Nobody Cares About The Homeless Crisis Until The Encampments Come To Your Sidewalk

And even if I don't earn anything writing about it, my conscience thanks me.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

What would you do if you woke up and saw an invasion of tents on the sidewalk of your house?

I bet you would quickly call 911.

And it's normal because who would like to have to go through a bunch of desperate people begging for alms? While you try to take your son to the school bus.

However, that uncomfortable landscape reminds me of the story of the toad inside the boiling pot.

The more the water heats up, the toad's body temperature adapts, and it falls into a trap. The toad can no longer jump out when it starts to boil and burns to death.

The same is happening with the homelessness crisis. We ignore it until the problem hits our noses and doesn't let us breathe.

Why isn't the government doing anything about it? You will ask yourself.

Unfortunately, they want to solve it like the chicken and egg dilemma. They don't know how to start for fear of criticism and losing their job because of their bad decisions on how to handle it.

And the truth is that everything is related to money.

The authorities must spend a lot to fix it now, but they only want to put cheap band-aids that do nothing to remedy it, not even calm it down.

This problem gradually grew until it accelerated due to inflation and became a crisis through the pandemic (in my point of view). Everyone ignored it and believed that it would disappear on its own.

But imagine if you live on the streets, and you're broke all the time, and suddenly, you get a torrent of free money from the government and hundreds in food stamps.

If it took a lot for businesses to get people back to work, even paying them, imagine what it would cost the lazy homeless—because the only thing the street causes is “acute laziness.”

Now, giving them access to emergency housing would be more than putting on a Band-Aid; it would be like wrapping a mummy. It's going to take time for so many people.

The reality of housing that everyone ignores.

I speak about this with the authority that comes from having been homeless for over half a decade. I saw and felt the harsh reality.

The buildings that provide alternative housing fill up homeless people with different problems or bad habits. Many have psychological issues, and others have harmful addictions. Those who receive medication sell it to the addicts.

If you didn't know it, it's happening right under your nose—And I say it because I saw it.

Many become victims of harassment by addicts or drug dealers. I knew someone who had constantly been moving because of bullying. Women suffer more, especially if they are single.

The reality is that they are given housing first, but no attention is paid to their psychological or addictive state.

We return to the dilemma of the chicken and the egg.

A probable solution to take into consideration.

I've said it once, and I'll repeat it: From my point of view as a former homeless person, I believe that the homeless should be classified between those who require mental health care and those who need a rehabilitation program “based on their medical records” before housing to prevent a relapse or to lose their housing, which would leave them homeless again.

I think it is better to support them more in their psychological state so they can find the roots of their problems.

At least this gets the hen to heat the egg to see some results.

Thanks for reading.

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If you know someone going through emotional problems who lacks control over addictive substances, that person may be on the brink of losing their home and falling into the abyss of homelessness and addictions. Please call a helpline.

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We are still in time to redirect our path as humanity.

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