r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Garey_Coleman • 10d ago

Where are the homeless supposed to go?

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?

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u/External_Tart_ 10d ago

Why not become a criminal? If you see death as the only way out, embrace free will. I'm sorry about your situation.

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u/PaisleyLeopard 10d ago

This highlights a really good point. The situation we put people in causes crime, not the other way around as is generally assumed. Basically, we want to think that homeless people ‘deserve’ their situation because they’re all druggies and/or criminals—that way we don’t have to feel bad for the inhumane ways we deal with them. In reality, the majority of criminals and addicts started doing those things out of desperation, because they didn’t have better options. When we take care of people, they’re a helluva lot less likely to turn to crime or self medication.

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u/willydillydoo 10d ago

This is a very roses and unicorns view of crime. The vast majority of criminal aren’t committing crime out of desperation. At least not in the west

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u/Upset-Management-879 9d ago

It's astounding how every third reddit post is about billionaires and CEOs having to have committed crimes against humanity to get that rich but also insisting that being poor is the root cause of crime.

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u/PaisleyLeopard 9d ago

Different kinds of crime. Billionaires tend to commit white collar crimes on a massive scale, poor people commit more violent crimes and small scale theft.