vegemouse t1_j933b52 wrote
Reply to comment by barsoapguy in Opinion: RI ignoring the needs of people with mental illness, addiction concerns by greenhousecrtv
Sounds like you’ve never been homeless or talked to a homeless person. You’re assuming all homeless people are either on drugs or have mental health issues, which isn’t the case. And even if it were, throwing them in jail would do absolutely nothing except make it harder for them to find employment in the future. They’ve tried it in multiple places, and has never done anything to reduce homelessness. It basically just reinforces homeless and traps people in a cycle of poverty, mental health problems, or possibly further addiction. What you’re suggesting isn’t about solving the problem, it’s about punishing homeless people for simply not having a home.
Homeless people are members of society just like people who have homes. Look at the price of homes or apartments compared to the minimum wage, and tell me everyone that can’t afford a place to stay is just a drug addict.
barsoapguy t1_j9351fx wrote
You do understand that even if a person did have a home, getting so blasted out of your mind that you’re wandering around pissing yourself or just wearing undies would STILL be unacceptable right ?
vegemouse t1_j935gj9 wrote
You realize that housing first initiatives are one of the most successful methods of reducing homelessness that has been tried, right? People are significantly less likely to do drugs when provided with housing. There is actual data for this.
“Research shows that once a person has been stabilized in housing, they are much more successful in addressing the issues that caused them to become homeless in the first place.
In fact, given an adequate supply of affordable housing and appropriate support, research has shown that more than 90% of those who experience homelessness each year ultimately achieve self-sufficiency and never become homeless again.”
https://www.crossroadsri.org/housing-services/strategy-solutions/how-we-approach-homelessness
“Housing First programs also lead to reduced hospitalization and use of emergency health departments by people experiencing homelessness. A 2021 study found that Housing First programs decreased homelessness by 88% and improved housing stability by 41%, compared to Treatment First programs.”
https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Housing-First-Research.pdf
barsoapguy t1_j935qch wrote
There are different types of homeless out there ..
You or I without mental health or addiction issues could almost instantly be assisted with low cost housing and our problems solved.
I doubt it’s so easy for an addict.
vegemouse t1_j936c9b wrote
For 90% of all homeless people, including people with addiction, it is successful.
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