pretty aggressive?
Does this help or hurt by creating long term dependence? Even in SF where there was a focused outreach program relatively few transitioned out.
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