...there is no other place to stay except on the street ~ and being unhoused is being criminalized.
All of the following are reasons, often a combination, to become homeless: High rents, low housing availability, low wages, having kids, high childcare costs (even with the barely funded kind), house fires (yes this is a thing where even with "insurance" the housing scarcity is so bad, families are left bereft), serious illness, job injuries, and even reformed former felons.
Look I do not dare say why or I will be banned here, but suffice it to say this all began with Welfare DEFormed in the mid 1990s. And it was not just some heartless conservatives, a huge number of libs also hated the poor. (dare I say, I was here then) even on this forum, pure hatred.
Listen: Poverty is an INISTITUTION. Definition of institution is from Websters: "...an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, especially one of a public, educational, or charitable character..." Hear that again, it is an "establishment," meaning it is well wedged into our societies so we have little or no reason to actually abolish it. Even though the greatest sages in the world knew that abolishing poverty is something that could be done indeed it is possible.
Many hate to admit it but all classes, depend upon the poor for their needs, their jobs, their costs. From the medical fields, social services, financial institutions, especially non-profits, these all depend on homeless "wittle baybees" for their own comforts, affordable living, and their incomes. Why would they want to abolish poverty then?
Here is a sad example. Goodwill Industries. They supposedly "train" low income people and felons for employment. Did you know that they fought with $millions in court so they only had to pay $.17 (that is 17 CENTS) an hour? Do you know they get in donations and sales about $68,000 per client, but spend less than $6000 per client?
Nobody ever thinks to ask, "Hey there, what is happening to the other $62,000?" Well I have asked and it isn't pretty. But again I do not dare say where it goes because well,telling the truth is not always wanted. Just say a whole lot of upper classes benefit, using them for tax breaks, for their own professional employments, for the disabled funding given, and sadly even other low income people find it the few places they can afford to get their clothing and household goods, and even the garbage collectors make money off them.
I am saying the reasons are huge and no simple or workable solutions are available. However it is important to raise the consciences of those who prefer to keep their lack of knowledge in order to pretend not to see their own dependencies. They are not bad, just clueless, and yeah they WANT to stay that way but who wouldn't if they actually saw their part in this imposed misery? However again sunshine on The Truth is all it could take for most, for those with a decent consciences.
Those in deep poverty do know the truth ~ but they are never heard. How can anyone hate an institution when it is deeply embedded in their own lives? Until the institution is hated we will continue to place the unhoused in motels...
Just sayin' ...
Cat in Seattle ~ Poverty Scholar and Member of The Poor People's Campaign
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