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Stiggalicious t1_jcnku9f wrote

I have built some of these homes in San Jose for their bridge housing communities. They aren’t much, but they have a bed, a shelf, an outlet, a light, heating & cooling, insulation, and most importantly, a lockable door.

It’s truly one of the most emotionally moving experiences when you get to move the complete home onto the actual site, usually past existing tent encampments. Knowing that you had a part in building someone’s first safe place to sleep in many years is one of the best feelings of gratitude and satisfaction.

These communities, though often are fought against by the surrounding communities, are one of the most effective and efficient ways to successfully and permanently pull people out of chronic homelessness.

If you live in a city that is building or considering building one of these, please help support the effort! Volunteer to build, attend public meetings, and spread the word.

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oboshoe t1_jcn64xj wrote

I'm curious how much has been reduced to date?

i think great that he predicts 15% in the future, but he should be not afraid of bragging the results already achieved.

i think that number would be very uplifting.

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Jtsansuey t1_jcoze0b wrote

It’s not bragged about because it wouldn’t be uplifting, the homeless problem just continuously gets worse down here. More trash and literal shit on the streets in all the major cities. Even nicer areas are seeing an increase in homeless. They don’t fix anything they just relocate the homeless. I saw it multiple times while going to college in riverside. All the homeless would get rounded up in white cargo vans by govt workers and dropped off a city or two over like in corona, etc.

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beresonable t1_jcnfctz wrote

I'm curious about how much the problem has grown since we started pouring money into building shelters for the people who are suffering from mental health issues and drug abuse without requiring mental health intervention and drug treatment programs. It seems like the more money we pour into making the lifestyle of drug use easier without requiring resources to help the core issue is called enabling, homelessness has been exploding and getting worse with every day and the more money we put into these programs the worse it gets, what accomplishments should he brag about? The problem of drug abuse abuse is rampant and if you see the conditions in these homeless encampments it is inhumane, there are needles absolutely everywhere, carpeting the ground with thousands of needles, the sight is unreal, people shooting up in the open, smoking drugs off foil in the open. If there's any chance to get the situation under control we have to get to the root of the problem which is drug abuse, no amount of tiny homes will put a dent in the problem without a serious effort in helping them with their mental health and drug addiction.

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phatelectribe t1_jcnv23h wrote

I would guess zero % reduction. Lack of shelters isn’t the issue - apparently there are always spare beds and ample capacity because they are not allowed to take drugs in the shelter and most would prefer to be high and on the street than safe and going the high cold Turkey. We need mental health facilities and drug rehab programs.

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beresonable t1_jco2gze wrote

Unfortunately I have first hand experience in seeing these homeless encampments because I work for a major utility company in a major Westcoast city and when we have to go into these homeless encampments to make necessary repairs we can't do our work or even investigate the utility breaks until we have a hazmat contractor clean up all the needles and human excrement first, it feels gross working in these places and I can't imagine how people live there, allowing people to live like that is not compassion but rather turning a blind eye to the greater issue of drug addiction and a injustice to the poor souls so spun out on drugs that they are fine with these living conditions, meanwhile homeless advocates call this freedom of choice and urban camping, don't get me wrong I'm all for freedom of choice but when it starts affecting the local community with crime and unsanitary conditions in poor neighborhoods where children have to walk through to get to school or their friends house that's where I draw the line. Furthermore there's a reason why I'm so passionate about this subject, I just lost a girlfriend who I was with for 10 years she was going to college for a degree she was passionate about and was interning at a firm related to her studies but she dropped out and quit the internship which I was fine with, I supported her in finding something that would interest her and make her happy, unfortunately about a year ago I realized she was self medicating with meth and I gave her a ultimatum of get mental help from a therapist to figure out why she was doing the drugs or it's over, she got help and was seeing someone twice a week and was doing well, she got a job again and was on the path to recovery but acouple months ago she relapsed and was acting strange, I asked her if she was using again and she denied it, even though I didn't believe her I felt I had to take her word for it and hope I was wrong and trust that she would come to me for help since we've been together for so long, my work involves working extremely long hours and one day after a 22hr shift I came home to her in bed with some guy smoking meth and I lost it, I kicked her out and told her to never call me or contact me ever again. I was and am heart broken, I've been in touch with her family and last I heard she was seen in one of those homeless encampments, as much as I try, I can't stop thinking about her or her well-being even though I don't want anything to do with her anymore, and I fear every day of the news that she overdosed and is gone, she has a family that cares about her greatly and misses her but with her addiction she blames everyone around her for her shortcomings, everyone in that situation is so spun out and hurting mentally that they they refuse help from the ones that care about them the most and fall deeper into their addiction. Don't be lured into thinking that you are helping them by providing housing and safe drug use facilities. I can't help but feel guilty for letting her live with me rent free and without responsibility to help her recovery, instead I was an enabling her and that's on me I should have been more aware of the situation and insisted on her having responsibility for paying for a portion of the rent and other bills and being a responsible person. That's something I'll have to live with and learn from. Long story short letting someone who is suffering from mental illness and drug addiction continue with that lifestyle isn't helping them, it's allowing them them to kill themselves slowly and painfully while feeling good about helping them.

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riggo199BV t1_jcptne5 wrote

txs for sharing. I have a sister with a similar story. Years of this behavior...providing housing only, NEVER works. So sorry you had to go through this.

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beresonable t1_jdg13l4 wrote

Thanks for the kind words, it's been tough but I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I'm less stressed, I'm enjoying the time to myself and not constantly worrying about someone else and focusing on myself. Sorry your sister had to go through that, it's a painful experience but teaches you alot about your self and other people.

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Cats_and-Crochet t1_jcpb25x wrote

Out of curiosity, have you looked into the success rates of mandatory drug testing/treatment/sobriety being a condition for housing? It'd hardly be the first time we've tried making that a condition for benefits--should be plenty of feel-good stories.

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bogglingsnog t1_jcm8r42 wrote

I've been waiting for CA to try this ever since Utah had that experimental village program!

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Downtown-Cress-5202 t1_jcocvex wrote

One part of the problem addressed. Reducing the pain of drug withdrawal would probably be next

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DatSkellington t1_jcnkygx wrote

Yeah, well, that leaves 85% of the LARGEST UNHOUSED POPULATION in the country. I have much sympathy for folks without housing but it is becoming a quality of life issue for our communities as a whole. Meanwhile billionaire and corporations pay little to no taxes while they beg for subsidies and sweetheart deals to relocate sports teams and factories. We need to reassess our priorities…

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ExjwReborn t1_jcps3cd wrote

I mean, we here in California could do better, but it’s definitely a start. It’s better than nothing.

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Techutante t1_jcnjk6h wrote

Only another 120k to go!

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Gloomy_Possession-69 t1_jcoy0x6 wrote

Homelessness in our modern society is inexcusable. Thank goodness for people doing what they can to help.

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xplotosphoenix t1_jcp8isv wrote

1500 may only cover Union Square and The Tenderloin. Think bigger.

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DespressoCafe t1_jcpu1bd wrote

I'm curious whether they can keep that up or not.

Cali has had a nasty habit of trying to keep the homeless "out of sight" without helping them.

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Dont_know_nothin0 t1_jcmk28e wrote

Where’s the statistics for those that commit suicide awaiting a place to live in. Could be included in the article.

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