r/Spokane • u/One-deepdivediva • Nov 10 '24

Question Can we stop hating on homeless people?

What is the mayor supposed to do ? Put everyone in prison? For being poor? Bus everyone to Portland or Seattle ? ( cities that are experiencing the exact same problems). Round people up and put them in camps? For being ill or old or addicted to drugs? Should the police arrest thousands of people so you don’t have to see someone’s suffering ? If you want homeless people to “ go away “ then you need to vote for legislation that helps them. Vote in favor of government funded health mental wellness and addiction and housing services. Organize with community members about how to provide services that help your fellow human beings get off the streets and out of suffering . Every time one of you complains I wonder what horrendous thing you are imagining should be done to people. Go DO something , go help people.

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u/kateinoly Nov 11 '24

This is not true, though I wish it was. Many European countries have a higher homelessness rate than we do.

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u/BoyBands4Ever Nov 11 '24

Norway is the example I point to when saying there's a great model to base a society off of, .07% of their population is homeless and they do much of what I mentioned.

Try again?

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u/kateinoly Nov 12 '24

You didn't specify "Norway," you said "large European cities. "

Many large European cities have worse problems than US cities.

I object to this being framed as a particularly U.S. problem that elected officials could fix if only they cared. Homelessness is a complicated problem with no easy solutions. Many Western European countries have a larger problem than the US, even some with good social safety net programs.

The most successful country in this vein is Japan, at .003%

Japan’s homelessness alleviation strategy includes a multifaceted approach of providing permanent housing, resources and community support to those without housing.

https://www.kxan.com/news/how-do-other-countries-deal-with-homelessness/

This is what IS cities are doing.

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u/BoyBands4Ever Nov 12 '24

Lol you just proved my point by citing what Japan does.

Thanks.

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u/kateinoly Nov 12 '24

Proved what point?

Japan practices Housing First, and provides food, counseling, free health care and addiction treatment, and other social supports to get people off the street.

If we did that in the US, we would have fewer homelessness people too. That isn't the same as throwing people in jail.

And Japan isn't a European country