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/Lost-Willingness-220]

This doesn't answer the exact question, but from my time living in Southern California, I'd put the homeless in that area in these categories: 1. Truly mentally ill people, 2. People hardcore addicted to drugs and alcohol who can't hold down a job, 3. People temporarily suffering a devastating financial situation who lost their home/apt, 4. Adults/children fleeing an abusive relationship with no where to go,/ Victims fleeing human / sex trafficking, 5. Creative people who want to be the next Jack Kerouac like the Christopher McCandless of "Into the Wild", Lil Peep, 6. Recent college grads not ready for adult life who want beachfront tent living. 7. Grifters: I know personally a few high school kids and MLM folks who live in their car or sleep on someone's couch for a few days so they can check the box "Have you ever been homeless?" on the college app or use the rags to riches story to hook people into their MLM.

[u/[deleted] → u/Lost-Willingness-220]

Yes. There are too many variables to create a one-size solution.

[u/AcademicSense9779 → u/[deleted]]

Yep that’s why there is multiple solutions to Californias homeless problem.

By the above categories: 1 and 2 are the most problematic and hardest to deal with. Mentally ill need to have doctors but more importantly be forced to stay on their meds. Addicts won’t get clean until they want to. (So only solution currently is prison until they finally decide to get clean or stay on meds as you can’t force them to get/do better)

3- shelters that don’t allow drugs (safe from addicts and mentally unwell usually as you need gov ID and such), programs to help them find jobs(if losses job), soup kitchens, and if continues to persist food snaps, low income housing(section8), a couple of other programs that I can’t remember, they usually are homeless for 3-6months but depending on timing up to 1-1/2years (some of the programs go off of last years taxes)

4- shelters and hotlines dedicated to these issues, various programs dedicated to these issues plus all the things for 3

5- most get bored of it 1-2 years(problem solves itself) the lifers become a problem when they group up in tents and try to make a place that is not their home as their home(solution disperse them so they can’t get “comfortable”-they don’t own that property so they shouldnt be allowed to act like they do)

6- not really homeless but 0-1year of free vacation (problem solves itself as they want a better life)

7-fake homeless/ their are many homeless rings that ask for money and are organized but aren’t actually homeless but just appear to be, its a job(never ever give money to them)

3-4 are the people that everyone wants to help but some programs can only help them after a year(dependent on last years taxes) which is the biggest obstacle because of all the people in 5-7 are also trying to get this funding which is what no tax payer wants to fund(anyone in the 5-7 categories trying to receive free stuff are trash but ones in3-4 are not as that’s who it’s for)

1-2 are the biggest issue and cause the biggest problems with 5-7 the next group

[u/Lost-Willingness-220 → u/AcademicSense9779]

Thank you for the detail and rules--that was helpful 😊