Tiny Houses for the Homeless...

[hunter63]

http://laist.com/2015/05/08/tiny_house_project_homeless.php

We will see how this works out.

[crashdive123]

I just don't see communities accepting this. Sure, its a feel good story about helping a woman out but what if there are 100 of them in and around a neighborhood? I don't think too many people are ready for the next Hooverville.

[hunter63]

I just don't see communities accepting this. Sure, its a feel good story about helping a woman out but what if there are 100 of them in and around a neighborhood? I don't think too many people are ready for the next Hooverville.

Kinda what I was thinking.....most communities would rather no deal with them at all.

For what it's worth guy collected $61000 bucks, ...would be interesting to see what happens to the money?
Is there any accountability for donations?

[7whitewolf7]

Maybe spread out it's better, but buying land and taking them there, that will probably create a small ghetto. What will he do when they continue to do nothing? It is sweet though.

[Phaedrus]

I don't know how it will work long term but I commend him on doing more than just looking down his nose at them, and maybe condescendingly throwing a few bucks at them now and then. According to the latest projections the top 1% of the richest population will have 50% of all the world's wealth by 2020, with the bottom quarter having almost nothing. It's scary how thin the line is between getting by and being homeless. I'm in a pretty good situation but it wouldn't take too many hard rolls of the dice to change that. Lots of lower- and lower-middle class folks are just a couple missed paychecks away from being on the street now.

[finallyME]

Man, he could have insulated the thing. Good for him though. Homelessness isn't going to be solved by the gov'ment. It will be solved by individuals.

[kyratshooter]

It's all good!

'Till someone catches you asleep in there, wraps duct tape around your house so you can't get out, and rolls if down a hill !!

Sorry, it's just my nature.

[nell67]

A church in Madison Indiana began building winter shelters for homeless people 2 years ago. They looked much like very large dog houses.But they were dry, and offered enough area inside for them to not only sleep but to have a warming device (well insulated so even a large candle offered warmth inside during cold spells, and that was a very cold winter). they collected candles pillow and blankets as well as any and all scrap materials from construction sites being donated.

I have not heard if any of the huts were vandalized or that any of the homeless ever caused any problems .

[madmax]

Awright. So I can only camp in legal areas at legal times. But the homeless can find a secluded spot an get a nice shelter and set up a big camp. And my taxes are paying for it? FT!

Don't kid yourself. They'll ask for some of your tax money.

[Tokwan]

there are pros and cons..

Pros..the guy did a good thing by taking the initiative, which no one else seems to do.
The lady got a shelter, at least from the natural environment.

Cons...He built the unit on the house..why didnt he built in in his garden or on the walkway...a drunk driver could run over the shelter...or a runaway vehicle...could roll over it..
It doesnt solve the issue (but at least he did something)

[Grizz123]

I don't know how it will work long term but I commend him on doing more than just looking down his nose at them, and maybe condescendingly throwing a few bucks at them now and then. According to the latest projections the top 1% of the richest population will have 50% of all the world's wealth by 2020, with the bottom quarter having almost nothing. It's scary how thin the line is between getting by and being homeless. I'm in a pretty good situation but it wouldn't take too many hard rolls of the dice to change that. Lots of lower- and lower-middle class folks are just a couple missed paychecks away from being on the street now.

In the United States close to half of the working able population, do not work and do not pay taxes yet they collect benefits from those of us who do work. Granted, a tiny percentage are physically or mentally unable to work and should be taken care of but the vast majority are able t work but choose not to.

I interviewed a guy a few months ago who was collecting unemployment @ over $700/wk and would not accept my job offer because I only offered $12/hr - over 50% more than min. wage...

IMHO if someone wants to collect govt. bennies they need to pass a drug test and work to earn that money. The jobs available are cleaning the trash from public areas, cleaning public restrooms, etc...

God Bless the richest 1%, they are the business owners, employers, job creators and I'm working to join them.

There will always be rich and poor people in the world, the difference is that in the USA you not only have a choice of what to do with your life but you also have the freedom to do it, IF you're willing to put in the hard work

Back to the OP - an individual giving is a great and honorable thing - forcing or demanding others to give is not. And giving to the extent that the receivers loose interest in providing for themselves is shameful

[Rick]

I'm not sure where you are coming up with the 50% number. A link would be good. Unemployment is no where near that number. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities posted some numbers for 2010. They found that 47.8% of those receiving foods stamps had a job. Only 13.2% were collecting food stamps and did not work. Remember, those numbers are for 2010 when the recession was at its peak. Some 9.5% were unemployed (depending on month).

Every year 50,000 food stamps cases are audited to ensure they meet eligibility requirements. In 2010 the audit found that only 3% should have been declared ineligible.

http://www.cbpp.org/blog/five-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-food-stamps

[Wildthang]

I have always thought that if I ever lost everything that I owned, I could build a house out of scrap that would be comfortable to live in. It has always amazed me at the number of homeless people that just curl up in a box with a blanket and never try to build or acquire anything better!
Me and all of my buddies built a club house when we were 10 years old that was really warm and comfortable. It had a wood heater, a water tank, and was even carpeted. It would have been fine to live in and much better than a cardboard box! So if 4 10 year olds can do it, you would think more homeless people would too!
Maybe I just do not understand their mentality but I'll be darned if I would live in a box or just lay on the side walk when I could build a shelter that would keep me dry and warm!

[tundrabadger]

In the United States close to half of the working able population, do not work and do not pay taxes yet they collect benefits from those of us who do work. Granted, a tiny percentage are physically or mentally unable to work and should be taken care of but the vast majority are able t work but choose not to.

I interviewed a guy a few months ago who was collecting unemployment @ over $700/wk and would not accept my job offer because I only offered $12/hr - over 50% more than min. wage...

IMHO if someone wants to collect govt. bennies they need to pass a drug test and work to earn that money. The jobs available are cleaning the trash from public areas, cleaning public restrooms, etc...

God Bless the richest 1%, they are the business owners, employers, job creators and I'm working to join them.

There will always be rich and poor people in the world, the difference is that in the USA you not only have a choice of what to do with your life but you also have the freedom to do it, IF you're willing to put in the hard work

Back to the OP - an individual giving is a great and honorable thing - forcing or demanding others to give is not. And giving to the extent that the receivers loose interest in providing for themselves is shameful


A job, Grizz. Paying people to do things is called a job. So the scenario you've described would be, rather than claiming unemployment benefits, if you get laid off you automatically get a job. Which sounds great, but there are only so many bathrooms...so unless you want the government paying for some really epic public works projects...

[el-amigo]

I have always thought that if I ever lost everything that I owned, I could build a house out of scrap that would be comfortable to live in. It has always amazed me at the number of homeless people that just curl up in a box with a blanket and never try to build or acquire anything better!
Me and all of my buddies built a club house when we were 10 years old that was really warm and comfortable. It had a wood heater, a water tank, and was even carpeted. It would have been fine to live in and much better than a cardboard box! So if 4 10 year olds can do it, you would think more homeless people would too!
Maybe I just do not understand their mentality but I'll be darned if I would live in a box or just lay on the side walk when I could build a shelter that would keep me dry and warm!

There's the point, though here in Hungary (near to the capital city, Budapest, in an uninhabited area) a lot of homeless people built houses, they had small wooden cabins. They built a small community there. When the residents in the area noticed the "village", they considered them dangerous burglars, killers of the night, and they started a campaign against them. Later with law and strict enforcement they forced the people to leave everything behind, the police demolished the tiny "village" along with all their stuff. Now it is against the law here to live in the wild in cabins (without local permissions, and they must pay for it to the authorities), but it is also against the law to enter to the city and live on the streets without a home. I live in a weird country...

[Rick]

I don't think that's weird, el-amigo. People being allowed to build where ever they choose and without any safety standards are not without serious risk. The building codes we have today are in place because of some historical calamity; fires, disease, etc. Allowing that type of building to take place would only encourage the return of those disasters. From a personal perspective, I have invested a good amount of money in my home and don't want to have some shack or tiny house built in my front yard and drive down the value of my home. There is also an element of safety involved. Some of those that are homeless do have serious mental ailments. I don't know about Hungary but the U.S. has a terrible mental health system in place. Those that can afford it can receive very good care. However, there is no safety net in place for those that are delusional and not on medication unless they have some interaction with police. Even then they may not receive any care if the officer involved doesn't judge them to be dangerous to themselves or others at that moment or just doesn't care.

[el-amigo]

I don't think that's weird, el-amigo. People being allowed to build where ever they choose and without any safety standards are not without serious risk. The building codes we have today are in place because of some historical calamity; fires, disease, etc. Allowing that type of building to take place would only encourage the return of those disasters. From a personal perspective, I have invested a good amount of money in my home and don't want to have some shack or tiny house built in my front yard and drive down the value of my home. There is also an element of safety involved. Some of those that are homeless do have serious mental ailments. I don't know about Hungary but the U.S. has a terrible mental health system in place. Those that can afford it can receive very good care. However, there is no safety net in place for those that are delusional and not on medication unless they have some interaction will police. Even then they may not receive any care if the officer involved doesn't judge them to be dangerous to themselves or others at that moment or just doesn't care.

Several years ago our government closed the biggest hospital and sanatorium in Budapest for mentally ill people. Most of them were released on their own risk. You must be right, they are also on the streets now. I am lucky to live in a quiet place, and yeah, I would not be happy to have these boxes in the end of our street.

[finallyME]

I still can't get over the fact that this lady who was helped is a grandmother. Who in their right mind would let their grandmother live on the streets? Whether it is my mother or grandmother, if she lost her house after grandpa died, she is at my house.

[crashdive123]

Amen brother.

[Rick]

It's too bad that not everyone feels that way. It was only a generation or two ago that grandparents, parents and children all lived in the same house. One of my grandfathers lived with us for quite a while. The loss of knowledge not having grandparents in the lives of grandchildren is monumental. I'm blessed to have a great relationship with my grand kids even though they don't live with me. They all live close by. When all else is lost, family is what's left. At least it is in my family.

[RangerXanatos]

I still can't get over the fact that this lady who was helped is a grandmother. Who in their right mind would let their grandmother live on the streets? Whether it is my mother or grandmother, if she lost her house after grandpa died, she is at my house.
Don't know about the woman in the article, but being related does not make you family. Relatives could have issues with the woman or vice-versa.

[BENESSE]

Don't know about the woman in the article, but being related does not make you family. Relatives could have issues with the woman or vice-versa.

Amen to that. We hardly ever know the particulars of any one homeless person--some had bad luck, and others personally drove themselves into a ditch. Some deserve help from family, others, don't. There are seriously nasty people out there who have abandoned, neglected and abused their children and messed them up for the next generation. We see it all the time. What, are those family members now supposed to get over it and take care of the monster? (not suggesting this particular woman falls in that category)

I was lucky with my family and would make serious sacrifices to help them but not everyone feels that way about theirs.

[tundrabadger]

If anybody is looking for some evidence that this sort of idea can work large scale, and maybe some idea of why it should be implemented...I'm just going to leave this here (http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.3074402/medicine-hat-becomes-the-first-city-in-canada-to-eliminate-homelessness-1.3074742)

[madmax]

Hang on. It's just not that simple.

A buddy's Mom has severe Alzheimers and is bipolar. They've barely been able to keep her out of an institution. Multiple felonies. LOTSA time and patience.

My Mom thinks I'm locked in a box in my brother's attic. She begs him to feed him. Not to let me out. Just feed me.

There's more to this than appears.

I sit across the table from people who have lost it all. A little relief via a little medication would produce a huge life style change to some.

[el-amigo]

When my great-grandmother passed away my grandmother moved into our house. She has been living with us for more than 8 years. Since that I had to move closer to the place where I work, but the family is still together in a daily connection, and we help each other.

I'd take a look at those grandchildren who let their grandmother live on the streets. There must be a reason, good or bad.

[Phaedrus]

If anybody is looking for some evidence that this sort of idea can work large scale, and maybe some idea of why it should be implemented...I'm just going to leave this here (http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.3074402/medicine-hat-becomes-the-first-city-in-canada-to-eliminate-homelessness-1.3074742)


That is awesome! Thanks for the link.

[Rick]

That is an interesting link. Years ago many counties had what was euphemistically called "poor homes". I remember the one in our county quite well. It was a three story wooden structure that provided permanent housing for those that were homeless or otherwise indigent. What goes around comes around I guess.

[BornthatWay]

For those of us with a close family we are truly blessed. Without full knowledge of the entire story we do not know why she was on the street. Just because she is a grandmother does not make her a nice person.
Unfortunately because our country decided that mental health is not important has compounded the homeless problem. Somehow folks need to accept that not all people can function in society on their own.

[tundrabadger]

That is an interesting link. Years ago many counties had what was euphemistically called "poor homes". I remember the one in our county quite well. It was a three story wooden structure that provided permanent housing for those that were homeless or otherwise indigent. What goes around comes around I guess.

Everything old is new again?

I keep hoping they implement something like that here ...there are a good deal of homeless people here, and it'd be better for absolutely everybody if they were housed...and, like the article said, cheaper than having them bouncing in and out of hospitals and holding cells. Plus, if you want people to get clean, they need stability, and a reason to want to stay that way. Now, it hasn't happened yet, and real estate prices here being what they are it would take some doing, but after the initial expenditure, the city and the province could stand to save millions, and it would be good for businesses too, since there are presently people who don't like to go downtown to shop, since the homeless people frighten them.

You could take the money that the province saves on ER visits and improve healthcare in other areas, maybe cut down surgical wait times, or see about getting some more family doctors...maybe pour some of it into improving drug treatment and mental health care. the possibilities are endless.