Do you think the homeless situation in west coast cities will ever get better?

[destroycreate]

I'm not going to lie--I'm getting super frustrated with the filth and squalor being allowed all over west coast cities. I feel like you aren't even allowed to express this openly without being labeled a hateful, heartless pig. I do have compassion for the homeless, and hate our fucked up cowboy capitalist society for enabling these inequities.

But should we not be allowed to be upset seeing needles scattered about on residential sidewalks?
Express disdain for bulky encampments with massive items like refrigerators taking up entire portions of the sidewalk in middle class neighborhoods?
Disgust for open air toilets?

A massive, shanty encampment right next to my apartment complex (originally right outside our lobby, the dude was hoping for our leasing office to pay him to go away) in Koreatown recently went up in flames. Cooking Crystal Meth inside was the culprit. Who knows if this could've caused a massive explosion--what I can tell you is that the blackened encampment was left in the open and untouched by the city for upwards of 2 weeks.

I get that people need a tent and to be able to live somewhere, but I don't like that a free for all is being allowed, where people can set up shop just anywhere. Seriously, hardworking families with children shouldn't have to have their kids step over squalor and drug dens to wait for the school bus. In my part of LA, it's the norm. Why can't we designate certain areas better?

It just seems like this is only going to get worse with every year, despite more money being thrown at the issue than ever before. IMO, it's really affecting quality of life out here. Do we think this issue will ever be resolvable?

[iheartthed]

I think residents of west coast cities should solve the problems that they complain about incessantly. And I think the rest of us are tired of hearing about those problems.

[destroycreate]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I think residents of west coast cities should solve the problems that they complain about incessantly. And I think the rest of us are tired of hearing about those problems.

Did you intentionally set out to start your day this obnoxiously?

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

Did you intentionally set out to start your day this obnoxiously?

Continuously whining about homeless people spoiling your idyllic city is the epitome of obnoxious.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I think residents of west coast cities should solve the problems that they complain about incessantly. And I think the rest of us are tired of hearing about those problems.

The answer is to vote for new leaders that are less concerned about "wokeness" and more concerned with....

DOING

THEIR

GODDAMNED

JOBS

[the urban politician]

Luckily in Chicago, despite the SJW nature of the newest breed of leaders, we've got an automatic anti-homelessness program.

It's called:

It's going to be -6 degrees F this upcoming Saturday!

[James Bond Agent 007]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Luckily in Chicago, despite the SJW nature of the newest breed of leaders, we've got an automatic anti-homelessness program.

It's called:

It's going to be -6 degrees F this upcoming Saturday!

Yup. The main reason homelessness on the west coast is such a problem is the mild weather.

Forecast for Sunday morning:



Forecast for a week from Saturday:



Here in KC we have a moderate homeless problem. It would probably be better if KC didn't have one of the milder Midwest climates.

[Steely Dan]

One of those rare moments when those of us in the upper midwest can brag about our harsh winters.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

The answer is to vote for new leaders that are less concerned about "wokeness" and more concerned with....

DOING

THEIR

GODDAMNED

JOBS

This. In LA, we need to get rid of Garcetti who enables this bullshit and doesn't allow anyone to do anything. Any homeless person can put up a tent anywhere and we have to accept it. No recourse

[ChrisLA]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

This. In LA, we need to get rid of Garcetti who enables this bullshit and doesn't allow anyone to do anything. Any homeless person can put up a tent anywhere and we have to accept it. No recourse

Something big must have happened in my LA neighborhood of Woodland Hills as of the last 8 or 9 months the homeless seemed to all but disappeared. In fact I’ve noticed all of the underpass along the 101 in the west valley have been cleared of tents. I know there is a lot of money in this area so someone pulled some strings.

I can also add that I grew up in Watts and the east side of south central, by the way was the poorest parts of the hood, and never did you see homeless people penetrating the residential areas of the neighborhood. Yes we had wino’s (old saying) who hang out by the liquor stores but that’s it. Even those were only 3 or 4 on most days and usually it was someone’s relative in the hood so we knew many of them.

The homeless problem is out of control but it is still mainly concentrating in central city neighborhoods. Still 95% of the metro area you won’t see a trace of homelessness. I just drove downtown LA today and one you pass the Hollywood district along the 101 freeway it’s just in your face. All of what used to be beautiful landscaping along the freeway is nothing but hundreds of tents. It’s not something you can easily miss, I can only just imagine what a visitor would think seeing this in one of the the most popular tourist city in the world in the richest country in the world.

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by ChrisLA

Something big must have happened in my LA neighborhood of Woodland Hills as of the last 8 or 9 months the homeless seemed to all but disappeared. In fact I’ve noticed all of the underpass along the 101 in the west valley have been cleared of tents. I know there is a lot of money in this area so someone pulled some strings.

Probably all went down to Venice beach.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I think residents of west coast cities should solve the problems that they complain about incessantly. And I think the rest of us are tired of hearing about those problems.

Ya, that's real fair. Let us pay for all the crack heads from around the country who come here. Fucking bullshit. Enough of the coddling of these people on the streets. 90% are mentally ill or on drugs. Letting them die in the streets because a few advocates continue to sue cities and hamstring every attempt to rectify these issues is insanity. Thankfully, judge Carter in LA is about to lay down the hammer

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Ya, that's real fair. Let us pay for all the crack heads from around the country who come here. Fucking bullshit. Enough of the coddling of these people on the streets. 90% are mentally ill or on drugs. Letting them die in the streets because a few advocates continue to sue cities and hamstring every attempt to rectify these issues is insanity. Thankfully, judge Carter in LA is about to lay down the hammer

Yea, I think things will change with Carter. I thimk improvements will start this year.

[photoLith]

I don’t know anything about LA politics. But here in Pittsburgh there’s rarely a homeless person to be seen, let alone homeless camps; except for the rare ones that pop up in the summer under overpasses. But that’s because it’s so cold here in the winter.

I don’t know what regular people should do except vote out the idiots who’ve let it get that way in LA and Seattle etc. Provide housing for the homeless and or set aside giant areas in the woods for the homeless on the outskirts and not allow homeless encampments in neighborhoods.

[mhays]

Yes, and we can make a lot of progress if we want.

We can establish reasonable places for tents, with sanitation.

Then we can make sure no tent blocks a sidewalk, and there are no garbage piles.

[destroycreate]

Originally Posted by mhays

Yes, and we can make a lot of progress if we want.

We can establish reasonable places for tents, with sanitation.

Then we can make sure no tent blocks a sidewalk, and there are no garbage piles.

I would be all for this. Not sure why it seems so damn impossible for cities to enforce.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I would be all for this. Not sure why it seems so damn impossible for cities to enforce.

^ Because there are no consequences, politically, for leaders who allow this to happen.

For example, did you vote for the current Mayor and council members?

If so, then that's basically the problem.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

One of those rare moments when those of us in the upper midwest can brag about our harsh winters.

^ Yeah, the killing of bugs and the clearance of homelessness, as well as a temporary slowdown in rioting/looting and all of the douchery that comes along with it are some of the few benefits that come with a freezing cold winters.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

Do we think this issue will ever be resolvable?

As long as your cities enable this shit...no. I think there should be assistance provided to the poor and destitute but they should not be allowed to squat on public property in tent cities indefinitely. I never visited Skid Row in LA but SF was pretty gross. We have a problem with it here in Texas as well but the local governments are more hardlined about it and routinely clears these camps out. Well, except for Austin who is at odds with the state on how to deal with their homeless.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by JManc

As long as your cities enable this shit...no. I think there should be assistance provided to the poor and destitute but they should not be allowed to squat on public property in tent cities indefinitely. I never visited Skid Row in LA but SF was pretty gross. We have a problem with it here in Texas as well but the local governments are more hardlined about it and routinely clears these camps out. Well, except for Austin who is at odds with the state on how to deal with their homeless.

Austin vs Houston is interesting. A lot homeless camps in the former and more panhandling in the latter from my experience.