Do you find
the modern trend of the homeless setting up tents in public urban spaces disturbing? Should the government remove them at all costs,
or does their visibility help force the public to face the problem of
homelessness and its related causes? How
would you feel if your church (or another organization which you belong to)
decided to allow homeless people to camp on the premises?
Friday, March 22, 2024
Visibly Homeless
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The issue of homelessness and the presence of homeless individuals in public urban spaces is a complex problem. On one hand, the presence of homeless people in these spaces serves as a visible reminder of the need to address homelessness and its underlying causes. I believe it does that well, as it can help people imagine the reality of homelessness and the everyday struggle. Additionally, it can encourage action from the government and the public to provide support and resources for those in need.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there are concerns about public safety and sanitation. Governments may face pressure from the public to address these issues through policies aimed at removing tent encampments, at the expense of displacing homeless individuals without offering alternative housing. This is, I think, fundamentally wrong, as the primary government policies should aim to treat the causes of homelessness, like a lack of affordable housing. Furthermore, I've always believed that the lives of homeless people are already extremely desperate, and therefore, no measures should be taken that would exacerbate their hardships in any way.
I’ve been a part of a basketball organization for a considerable period, and while I don't see it as the most appropriate space for aiding the homeless, I believe they would be sincerely welcomed.
Although I'm not a part of any church organization, I think it would serve as an ideal space for the homeless, as aiding others aligns with their values. Some organizations may have concerns about hosting homeless individuals on their property, but I believe most would see it as a part of their mission to provide support to those in need. In the end, addressing homelessness requires an approach that involves collaboration between the government, communities, and individuals, where compassion and respect for the homeless are maintained.
-Elias
I think I agree with you on all of your points Elias. However I would like to add that it is not only important to help the homeless by giving them food and shelter but to teach them how to make financial decisions and help them get a job. We need to make the homeless a part of our society, not push them away from us. This means that the government also needs to ensure that there are jobs available for the homeless. With this addition I think it is much more likely for the homeless to earn for themselves and potentially find a living. While only providing for them is unsustainable and expensive, giving them a chance to provide for themselves can be beneficial for everybody. Once a person earns enough money to live a better quality life they are much more likely to keep up with this lifestyle than when they are given the money. What I am trying to say is we need to give the homeless basic necessities but also we need to teach them valuable life skills so one day they can live a better life and sustain it.
Delete- maria
Hi Eliáš, you provided some very good points, which I personally align myself with. Indeed, it is a very complex problem. You first pointed out how this can serve as a beacon to raise awareness about this issue, and its roots. By being in broad daylight, visible to everyone, it can help by-walkers imagine the “reality of homelessness and the everyday struggle”, which assuming people are empathetic, will be more sympathetic towards the homeless people, and those more active will try to help them and alleviate them from the struggle either through individual effort, or through pressuring the government to provide help. Unfortunately, I don’t think everyone is empathetic towards the homeless, and this can deepen their already existing negative predispositions towards homelessness. Often not realizing the state of desperateness these people find themselves in, their living condition, either visual or olfactory, can present them in a bad light and create more resentment.
DeleteI fully agree with you however, that displacing homeless people without offering alternative housing is fundamentally wrong, as it does not solve their problem, and only deepens their hardships. They will most likely just relocate to a different public space, and apart from causing extra logistical difficulties for these fragile individuals, we have not moved any closer to solving the problem.
I admire the fact that your basketball community would be keen enough to welcome homeless people in need. I don’t think many communities in Slovakia would do so. Apart from providing some food and old clothes, I don’t see the majority going much further. But as both you mentioned and article exemplified, church organizations can be great for providing a refuge for the homeless. From what I know, most abide by the slogan “love thy neighbor as thyself”, and are very caring people willing to help those in need. Therefore if they have not problem facilitating the homeless, the state should not intervene as it is the best place for them to thrive both from survival standpoint and moral.
-Michal
I pass through Kamenné Námestie on a daily basis and I always see homeless people sleeping on benches, talking in larger groups, or sometimes even talking to me. I have always wondered if they stay at this public area only during the day or throughout the night as well. As I got older and started staying at the city later in the day, I went through Kamenné Námestie many times during the night and never saw any homeless sleeping there. It appears that while they spend their day there, they go to spend the night somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteAround two years ago I worked as a volunteer in a homeless shelter which was opened to the homeless from the evening till the morning, a place where they could spend the night. The organisation that provides this and a few other shelters is called DePaul. While volunteering there for a couple of months, I have met some of the homeless people from Kamenné Námestie and found out that the homeless do in fact have a place to sleep, which I did not know about before.
I understand the position of the government and how having a lot of homeless people setting up camp in the city centre (or in the country in general) does not create the best image. Which is why I think that funding organisations such as DePaul is very beneficial for them. While I don't think that this way the homeless would not spend time (during the day) in the city, it creates an opportunity for them to have a place to sleep other than the streets and prevents what the government may fear - them camping on the streets.
Another great thing about organisations such as DePaul is that they motivate the homeless people "living there" better their situation. While the entrance into the shelter is free, the homeless have an area where they can buy clothes and simple items for very cheap and can also buy "advanced" rooms which are shared with less people. This way, the organisation is successful in teaching the homeless how to work with the money they have and in my opinion, gives them hope and motivation.
When presented the question of whether or not it is disturbing to have homeless people set up tents in public urban spaces, I think that the main focus should be on providing other alternatives of where these people can go, keeping in mind that they are humans and need help.
- Nina
The phenomenon of homeless people residing in public places, although disturbing, is an issue to which the solution is not that straightforward. It is an issue that has existed for ages, but has grown in prevalence in the past couple of years, especially in countries like Canada, which is referenced in the article, but also in certain parts of the US such as San Francisco. The issue stems from the larger problem which our society faces - the housing crisis. With the booming prices of real estate, many simply can not afford to rent a place to live in, and are forced to live on the streets in tents. Large communities of homeless people are formed on public grounds, where as mentioned in the article, they are able to look after each other and get through the daily struggles they each face. This can however be very disturbing for a regular by-walker, whether it be due to the unpleasant sight, smell, fear of passing through this area due to concerns of getting robbed or worse. It also limits others from using this public space for whatever it was designed for. After all, these are the people paying the taxes from which these spaces are maintained and therefore are the primary consumers which should utilize them. But is the solution to just kick out the homeless people? Not quite. Working under the assumption that these people are not here willingly, but because it’s their last resort, kicking them out will not magically provide them with a suitable place to live. They also can’t just perish, and will have to find another place to set up their encampment. Unless they find some private property at which they can reside, which is very unlikely as most are inhabited in metropolises like SF and Toronto, they will be left with only one other option, which is a public space situated elsewhere than that at which they had previously resided in. Working under this assumption, we can see that just kicking them out without providing any alternative solution to their problem will only relocate the encampment and therefore the “problem” elsewhere. To really address this phenomenon, we need to go back and look at the root of the problem which displaced these people. The government should focus on addressing the housing crisis, whether it be through setting a price ceiling, or commissioning public projects to build public housing, which would not only create more places to reside, but also create direct competition to the private market, which might drop the price levels in the housing market, and create job opportunities of which a portion of the homeless population can take up.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, these are complex issues to which the solution is not simple. The approach to combat it varies city to city, and each has its downsides.
-Michal