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What do we know about Colorado's war on the homeless? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The holiday debates have begone.

"Only two people signed up for this tiny home program. The rest said they like being homeless."

I have the logic, but not living in Colorado, I don't have the facts. I do know they're playing a game of shuffle board with their homeless population after some quick investigation, but nothing specific to the claim. I'll get the article in reference if I can.

But man, how hard is it to accept that no one "wants" to be homeless.

This doesn't make it sound like Denver isn't doing its best.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 11 months ago (2 children)

There is a good article about one in Boulder

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/homeless-boulder-rare-summer-count/

It is the same story all over. People are experiencing mental health and substance abuse issue, the rent is too damn high and become unhoused. Temporary unhoused shelters are never a good solution, because they are not safe. A lot of unhoused people feel safer sitting in open public space than cramped up in shelters with other unhoused people, especially in places where the weather is usually manageable like Colorado.

The solution is to build permanent apartment for the unhoused, so they can live with dignity without rent burden. And then most people can work on other aspects of their lives, like finding a job, getting an education, etc. But why would the private sector build permanent housing for people who don't have money? They would rather buy 3-4 houses in a row, bulldoze them and build a luxury apartment complex for the techbros in the city.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This is good info. It sure doesn't sound like they're doing any kind of end-to-end care here.

According to some reports, they've built these tiny sheds that make FEMA tents look luxurious.
They're only allowed to be in these spaces or shelters for 14 days. I can't think of how anyone could turn their life around in 14 days.
They are setting arbitrary benchmarks and doing a piss poor job measuring those benchmarks (potentially counting people twice, also forcing people out of shelters to accommodate new people in shelters)
Most people who are homeless suffer from some form of disability. Which includes some form of substance abuse.
They do not provide enough material assistance for people with those disabilities. Substance Abuse is a lifelong affliction that needs long term care and assistance.
Shelters are overcrowded, only for a limited capacity, smelly, and unsafe.
Most can not get work because of how unkempt they are, and it does not appear they get any assistance in that regard.
Many face violence from cops and property theft when their encampments are cleared out.

So "They say they like being homeless" is really "They would rather be on the street." and that seems to be because....

They feel unsafe in the shelters.
- More likely to be attacked or assaulted with so many desperate people in such a tight place.
They are only in shelters for a limited time anyway, and could get kicked out to make room for more people.
Being outside is often safer because people are more spread out, and they are visible, making the risk of being assaulted lower.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ah. "Means testing" strikes again. (that's how I refer to "arbitrary and draconian requirements to be allowed to access" if that's wrong please correct me) It's always the part that people leave out of the "homeless people would rather be homeless" thing that fascists say. That they WOULD take shelter... if it was offered with no strings attached (and it never is).

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

Having to beg for shelter and then still having to share private space in an unsafe living conditions sucks. If we give unhoused people some dignity, just give them a studio apartment and the key to it, free of use, no judgement, I'm sure a lot of them can pull themselves up. It takes considerable mental toll on unhoused people to never have a peace of mind in your own safe space. People understandably become more and more unhinged, lose their social skills and trust in society the longer they stay out being unhoused.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 months ago

Boulder has a height limit on bldgs in the city (unless you're fucking Google) so shitty McMansions are what's being built after scraping a few lots