Quote:
Originally Posted by StEC
We need a massive infusion of cash into mental health supports (facilities, doctors, therapists, nurses, programs, medical leave, rehab centers, detox centers & care facilities for worst cases)
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I totally agree with you on this point, I don't think anyone can disagree there. The way we treat these people is appalling. They desperately need treatment, but we don't give it to them.
With that being said, unfortunately you have it completely backwards. People don't get down on their luck, lose their house because it was too expensive become homeless and then start using drugs. It's the exact opposite, they start using drugs when they had a job and a home. Then it became too expensive for them to sustain both their drug habit and housing, so they go to the streets because they are too addicted to quit their drugs. This is proven in data if you're willing to look.
These activist organizations in our city have a similar understanding to yours, that these are just regular people that are down on their luck. And for some reason that I cannot understand, completely ignore the hardcore drug addiction that 99.9999% of these people suffer from.
The mentality that these homeless people are just victims of the high cost of living in this country does nothing but perpetuates the problem. The truth can make us feel uncomfortable, I get it. It's easier to see someone as a victim, than to confront the problem head on. But the vast vast majority of homeless people have done it to themselves, through hardcore drug addition. That is literally the number one confession of every homeless person once they get back on their feet.
Regarding a new thread just for this topic - it's a good idea, but it's been tried before. This topic comes up organically in various development threads, and I don't think we'll be able to stop that, which I think is fine. In this thread, it happened to come up because we were talking about the lovely benches they are installing in front. It will happen again in other threads. It's a topic that makes people uncomfortable, but unfortunately it's an issue in this city - especially in the downtown core, and people want to discuss it. Putting up a luxury condo across the street from a homeless shelter is going to be an obvious point of discussion.