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/UniqueSaucer 9d ago

Addiction recovery isn’t a one and done thing. After this jail recovery time you’re recommending they have to want to continue to stay clean. It takes effort and if you didn’t want to recover in the first place, it won’t take long to fall back into it.

I have family members with drug addictions, you can’t force them to stay clean because they don’t want to. Yes, they’ve done time. No, they didn’t stay clean.

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u/Eudaimonics 9d ago

Yes, that’s where the long term comes into play. Right now most treatments don’t actually take individuals away from the environments that enable drug use and exacerbate mental health issues so relapse rates are high.

Way better than cycling through jail cells racking up criminal convictions making it impossible to find work or housing.

I don’t believe people are a lost cause.

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u/UniqueSaucer 9d ago

Long term treatments only work if people WANT to stay clean. You’re assuming they all want to stay clean and that’s definitely not always the case. If the individual doesn’t have a desire to clean up and commit to long term treatment and improvements then it won’t happen.

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u/Eudaimonics 9d ago

What’s your solution, just let them die on the streets?

Also, stop generalizing. There’s TONs of cases of people getting and staying clean. Even if some are a lost cause at least they’d be off the streets in a safe environment.

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u/UniqueSaucer 9d ago

The reality is there is no solution. That’s just a fact, you can’t force people to change if they don’t want to. You can offer as much support as you want but until they want to take it, there’s nothing that can be done. Some people will choose that life and forcing them into rehab programs they don’t want to participate is just wasting energy.

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u/RemoteRide6969 8d ago

People really truly cannot comprehend the fact that you can't help someone who isn't willing to help themselves until they experience it first hand. Those people need date a person with a serious drug or alcohol problem which is negatively impacting their life and health and then try to get them to quit. After a while, they might get it.

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u/UniqueSaucer 8d ago

Yes, you can definitely tell who has not spent extended amounts of time around addiction and those with no desire to change.

There’s no amount of money, time, or begging and pleading that can fix some people. They truly have to hit rock bottom and even then…..some people are perfectly fine with rock bottom as long as they continue to get their fix.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

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u/UniqueSaucer 8d ago

You can get drugs in jail. If there’s a will, there’s a way. You have to change the will and the only person who can do that is the individual themself.