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female
age
30-35,
*osephy
writes:Hi, everybody well, I know that my question may not related to this site by any way (a site for social advice would be great). but since you are all active and like answering questions. I'd like to know your views on the issue of homelessness. So why do you think Many communities deny that there are any homeless among them at all? and why most of us assume that homeless are bad people?thanks a lot Reply to this Question
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reader, anonymous, writes (28 November 2010): I'm sure there are a ton of reasons as to why they would choose street. There was a time when someone close to me was experiencing homelessness, and she refused to stay for long at certain shelters because of the sorts of people she encountered there and did not want to be associated with (mainly the hard ex-or current- drug- addicts). Her pride made her choose to sleep outside.
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female
reader, josephy +, writes (27 November 2010):
josephy is verified as being by the original poster of the question wow, bernard. what an answer.lol
Thanks everyone. that's really helped
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female
reader, 0000BraveHeart0000  +, writes (27 November 2010):
People are different in many ways. Some homeless people may choose the streets because they have more freedom. They get to go through the garbages for food, ask people on the streets for money and it could be because most of them are mentally ill. If they were in a shelter, their freedom maybe limted, they may not be able to do the things which they are accustomed to doing.
I think it would be best for them to live in a shelter though, as this would improve their situation in many ways. My country is trying to implement the shelter system now.
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reader, josephy +, writes (27 November 2010):
josephy is verified as being by the original poster of the questionhi, all
I've one more question on the issue of homelessness.What do you think could be the possible reasons for those homeless who choose street over shelter. why would some of the homeless refuse to go to shelter?
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female
reader, 0000BraveHeart0000 +, writes (26 November 2010):
In every country there is some form of poverty. The level of poverty is different for each and every country. In some countries, the standard of living line may stop at $500 dollars. This means that those below the line are considered to be living in poverty as they are not able to come close to having $500 dollars to meet the basic needs. So, if someone from a specified country says that poverty does not exist, they are either:
1) Uneducated about what is going on in the country. To gain these type of information, one must mingle or visit people in communities, not just believe what they hear on television. Questionnaires and Interviews are great for this
2) playing macho- because they want to be seen as great in the eyes of another person.
Poverty is seen as a bad thing in my country. The reason being is that, with increases in poverty may mean a rise in the death rate and infant mortality rate as the poverty-stricken individuals do not have the necessities needed for life such as proper health care, food, shelter etc.
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reader, josephy +, writes (26 November 2010):
josephy is verified as being by the original poster of the questionThe reason behind asking this question is that one of my friends (from another country) told me that in his country there's no homeless shelters at all. not because it's a poor country and can't provide shelters to homeless people but because most of the people there live in deny that they don't believe that there's any homeless at all in their society(especially locals homeless). "of course there are" as my friends said and he knows some.
Thank you very much for your answers
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reader, Plexi  +, writes (26 November 2010):
 IGNORANCE IS BLISS...........If you pretend something doesn't exist then maybe it will go away? Some people don't want to admit reality sometimes because then they might feel that they are expected to help out somehow to better the situation and they are too selfish to get involved or show interest in anything but themselves. Not all people are like this though, there are many good people still out there!
Why do some people view homeless people as bad? IGNORANCE!
It's easier to assume that someone lives on the street because they are lazy or drug/alcohol addicts or ex criminals who can't get jobs. It's a lot harder to put ourselves in someone else's shoes and imagine that maybe they just weren't dealt as good of a hand in life as the rest of us who do have homes and a bed to sleep in. I talked once to a bum who was always standing in front of my old work begging for money and he told me that he used to have a very good job that went belly up and his wife divorced him, his kids stopped talking to him, he lost the will to live and that is how he had ended up in that situation. He was such a nice, sweet man though!
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reader, anonymous, writes (25 November 2010): A lot of people prefer to ignore problems like that because they can't empathize.
I think most people just assume if they were ever faced with homelessness that they fight it and go to shelters, knock on every door they can to find a way of getting back into accommodation. They can't see how others are unable/unwilling to do that. So they just assume they're fools that choose to live that way.
They assume homeless people are bad people because they're very often dirty, drug addicted or alcohol addicted. They think they'll get mugged by them etc.
What they don't realize is that many homeless people only turn to drugs and alcohol after they become homeless and only as a means of survival. I had a homeless guy sleep in the corridor under the stairs of my apartment building with his jack russell it was only my apartment and another there the other one was unoccupied. We came to an agreement that he wouldn't come knock on my door unless he needed urgent medical or other such emergency and I wouldn't tell my landlady about it. He never bothered me, was always nice and friendly and loved when I arrived home on a friday or saturday night drunk because I'd always bring extra take away food back with me for him and we'd talk.
I learned that he became homeless after his wife and two children were killed in a road accident, he had lots of family and they tried to console him but he just couldn't bare seeing anyone or anything that reminded him of his loss. He ran and hid on the streets lost and alone. He only started drinking because he couldn't handle the cold and the fear of being attacked, he literally couldn't sleep at night without being drunk because he shivered too much and was always afraid. The only way was to get so drunk he passed out. That's actually the case with most homeless people.
The dog just started following him around while he was searching for food they became quite close. He actually kept himself quite clean using an outdoor tap we had and found a way of discreetly keeping the fire door open so he could get back in, although I had to let him in a few times when that failed. He was a very polite, intelligent guy and was even a jolly drunk.
He died a couple of years back from exposure or alcohol poisoning I think, but I remember seeing it in the paper, after I left that apartment the new tenants weren't as fond of having him there. I never understood why he didn't break into the vacant apartment and use that, because I lived there for over a year and it was never occupied in all that time, he said it was because he was not a criminal, even if the owner wanted to keep it empty that's their right, it's their property.
I guess that's another reason, is that the majority of homeless people really aren't proud of it and tend to keep themselves hidden, especially at night. Plus there are a lot of alcoholics that have homes but choose to spend their day in the city getting wasted drunk.
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reader, anonymous, writes (25 November 2010): Humans are prideful creatures, and when we see a fellow seemingly fallen from grace, many of us very unfortunately naturally start at the sight. We do not like to see gritty, we do not like dirty, we do not want to see suffering... we turn to the light and the shiny and bright, to idealism and to hope.
You will hear stories of people whose "Veteran" signs are a gimmick, or who "just spend it all on booze". These stories contribute to false stereotype. Of Course they are not true for a Great Part of the homeless population.
I cannot help but feel disapproval at people who (often due to these stereotypes)are offended at the thought ("the requirement") of giving to these street poor.
I would recommend printing out lists of addresses and directions to local shelters, food banks, community clinics, churches, and the benevolent like (perhaps also your own goodly samaritanote of encouragement) and keeping a store in your car and changepurse to offer alongside (if you're comfortable) your "spare change" (but actual bills, you understand, even if only 1's, are much less a chip to that human pride, which exists whole and pure in *every* soul, no matter the casing, cheesy as that does sound).
to Dignity,
Tante Victoire
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reader, anonymous, writes (25 November 2010): I think it it because most people can't really do anything to help them (nobody wants to invite a stranger to live with them), so it is either try to imagine how he feels and feel horrible about it or look the other way.
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reader, anonymous, writes (25 November 2010): Most people don't think those things. The wilfully ignorant do though
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reader, maverick494  +, writes (25 November 2010):
1. Only the naive and ignorant deny that homeless people live amongst us. I think most people (especially those in big cities) realize that homelessness is an issue everywhere in the world, even in 'rich' countries. So please tell me where you got the information that led to that assumption.
2. I don't think people assume homeless people are bad people. That said, a common perception where I live is that homeless people are homeless because they were a. too lazy to work, b.caught up in drugs and alcohol and/or c. got into over their heads in debt. All of these things are common causes of homelessness and often preventable. Therefore some people think homeless people "had it coming".
All that said, with the current economical crisis, people who used to have a good thing going for them (job, home, family) suddenly end up on the streets because they have no safety net when their jobs suddenly get taken from them. So I think that the common assumption about homelessness is changing a bit and that people realize that not everyone on the street has managed their lives in a bad way.
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