Where are the homeless supposed to go?

[u/Garey_Coleman]

Cities have been cracking down on homeless people so they can’t have encampments or stay on sidewalks. At the same time usually the shelters are full. So those who are unable to get into a shelter, where are they supposed to go?

[u/Ok_Cod4125]

I have found it is a mix of both those things. Some don't want to go to the shelter because their stuff can not be stored and it is at risk of being stolen or trashed. Shelters also can be dangerous, so some folks would rather risk being in a hidey hole they have made for themselves in the woods or a building. And some do not want to abide by the shelter rules, so stay on the street. However, where I am, the teen shelter and women's shelter is full. Teenagers and women have to risk getting to the shelter and finding out there isn't a space, and then try to get back to their previous spot, hoping it hasn't been taken.

[u/Possible_Resolution4 → u/Ok_Cod4125]

You also can’t get high in a shelter. On the street you can do what you want.

[u/FrankNumber37 → u/Possible_Resolution4]

A lot of homeless folk are addicted to drugs because doing drugs takes the edge off the horror of living in the streets. We would never expect a housed person to kick drugs cold turkey with no support, but then we act like it's a choice to not go to the shelter.

[u/StormMaleficent6337 → u/FrankNumber37]

I was homeless in my early 20s after college

Let me tell you, you don’t want druggies and drunkards in homeless shelters

Mostly because it’s very unfair for the non-addicts who are just homeless and have to live there

The drunks start drinking around noon, every single day… they puke in the bathrooms, they puke in the kitchen and dining area, they puke in the hallways and the lobby… they puke outside on the steps and surrounding sidewalks… they piss all over the bathroom floor and then stumble out, sometimes just passing out in the hallway and not even making it back to heir bunk

The addicts are probably not as bad… they just want to shoot up dope and enter their self-medicated state of bliss in their bed and be left alone… but the problem with them is once they start using again, when they start to get withdrawals, it can be really bad… they’ll be ranting and raving all day and night about crazy shit, they’ll do anything and steal anything to get money for their next needle to feed their arm, and they beg and cry to social workers 24/7

Usually the drunks and addicts get kicked out quickly enough and enter rehab programs somewhere else… then after rehab they are back in some shelter, and they repeat this process forever until they die or by some miracle they get subsidized shelter after being on the list for a while

Human life, this is it… I’m just glad I never had kids and added to all this insanity