# More and More Seniors Are Among America's Homeless



## OneEyedDiva

And unlike what someone insinuated in another post...it's through no fault of their own.  Fixed incomes, often poverty level or not much higher, rising rents, lost income opportunities due to their ages and/or the pandemic, huge medical bills and rising rents are among the causes.
_"We’re seeing a huge boom in senior homelessness,” said Kendra Hendry, a caseworker at Arizona's largest shelter, where older people make up about 30% of those staying there. “These are not necessarily people who have mental illness or substance abuse problems. They are people being pushed into the streets by rising rents."_

This is a very sad situation and like the saying goes "There but by the grace of God go I".  People who never thought they'd be homeless are now.
_“I’d always worked, been successful, put my kid through college,” the single mother said. “And then all of a sudden things went downhill.” Corley traveled all night aboard buses and rode commuter trains to catch a cat nap. "And then I would go to Union Station downtown and wash up in the bathroom,” said Corley. She recently moved into a small East Hollywood apartment with help from The People Concern, a Los Angeles nonprofit."

"A 2019 study of aging homeless people led by the University of Pennsylvania drew on 30 years of census data to project the U.S. population of people 65 and older experiencing homelessness will nearly triple from 40,000 to 106,000 by 2030, resulting in a public health crisis as their age-related medical problems multiply." _Read the entire article:
_https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/americas-homeless-ranks-graying-retire-streets-83996564_


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## Lavinia

When you say 'homeless' are they actually living on the streets, or being forced to sleep on someone's sofa? I don't know the situation in America but here in Britain, many of the institutions have closed down. People with mental health problems are forced to turn to charity for help. They are just overwhelmed


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## OneEyedDiva

Lavinia said:


> When you say 'homeless' are they actually living on the streets, or being forced to sleep on someone's sofa? I don't know the situation in America but here in Britain, many of the institutions have closed down. People with mental health problems are forced to turn to charity for help. They are just overwhelmed


Did you read the article?


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## Lavinia

OneEyedDiva said:


> Did you read the article?


No, I can't open links on this device, so I miss a lot.


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## OneEyedDiva

Lavinia said:


> No, I can't open links on this device, so I miss a lot.





Lavinia said:


> No, I can't open links on this device, so I miss a lot.


Well even if you can't open the link...this an excerpt from the article as shown in the OP:
_“These are not necessarily people who have mental illness or substance abuse problems. *They are people being pushed into the streets by rising rents."*_


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## hollydolly

Unfortunately many people in the UK  too are being priced out of the housing market, rents and mortgages are sky high, and sadly the 'grey market' are those who are suffering more and more.. recently retired and perhaps divorced or bereaved and unable to afford the rising living costs .

On Youtube it's heartbreaking to see so many videos of  people particualrly in parts of the USA living in cars and makeshift camp-sites, who have worked all their lives and now found themselves homeless through circumstances beyond their control 

They say all of us are just 3 pay cheques from the same fate


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## Becky1951

Federal Poverty Level (FPL)

Family size2021 income numbers2022 income numbers*For individuals**$12,880**$13,590*For a family of 2$17,420$18,310For a family of 3$21,960$23,030For a family of 4$26,500$27,750
5 more rows

Federal Poverty Level (FPL) - HealthCare.gov Glossary​https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/
_*My income and many more seniors are below poverty level. *_

$841  That's $10,092 a year.  That's $3,498* below* poverty level. 

SSI amounts for 2022
The monthly *maximum* Federal amounts for 2022 are *$841 for an eligible individual, $1,261 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, and $421 for an essential person*.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSI.html#:~:text=SSI amounts for 2022,$421 for an essential person.
SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2022​


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## Aunt Bea

I haven't seen any evidence to support this claim in my area.

At this point, the supply of subsidized senior housing options appears to match the need.

I have seen a change, in this area, from the days when some elderly people lived in residential hotels and rooming houses because they couldn't afford an actual apartment.  Today the trend in this area is to enroll many of these people in Medicaid and place them in assisted living facilities.

Inflation and rising prices are a sad fact of life for all of us.

I'm afraid it will be more of an issue as we continue living longer in retirement.


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## Alligatorob

Aunt Bea said:


> Inflation and rising prices are a sad fact of life for all of us.
> 
> I'm afraid it will be more of an issue as we continue living longer in retirement.


Yep, and I have no doubt it will lead to more homelessness. 

I don't think I will ever become homeless, but I do worry that inflation will erode the value of my retirement savings, impacting my standard of living.  Not so serious as becoming homeless, but irritating none the less.


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## hollydolly

Becky1951 said:


> Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
> 
> Family size2021 income numbers2022 income numbers*For individuals**$12,880**$13,590*For a family of 2$17,420$18,310For a family of 3$21,960$23,030For a family of 4$26,500$27,750
> 5 more rows
> Federal Poverty Level (FPL) - HealthCare.gov Glossary​https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/
> _*My income and many more seniors are below poverty level. *_
> 
> $841  That's $10,092 a year.  That's $3,498* below* poverty level.
> 
> SSI amounts for 2022
> The monthly *maximum* Federal amounts for 2022 are *$841 for an eligible individual, $1,261 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, and $421 for an essential person*.
> https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/SSI.html#:~:text=SSI amounts for 2022,$421 for an essential person.
> SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2022​


$841 , is that your income Becky ?


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## Flarbalard

That's for SSI not social security.  Some folks only get social security and that can be less, more than 100 less, than 841 depending on earnings and what age they had to draw on it.


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## Liberty

Houston has done a great job of finding homes for the homeless.  This has been an ongoing effort 
for years now.  It would be nice if all cities could take up the torch and do something similar:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...ps-houston-decommissioned-cities-16641827.php


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## Myquest55

I saw that article too - Thanks for sharing it, Diva.  I have a friend who is unexpectedly homeless.  Could she have planned better?  Perhaps, but now that she is almost 80, she has nothing.  The "system" has let her down over and over.  She has no Soc. Sec. and the SSI is about what Becky posted - around $841/month.  How can person live on that?  Rents are over $1000 for a clean place, then you have car insurance, gas, groceries and utilities.  We, and several others have helped along the way but it will never be enough.  Plus, we planned carefully for our own retirement and we don't know what the future holds for us.

She has gotten promises from untold agencies, given "vouchers" and told she was "on the list."  They tell her to call back, then never answer the phone or messages.  She was able to stay in a crappy, bug infested hotel for winter but now they have told her she can just live in her car!  Every housing group charges for a "Background Check" and her credit score is low - because she has no place to live, thus cannot work (especially from home) so they will not accept her voucher.  She has never been homeless before.  She is a cancer survivor and it may be back now.  She says that the government agencies ( Fed. & State) just hope she will go away or die.  It seems to me to be a HUGE scam.  Several groups appear to have NO idea what they are supposed to do for these people.  Others, want to help but there are SO many waiting - they are overwhelmed. 

I'd love to hear if there are any solutions to this.  It is frightening.


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## Pepper

When there's a will there's a way and we have no will when it comes to helping people in need; there is also not enough will to vote and to vote for one's own interest rather than one's religious persuasions.   When we look at the times we actually did stuff, notice the rich were taxed.

I can say no more.


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## Liberty

Myquest55 said:


> I saw that article too - Thanks for sharing it, Diva.  I have a friend who is unexpectedly homeless.  Could she have planned better?  Perhaps, but now that she is almost 80, she has nothing.  The "system" has let her down over and over.  She has no Soc. Sec. and the SSI is about what Becky posted - around $841/month.  How can person live on that?  Rents are over $1000 for a clean place, then you have car insurance, gas, groceries and utilities.  We, and several others have helped along the way but it will never be enough.  Plus, we planned carefully for our own retirement and we don't know what the future holds for us.
> 
> She has gotten promises from untold agencies, given "vouchers" and told she was "on the list."  They tell her to call back, then never answer the phone or messages.  She was able to stay in a crappy, bug infested hotel for winter but now they have told her she can just live in her car!  Every housing group charges for a "Background Check" and her credit score is low - because she has no place to live, thus cannot work (especially from home) so they will not accept her voucher.  She has never been homeless before.  She is a cancer survivor and it may be back now.  She says that the government agencies ( Fed. & State) just hope she will go away or die.  It seems to me to be a HUGE scam.  Several groups appear to have NO idea what they are supposed to do for these people.  Others, want to help but there are SO many waiting - they are overwhelmed.
> 
> I'd love to hear if there are any solutions to this.  It is frightening.


What state does she live in?


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## Don M.

As inflation continues to rise, so too, will the numbers of those living in poverty.  Fewer than 15% of today's employers offer defined pension plans, and many of today's workers cannot afford to invest in a 401K/IRA, until they are well into their 40's or 50's.  Social Security barely pays enough to supply just basic needs, and unless some major changes are made to that program, it will barely exist in a very few years from now.  

Seniors who were unable to prepare for retirement are going to be hit especially hard in coming years.


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## OneEyedDiva

Myquest55 said:


> I saw that article too - Thanks for sharing it, Diva.  I have a friend who is unexpectedly homeless.  Could she have planned better?  Perhaps, but now that she is almost 80, she has nothing.  The "system" has let her down over and over.  She has no Soc. Sec. and the SSI is about what Becky posted - around $841/month.  How can person live on that?  Rents are over $1000 for a clean place, then you have car insurance, gas, groceries and utilities.  We, and several others have helped along the way but it will never be enough.  Plus, we planned carefully for our own retirement and we don't know what the future holds for us.
> 
> She has gotten promises from untold agencies, given "vouchers" and told she was "on the list."  They tell her to call back, then never answer the phone or messages.  She was able to stay in a crappy, bug infested hotel for winter but now they have told her she can just live in her car!  Every housing group charges for a "Background Check" and her credit score is low - because she has no place to live, thus cannot work (especially from home) so they will not accept her voucher.  She has never been homeless before.  She is a cancer survivor and it may be back now.  She says that the government agencies ( Fed. & State) just hope she will go away or die.  It seems to me to be a HUGE scam.  Several groups appear to have NO idea what they are supposed to do for these people.  Others, want to help but there are SO many waiting - they are overwhelmed.
> 
> I'd love to hear if there are any solutions to this.  It is frightening.


You're welcome, of course. I'm so sorry for your friend. The series of events and situations (probably too many face) that you describe are an excellent example of why people are in such dire straits and wind up homeless. I've also heard stories about the red tape, the reluctance of landlords to take vouchers and the lack of credit history or a good FICO score being a deterrent to getting decent housing. I know someone who was $1 over the criteria to get public assistance so even though she needed it, she couldn't get it. Luckily one of her sons was able to help out and she did not wind up homeless. I know for a fact that public senior housing in my area charges only 30% or 33% (I forgot which) of a person's income but has waiting lists of up to 3 years.


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## OneEyedDiva

Liberty said:


> Houston has done a great job of finding homes for the homeless.  This has been an ongoing effort
> for years now.  It would be nice if all cities could take up the torch and do something similar:
> 
> https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...ps-houston-decommissioned-cities-16641827.php


I was thinking the same thing Liberty. Why can't cities use programs that are showing success and model them? Perhaps if they weed out the wastefulness in their budgets and really put some effort into it, they could.


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## Becky1951

hollydolly said:


> $841 , is that your income Becky ?


Yes.


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## StarSong

OneEyedDiva said:


> You're welcome, of course. I'm so sorry for your friend. The series of events and situations (probably too many face) that you describe are an excellent example of why people are in such dire straits and wind up homeless. I've also heard stories about the red tape, the reluctance of landlords to take vouchers and the lack of credit history or a good FICO score being a deterrent to getting decent housing. I know someone who was $1 over the criteria to get public assistance so even though she needed it, she couldn't get it. Luckily one of her sons was able to help out and she did not wind up homeless. I know for a fact that public senior housing in my area charges only 30% or 33% (I forgot which) of a person's income but has waiting lists of up to 3 years.


Public assistance housing is hard to find in much of the US because the waiting lists are so long and a lot of landlords don't want the hassle of dealing with the government or people with histories of not paying their bills.  

Unfortunately, homelessness is a rising problem in the US and most countries around the world.  The contrast between so many living in extreme poverty and the obscene flaunting of wealth by multi-millionaires and billionaires is nothing short of revolting.


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## David777

Wall Street corporations, REITs, banks, real estate corps and their armies of house and apartment flippers, their politicians and news media, the construction industry, are all preying on we defenseless working people caught in the middle with little leverage since we all need a place to live.  And politicians ignoring laws, have made sure to let excessive numbers of low skill immigrants in to put pressure on scarce lower cost housing for our suffering lower classes causing horrible homelessness while allowing wealthy foreigners to bid up buying up real estate out pricing our middle classes.  The big squeeze feeding frenzy Wall Street business news brags about to any worldwide wealthy investors.  And our Ivy League elites are preaching diversity while ignoring their master's unethical game.

https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2017/11/low-skill-immigration-case-restriction/
snippet:

_...that native workforce participation has steadily declined as low-wage immigration has increased and is now at historic lows. That situation tells us that immigrants are performing entry-level work that less-educated native workers are not doing, even though low-skill Americans are increasingly available to perform these tasks. The second points to an extensive ethnographic literature on employer preferences, which has not until now been brought into the debate on low-wage immigration. That research shows that businesses widely regard American-born low-skill employees as less desirable than immigrants. In addition, there is evidence that businesses actively work to recruit immigrants and avoid native workers, with black entry-level employees the least favored..._


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## Gaer

Liberty said:


> Houston has done a great job of finding homes for the homeless.  This has been an ongoing effort
> for years now.  It would be nice if all cities could take up the torch and do something similar:
> 
> https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...ps-houston-decommissioned-cities-16641827.php


Texas seems to have it all together in many areas.  Yes, It would be nice if other states copied Texas in a lot of ways.


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## Nosy Bee-54

Gaer said:


> Texas seems to have it all together in many areas.  Yes, It would be nice if other states copied Texas in a lot of ways.


I guess it depends on what you are looking at.

"Texas' homeless suffer due to lack of public housing as public camping is criminalized."

"A state law banning homeless encampments took effect September 1 in Texas. House Bill 1925 makes camping in an unapproved public place a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500."

"Texas has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As a result, *Texas has the biggest coverage gap in the country, *with an estimated 771,000 residents ineligible for Medicaid and also ineligible for premium subsidies to offset the cost of private coverage in the exchange."

*"$15.3 billion* – Federal money Texas is leaving on the table in 2022 by not expanding Medicaid"

https://www.healthinsurance.org/medicaid/texas/

As another poster said, people should vote self-interest.


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## StarSong

Nosy Bee-54 said:


> I guess it depends on what you are looking at.
> 
> "Texas' homeless suffer due to lack of public housing as public camping is criminalized."
> 
> "A state law banning homeless encampments took effect September 1 in Texas. House Bill 1925 makes camping in an unapproved public place a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500."
> 
> "Texas has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As a result, *Texas has the biggest coverage gap in the country, *with an estimated 771,000 residents ineligible for Medicaid and also ineligible for premium subsidies to offset the cost of private coverage in the exchange."
> 
> *"$15.3 billion* – Federal money Texas is leaving on the table in 2022 by not expanding Medicaid"
> 
> https://www.healthinsurance.org/medicaid/texas/
> 
> As another poster said, people should vote self-interest.


Gotta wonder if some of the drops in Texas' homeless population aren't due to migration by the desperate to states with less draconian laws and more forgiving social services.


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## Jeni

I think right now we will see many seniors falling on harder times ....especially if in working years they had low income jobs ...
Those retiring now are mostly depending on 401k type retirement investments vs pensions ...... so many factors with that as many simply do not watch or change if needed just assume. 

In early years and even now many people are not saving .... FALSELY believing SS would carry them through...  SS was always supposed to be a supplement NOT a sole source of retirement income.
Many people that I know ............simply are unaware of how their check for SS was determined or based on:

"Not everyone receives the same Social Security benefits. In fact, your benefits are based on many factors including the age when you claim benefits, how much you earned over your career, and how many years you worked and paid into the Social Security system."

I have no idea how some ladies I know will  manage............. as their working life I doubt reached enough years to collect squat.....

Yes, rents have exploded most places and health issues can eat through the best planned savings .... 
It is very hard if no family to live with and i have seen the roommate scene go bad as ways to cut costs.....


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## JonSR77

Societies are always abusive to the poor, the homeless, the disabled.  Cicero, the Roman orator, owned apartments.  There is writing from him, talking horribly about his own tenants.

Just part of the human picture of not caring about those in need.

We don't have a lot of billionaires because we have a society that gives fair pay and shares the wealth...


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## JonSR77

Federal Links Relevant to Homelessness

https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/homelessness/resources/federal-links/index.html

+++++++


New Jersey: Homeless Information

https://www.hud.gov/newjersey/homeless


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## Tish

It is happening here as well, it's just heartbreaking.


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## JonSR77

Retirement Planning & Security

US Government Website

https://www.hhs.gov/aging/retirement-planning-security/index.html


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## HoneyNut

It is all very scary, in the past I thought if I ran out of money I could get a roommate, but if I try to think seriously about that it is super depressing.  I have had some good experiences of roommates back in college days, but also some not-good experiences, it feels like a big gamble.


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## Buckeye

Here are some recent numbers about the homeless.  About 0.2% of Americans are homeless, which is about 560,000.  Only 3.2% of the homeless are 62 or more.  That would be about 17,000 folks.

Homeless Statistics in the US

And we keep spending more, but with little impact.  In 2019, NYC spent $3 billion on the homeless.

Why we can't solve homeless problem


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## Leann

My cousin is 73, divorced, childless and has some serious health conditions. Her house is falling into disrepair because she relies entirely on a monthly social security check of less than $900 and some food stamps. She fears she will be homeless at some point (we won't let that happen) but steadfastly rejects offers by family members to help repair her home. She will eventually have to yield to our offers to help her  otherwise she WILL be homeless.


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## Nosy Bee-54

HoneyNut said:


> It is all very scary, in the past I thought if I ran out of money I could get a roommate, but if I try to think seriously about that it is super depressing.  I have had some good experiences of roommates back in college days, but also some not-good experiences, it feels like a big gamble.


The chances of roommates like the Golden Girls might be few and far between.


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## Gardenlover

Since so many people are working from home now, perhaps all the empty corporate buildings could be used to shelter those in need.


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## David777

Jeni said:


> ...
> Many people that I know ............simply are unaware of how their check for SS was determined or based on:
> 
> "Not everyone receives the same Social Security benefits. In fact, your benefits are based on many factors including the age when you claim benefits, how much you earned over your career, and how many years you worked and paid into the Social Security system."...


Once most of us reach 40 or so, we begin to notice the increasing loud sound of the downriver waterfall. But some will only stick their head down in the hole deeper lest they see what they are afraid of.  

Top 35 years of income on a bell curve chart ought be pounded into the minds of younger adults as they will be able to understand why with clarity why it is important to work with good income at least 70% of adult years.  After 5 years of retirement, I a frugal single in a very expensive region has lived totally off my monthly SS benefit actually adding a bit to my assets that inflation is shrinking.  However I did make good money in Silicon Valley for electronic troubleshooting skills.


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## dseag2

This is so tragic.  I'm always in disbelief when I see what most seniors have saved up for retirement.  Based on that, I know things will become much worse in the years ahead and it breaks my heart.  These were supposed to be our "golden years".


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## JonSR77

"10.5 percent (13.8 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2020."

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/foo...t (13.8 million) of,from 10.5 percent in 2019.

14 million Americans worrying where their next meal is coming from, is not because we are a deeply caring society. If we were, this would never be the case.

100,000 vets coming back from the Mid-East with PTSD...all getting only tiny bits of care ---- far, far, far from their real needs.

Soldiers getting paid so little, they have to go on food stamps.

My wife's Dad was dying of cancer. Hospital left him on a gurney, in hallway, for 48 hours. Sent him the wrong cancer medication. He fell out of bed, twice...because the nurses neglected to put up the guards. Second fall is what cascaded his health down towards death.

Endless, endless examples...

Our society's indifference to those in need is endless.


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## JonSR77

Leann said:


> My cousin is 73, divorced, childless and has some serious health conditions. Her house is falling into disrepair because she relies entirely on a monthly social security check of less than $900 and some food stamps. She fears she will be homeless at some point (we won't let that happen) but steadfastly rejects offers by family members to help repair her home. She will eventually have to yield to our offers to help her  otherwise she WILL be homeless.



If she is rejecting these kinds of offers, you might be able to get power of attorney over her. Not necessarily an easy process..but if you want to protect her, it might be necessary. 

We had similar problems with my mother.

Broken pipe took out about 1/4 of the house. She refused to leave the house / construction site, while the work was done.

I don't have money for a lawyer. Begged and begged and begged my idiot brother to get a power of attorney and protect her. He refused. 

Her health started to significantly collapse after that experience (breathing in dust, chemicals, whatever)...


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## Buckeye

I've read that the government spends about $36,000 per person per year on the chronic homeless (emergency room medical care, prisons, shelters, etc).  Compare that to the average social security payment of about $19,500 per year.

Hmmm.


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## JonSR77

we put a man on the moon with a computer capacity less than modern calculators.

If we put time and resources into solving these problems, we can solve them. We don't put time and effort in.

Our country, like many other countries and large institutions, is subjected to the corruptions produced by greed.

Greed runs the show. Not democracy. And certainly not the better angels of our nature, like compassion.


So, of course, greed is going to have difficulties solving social problems. Its entire focus is completely in the opposite direction.


My wife worked for a major, international non-profit. Annual budget about $100 million.


Her organization, like many non-profits was run by the philanthropy of very very wealthy people. I believe it was tobacco money.

These folks spent their entire lives plying every manipulative un-ethical trick in the book, to get as wealthy as possible.

Of course they have no clue how to help other people. It is entirely foreign to them.


If our society truly put people in charge who are caring and competent and gave them appropriate resources, of course we could solve the problem. But we don't do anything of the kind.

Look at the VA. These guys risked their lives to protect us all. And even those guys, we can't treat with any decency.


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## helenbacque

The small town factory/mill/plant - a manufacturing entity - provided secure employment and chances for advancement for unskilled millions but NAFTA and the like sent America's industry out of the country leaving little but the service industry to employ the country's young and the service industry is low pay, little chance for advancement and no job security.  Yes, there are 'made in America' industries but most are highly mechanized requiring few human hands.  

20 years of that has brought us to today where there is a minuscule number of obscenely wealthy individuals, a slightly larger group of financially secure and a massive number of destitute or near so.    The wealthy, as well as our own government, work philanthropically to help the disenfranchised in countries all over the world but ignore our own citizens.  While we 're-build' abroad, our own nation crumbles.


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## SeniorBen

helenbacque said:


> The small town factory/mill/plant - a manufacturing entity - provided secure employment and chances for advancement for unskilled millions but NAFTA and the like sent America's industry out of the country leaving little but the service industry to employ the country's young and the service industry is low pay, little chance for advancement and no job security.  Yes, there are 'made in America' industries but most are highly mechanized requiring few human hands.
> 
> 20 years of that has brought us to today where there is a minuscule number of obscenely wealthy individuals, a slightly larger group of financially secure and a massive number of destitute or near so.    *The wealthy, as well as our own government, work philanthropically to help the disenfranchised in countries all over the world but ignore our own citizens.  While we 're-build' abroad, our own nation crumbles.*


I agree. When I hear of Bill Gates helping the poor in Africa, it makes me wonder why he doesn't help the poor here in the U.S. And then all the trillions we dumped into Afghanistan and Iraq could have gone to improving conditions right here at home.

Like a lot of things in this world, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.


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## John cycling

SeniorBen said:


> When I hear of Bill Gates helping the poor in Africa, it makes me wonder why he doesn't help the poor here in the U.S.



Beware.  He's working on that too, with his bogus philanthropy <- which includes vaccinations.
.


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## Jeni

SeniorBen said:


> I agree. When I hear of Bill Gates helping the poor in Africa, it makes me wonder why he doesn't help the poor here in the U.S. And then all the trillions we dumped into Afghanistan and Iraq could have gone to improving conditions right here at home.
> 
> Like a lot of things in this world, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.


less restrictions is my guess .... even in non-profits and charity IRS needs info about money coming in and going out.   
little transparency in third world countries and great press making them look saintly 

  Saw in news for example ......... the BLM leader who just bought a 6 million dollar house and was surprised and did not know about the reporting form that must be filed.    
So many celebrities/ sports stars  in last decade have created " charities/ foundations" they get caught in this reporting system if using as a tax dodge.....   A creative accountant is GOLD.


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## Pepper

Bill Gates can help the indigent in THIS country just by paying taxes which I bet he does as little as humanly possible.


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## Jeni

Pepper said:


> Bill Gates can help the indigent in THIS country just by paying taxes which I bet he does as little as humanly possible.


heard many philanthropists ....... say they prefer to pick programs and uses ............. that tax money is wasted more and they have no control over use.


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## Pepper

Hi, @Jeni
Today is April 15th.  I've decided I will not pay because "tax money is wasted more and I have no control over use."


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## Jeni

Pepper said:


> Hi, @Jeni
> Today is April 15th.  I've decided I will not pay because "tax money is wasted more and I have no control over use."


Never said i agreed ...........just was repeating what i heard in an interview .....they do have a point for best results targeted help would be most helpful in some issues. 

some wealthy also say "they COULD pay more "...
 that is super simple to send a payment to the department of treasury but .... they don't .... but it sounds good in interviews to say such things


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## mrstime

We are so lucky because here in BC we just don't have any real homeless, except perhaps at the coast. Winters would kill anyone really homeless. We do have a place here to house so called homeless for free, but the local RCMP spend more time there than anywhere else and at any time during the day you can drive by and see drug deals going on. That is what they spend their welfare on. There are people who have homes in far out locations, so they come to town mostly in summer and spend their time here drunk. Rents here are outrageous, but worse in other areas. Then because of the pandemic groceries have gone sky high and for the first time the other day we put $100.00 dollars worth of gas in our car, and we get our gas at the local reserve, where it is cheaper.


----------



## Pecos

Of all the threads that I have read on this forum, this one is the most painful. It is simply so sad.


----------



## Nosy Bee-54

Jeni said:


> heard many philanthropists ....... say they prefer to pick programs and uses ............. that tax money is wasted more and they have no control over use.


I prefer the way it is. Let philanthropists use their largesse as currently being done. I think there is more success/improvement at targeted situations.


----------



## Don M.

Pecos said:


> Of all the threads that I have read on this forum, this one is the most painful. It is simply so sad.



I am NOT optimistic about the financial future for many of our future retirees.  So many seem to be consumed with "today" only, and do not think about the time when they will retire.  If a person is going to have a decent retirement, they need to start setting something aside as soon as they can.  Company pensions are increasingly rare, and Social Security will begin to run out of its ability to maintain it's present funding by 2035....if not sooner.  The 401K/IRA programs are the BEST thing the government has ever done for the working class...but those programs only work IF a person is wise enough to take advantage of them.


----------



## Aunt Bea

I agree with DonM.

I would prefer that people learn from a very early age what it takes to prepare for a self-funded retirement and not pin their hopes on the wealthy or the taxpayers.

There will always be a group of people that need and deserve our assistance, but IMO self-reliance is the only sustainable approach to life in a free society.


----------



## CrowFlies

StarSong said:


> Gotta wonder if some of the drops in Texas' homeless population aren't due to migration by the desperate to states with less draconian laws and more forgiving social services.


YES.  
low income people live in their cars if they can keep them, and they leave TX due to terrible med care and cost of living.

rising cost of living is affecting so many, from the young to the old.  it is the ruin of this over populated country.
i doubt it will get better.
its like watching Maya2... this time on tv.


----------



## CrowFlies

during the 60s when the corp tax rate was about 70%..this country was waging a war And helping its own
people.  the 'great society programs' helped me get thru college with a young kid. when i finished i was Also
Not in major debt of college loans.  i sold my VW and paid the loan off and found another used car.
in college i usually worked waitressing lunches, some quarters i just worked, some qtrs i did school and work part time,
it varied on seasons and what i was up to.

today kids take out college loans to live on for four years and end up in Major debt ForEver.
why going to college should cost so much is beyond me.
over population means rich get richer and poor are poorer.

im really sick of seeing 'capitalism' and how it "functions".  we shop for the rich and they buy yachts
to get away from the people they get the yacht money from.
a very unhealthy 'system'....or...con.
ive never liked it since i learned about it in 5th grade.  it sounded like merican apartheid to me.

btw...i dont for a second believe the numbers on homeless here....half a million?..is that it?...surely they are Not counting
the huge numbers living in vehicles or on the roam.
those half million numbers have to do with the signed up homeless, the admitted homeless, those who actively seek something.
id bet there are Millions of homeless across just this country.


----------



## OneEyedDiva

helenbacque said:


> The small town factory/mill/plant - a manufacturing entity - provided secure employment and chances for advancement for unskilled millions but NAFTA and the like sent America's industry out of the country leaving little but the service industry to employ the country's young and the service industry is low pay, little chance for advancement and no job security.  Yes, there are 'made in America' industries but most are highly mechanized requiring few human hands.
> 
> 20 years of that has brought us to today where there is a minuscule number of obscenely wealthy individuals, a slightly larger group of financially secure and a massive number of destitute or near so.    The wealthy, as well as our own government, work philanthropically to help the disenfranchised in countries all over the world but ignore our own citizens.  While we 're-build' abroad, our own nation crumbles.


Yesss!!!


----------



## David777

Wall Street, bank corps, real estate corps are the prime forces indirectly creating homelessness.  Real estate inflation has been by far the major factor though media controlled by the wealthy tends to  point elsewhere.

https://peoplesworld.org/article/ho...et-landlords-convert-family-homes-to-rentals/
snippets:

_The new-found corporate interest in single-family houses can be traced back to the government’s failed answer to the near economic meltdown of 2008. Recall that in response to the Great Depression in the 1930s, under Roosevelt, the bailout went only to the homeowners for mortgage relief and not a penny to the banks. By contrast, under the Bush/Obama programs during the Great Recession, the majority of the funds went to the banks and hardly any trickled down to help homeowners.

Obama called his program the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), and it promised to help four to five million homeowners with a $75 billion allocation. But only 887,000 got relief, and some _*nine million people lost their homes in the next few years.*
_
Francisca Mari, writing in the New York Times, answered the question of who got the foreclosed homes, in her headline: A _*$60 Billion Housing Grab by Wall Street...*
_
“By 2016, 95 percent of the distressed mortgages on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s books were auctioned off to Wall Street investors without any meaningful stipulations. Private-equity firms had acquired more than 200,000 homes in desirable cities and middle-class suburban neighborhoods, creating a tantalizing new asset class: the single-family-rental home. The companies would make money on rising home values while tenants covered the mortgages.”...

There are investment vehicles that allow the wealthy to pool their assets as they do in equity/hedge funds, but restrict the money managers to investing only in real estate; they’re called Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). In the above quoted article, Mari’s research revealed that a strikingly large source of the funds for some prominent REITs was *foreign—and from hidden sources*:

“The REITs were funded with money from all over the world. An investment company in Qatar, the Korea Exchange Bank on behalf of the country’s national pension, shell companies in California, the Cayman Islands, and the British Virgin Islands—all contributed to Colony American Homes [a major REIT].”

Mari’s research uncovered an even more disturbing trend: University and government pension funds were investing in REITs that were converting America into a nation of renters: “Columbia University and G.I. Partners (on behalf of the California Public Employees Retirement System) invested $25 million and $250 million in the REIT Waypoint Homes.”...

One solution: *Absolutely and completely prohibit future corporate or group ownership of single-family homes in any form: REIT, equity, hedge fund, or whatever.*

The founding principle of capitalism is often said to be the survival of the fittest, which is the law of the jungle. Wolves take down the weakest in a herd so that the surviving strongest will pass on their stronger DNA. In the jungle, there is no justice._


----------



## SeniorBen

David777 said:


> Wall Street, bank corps, real estate corps are the prime forces indirectly creating homelessness.  Real estate inflation has been by far the major factor though media controlled by the wealthy tends to  point elsewhere.
> 
> https://peoplesworld.org/article/ho...et-landlords-convert-family-homes-to-rentals/
> snippets:
> 
> _The new-found corporate interest in single-family houses can be traced back to the government’s failed answer to the near economic meltdown of 2008. Recall that in response to the Great Depression in the 1930s, under Roosevelt, the bailout went only to the homeowners for mortgage relief and not a penny to the banks. By contrast, under the Bush/Obama programs during the Great Recession, the majority of the funds went to the banks and hardly any trickled down to help homeowners.
> 
> Obama called his program the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), and it promised to help four to five million homeowners with a $75 billion allocation. But only 887,000 got relief, and some _*nine million people lost their homes in the next few years.*
> 
> _Francisca Mari, writing in the New York Times, answered the question of who got the foreclosed homes, in her headline: A _*$60 Billion Housing Grab by Wall Street...*
> 
> _“By 2016, 95 percent of the distressed mortgages on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s books were auctioned off to Wall Street investors without any meaningful stipulations. Private-equity firms had acquired more than 200,000 homes in desirable cities and middle-class suburban neighborhoods, creating a tantalizing new asset class: the single-family-rental home. The companies would make money on rising home values while tenants covered the mortgages.”...
> 
> There are investment vehicles that allow the wealthy to pool their assets as they do in equity/hedge funds, but restrict the money managers to investing only in real estate; they’re called Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). In the above quoted article, Mari’s research revealed that a strikingly large source of the funds for some prominent REITs was *foreign—and from hidden sources*:
> 
> “The REITs were funded with money from all over the world. An investment company in Qatar, the Korea Exchange Bank on behalf of the country’s national pension, shell companies in California, the Cayman Islands, and the British Virgin Islands—all contributed to Colony American Homes [a major REIT].”
> 
> Mari’s research uncovered an even more disturbing trend: University and government pension funds were investing in REITs that were converting America into a nation of renters: “Columbia University and G.I. Partners (on behalf of the California Public Employees Retirement System) invested $25 million and $250 million in the REIT Waypoint Homes.”...
> 
> One solution: *Absolutely and completely prohibit future corporate or group ownership of single-family homes in any form: REIT, equity, hedge fund, or whatever.*
> 
> The founding principle of capitalism is often said to be the survival of the fittest, which is the law of the jungle. Wolves take down the weakest in a herd so that the surviving strongest will pass on their stronger DNA. In the jungle, there is no justice._


Interesting website. I bookmarked it.


----------



## officerripley

SeniorBen said:


> Interesting website. I bookmarked it.


Yes, indeed; thanks, David, for the website, I went ahead and subscribed to it.


----------



## David777

Yes, we myriad working class peons are being skewered and mislead with head down in holes in the sand, humming along to Happy Days, just as those elite powers and their media want us to.


----------



## StarSong

David777 said:


> The founding principle of capitalism is often said to be the survival of the fittest, which is the law of the jungle. Wolves take down the weakest in a herd so that the surviving strongest will pass on their stronger DNA. In the jungle, there is no justice.


So true.  Great article, David.


----------



## SeniorBen

One answer to the homeless problem is public housing, but then you have the issue of non-working people living better than people working minimum wage jobs and just barely getting by. I guess the answer to that is to require the tenants of the public housing to work in some way. Who knows.


----------



## OneEyedDiva

SeniorBen said:


> One answer to the homeless problem is public housing, but then you have the issue of non-working people living better than people working minimum wage jobs and just barely getting by. I guess the answer to that is to require the tenants of the public housing to work in some way. Who knows.


Problem with your solution is that public housing is already overwhelmed, including senior housing. I have a friend, in fact who used to be a neighbor who's so sorry she moved from here. She's been looking for an apartment for over two years. I notified her that applications were being taken for new buildings that just got finished. She's blind so her daughter submitted her application. A couple of months later they went in and they told her she was accepted...that was almost a year ago. Now she finds out that she might not get into the new development and still has to wait months! She put in an application at another building, not under public housing, still no word from them either.  I was told by those who have been trying to get into public housing that waiting lists are 3 years long (for seniors). A non senior told me the housing authority in our city stopped taking applications altogether for non senior housing. From what I understand, getting into public housing is a problem in many areas.


----------



## Lawrence

It scares me to know about the homeless people I wish things were different. Me and my wife own our house and cars, so we have no monthly payments to make. We actually are saving money every month and help out our children when they are in a bind. I hope we never become homeless, maybe we would live in our camping trailer.


----------



## OneEyedDiva

Lawrence said:


> It scares me to know about the homeless people I wish things were different. Me and my wife own our house and cars, so we have no monthly payments to make. We actually are saving money every month and help out our children when they are in a bind. I hope we never become homeless, maybe we would live in our camping trailer.


It's nice to know we can help our children and not have it be that they need to help support us. At least you have a back up plan if, God forbid, you found yourself homeless. But I hope that never happens Lawrence.


----------



## SeniorBen

OneEyedDiva said:


> Problem with your solution is that public housing is already overwhelmed, including senior housing. I have a friend, in fact who used to be a neighbor who's so sorry she moved from here. She's been looking for an apartment for over two years. I notified her that applications were being taken for new buildings that just got finished. She's blind so her daughter submitted her application. A couple of months later they went in and they told her she was accepted...that was almost a year ago. Now she finds out that she might not get into the new development and still has to wait months! She put in an application at another building, not under public housing, still no word from them either.  I was told by those who have been trying to get into public housing that waiting lists are 3 years long (for seniors). A non senior told me the housing authority in our city stopped taking applications altogether for non senior housing. From what I understand, getting into public housing is a problem in many areas.


The obvious answer is to build more public housing, but that takes money. And will.


----------



## OneEyedDiva

SeniorBen said:


> The obvious answer is to build more public housing, but that takes money. And will.


Yes, you are right of course; that would be nice. But getting the zoning, maneuvering through the red tape, etc., etc. will not provide nearly the amount of necessary housing in an expedient fashion.


----------



## Buckeye

Lawrence said:


> It scares me to know about the homeless people I wish things were different. Me and my wife own our house and cars, so we have no monthly payments to make. We actually are saving money every month and help out our children when they are in a bind. I hope we never become homeless, maybe we would live in our camping trailer.


They odds are on your side.  Highly unlikely that you and your wife would ever be homeless.  I have no data to back up my suspicions, but I would guess that seniors that end up homeless were living pretty much on the edge, so to speak, most of their life.  I do not have any suggestions to solve the issue, but I do know that one thing is absolute in human nature:  that which you reward, you will get more of. 

btw - good on you for helping your kids.  I assume you are also teaching them your life methods that allow you to help them.


----------



## Knight

Senior ben posted.
The obvious answer is to build more public housing, but that takes money. And will.

More public housing sounds simple & doable until you think about all the other issues that go along with putting a large amount of homeless people that need to do something to get thru their day.
More public housing & the utilities that will be used who pays for that?  Housing is nice but upkeep & jobs by those living there should be available. Then there is how many units to build to care for the homeless population already in whatever place they are. Not unusual for homeless to gravitate to cities that seem accepting of  their being there.
I don't think there is one answer/solution that can solve the various issues that bring people to the point in their lives to wind up homeless.  Tossing money at the problem seems to me to be the popular political solution. I don't think I've ever read a report on the money spent to address homelessness. What I'm trying to say, like supporting foreign governments what actually reaches the people in need that the money was supposed to help.


----------



## Buckeye

There is lots of information on the cost of the homeless. 
======
*The National Alliance to End Homelessness calculated that, in 2021, the U.S. federal government enacted over $51 billion in funding for selected homelessness and housing programs. This, of course, does not include city, county, or private dollars invested in homelessness and affordable housing as well.*
======
_*In the 2020-2021 San Diego budget, the city spent $64 million through its Homelessness Strategies Department, which oversees and develops homelessness-related programs and services. Most of this was spent on outside contracts, which likely include programs offered by homelessness service providers.*_

*However, there is additional spending across the County through Housing and Health Services and other government entities. Right now, there is no one entity that calculates total spending
======*
or this one:
*According to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, the cost of building a 100-unit affordable project in California in 2016 was $425,000 per unit. Multiply that by 160,000 and you’re looking at a cost of $68 billion in California alone.*

One estimate I have seen that overall we spend about $35k per year for each homeless person.  The average retiree gets about $18k in social security benefits....


----------



## officerripley

SeniorBen said:


> The obvious answer is to build more public housing, but that takes money. And will.


A convo I had with a realtor a few years ago:

*Me:* So many of the new (and the few that are affordable) single-family housing divisions have all 2-story homes which are not good for the elderly. I wish they would build more single-family housing that's suitable for the elderly since there's no way I'll ever be able to get my husband to live in any kind of multi-family setting.
*Realtor*: I agree with you; they should build more for the elderly but not going to happen; single family housing that's suitable for the elderly (i.e., single story, etc.) is too hard to re-sell.
*Me:* Really? Why?
*Realtor:* Because (and I can tell you from first-hand experience) any home buyers that are middle-aged or younger do not want to live in an area with even a few "old people." This happens to me _all the time_: I'm driving prospective buyers to look at a home and if they see one head of gray or white hair, they frown & say, "Are there a lot of old people living in this neighborhood? Because I do NOT want to live in an area with grumpy old people who'll be complaining about the noise my kids make and I myself don't want to hear sirens every day because some old person is having chest pains!" And no matter how much I beg them to look at the house & tell them how nice it is, they won't even look at it and want to move on to the next on the list. And this happens _all the time._

I think this is sad but didn't really surprise me to hear it.


----------



## dseag2

officerripley said:


> A convo I had with a realtor a few years ago:
> 
> *Me:* So many of the new (and the few that are affordable) single-family housing divisions have all 2-story homes which are not good for the elderly. I wish they would build more single-family housing that's suitable for the elderly since there's no way I'll ever be able to get my husband to live in any kind of multi-family setting.
> *Realtor*: I agree with you; they should build more for the elderly but not going to happen; single family housing that's suitable for the elderly (i.e., single story, etc.) is too hard to re-sell.
> *Me:* Really? Why?
> *Realtor:* Because (and I can tell you from first-hand experience) any home buyers that are middle-aged or younger do not want to live in an area with even a few "old people." This happens to me _all the time_: I'm driving prospective buyers to look at a home and if they see one head of gray or white hair, they frown & say, "Are there a lot of old people living in this neighborhood? Because I do NOT want to live in an area with grumpy old people who'll be complaining about the noise my kids make and I myself don't want to hear sirens every day because some old person is having chest pains!" And no matter how much I beg them to look at the house & tell them how nice it is, they won't even look at it and want to move on to the next on the list. And this happens _all the time._
> 
> I think this is sad but didn't really surprise me to hear it.


The other challenge is that builders want to build the largest possible home on the smallest lot to make more money.  When we moved to Dallas we were looking to downsize.  We looked at an absolutely beautiful home with a great finish-out, but it was huge and had things like a Media Room that we didn't need.  Our real estate agent was very well connected and was kind enough to let us chat with the builder of that home.  He basically confirmed that land was too expensive and he could not build a smaller home on it and make a profit.


----------



## CrowFlies

i know a traveling nurse who told me how the old guys are not getting help.  ive been helping a homeless guy living
in his truck the last year at least that ive known him...who was initially told "no".. SS wont help you.

this is despite his work career despite his Three heart stint surgeries one last fall.  his mistake im told was
believing them, the "no".  he didnt know to find a lawyer to work his Disability case.
he took the "no" and moved into his truck.

i finally called a lawyer ad in a nearby city, talked with them about this man and his history and his "no" problem,
how he does Not understand the 'system' or how to fight it.  with his permission i sent them his email addy
and phone number since he doesnt get reception in many areas but has wifi at the library.

i was with him when he had his first phone conversation with this law outfit, it went well.  they took his info
and they took his case.  he now has a lawyer to help him get the SSdis he deserved a number of years ago.

with that im reminded of the number of people considered 'homeless' across this country.  they are known people,
known names.  IOW...if you havent applied for something, havent signed up for something, if you just
go live in your truck..You are Not Counted.  you are not part of the 'homeless' numbers.
i find that pretty scary.

id say there are far more homeless out there than is recognized, and seniors are definitely falling into that
category.  no one can survive on the measly SS they get and no one in charge seems to notice or care
and it pisses me off.

i knew a mom who was getting 1500mos on some kind of SS...her RV rent was half that and going up
yearly. then was huge medicare payments then car ins then...she couldnt afford food.  we'd buy her a 100$ gift card
for the grocery store so she would not run out of food.
i dont know how anyone can exist on $841 mos. 

so many people here are starving and homeless and ignored.  meanwhile....every rich person is now writing
a book for more money!  they dont seem to have enuff yet.

this inequity is very harmful if you dont have 44billion lying around.


----------



## CrowFlies

and i agree...we did not have these kind of problems when the rich were paying their share of US tax.
its been downhill along with their tax rates the last 40years.


----------



## carouselsilver

OneEyedDiva said:


> Well even if you can't open the link...this an excerpt from the article as shown in the OP:
> _“These are not necessarily people who have mental illness or substance abuse problems. *They are people being pushed into the streets by rising rents."*_


This movie touches upon this issue, and very well done, I might add:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9770150/reference


----------



## carouselsilver

Liberty said:


> Houston has done a great job of finding homes for the homeless.  This has been an ongoing effort
> for years now.  It would be nice if all cities could take up the torch and do something similar:
> 
> https://www.houstonchronicle.com/ne...ps-houston-decommissioned-cities-16641827.php


This is heartening!


----------



## Teacher Terry

Nevada’s homeless population is growing because rents and housing costs are skyrocketing. Luckily I bought as soon as I moved here 25 years ago. If I had to rent I couldn’t afford to stay.


----------



## Blessed

There but for the grace of God go I...whatever the reason it just breaks my heart that the older and the youngest in America go without a home and food.  We know what we have paid in over our lives in taxes to help the needy but it seems that we still struggle with basic human decency. I do not see this as a failure of Americans but of those we entrust in our government to do the right things.


----------



## OneEyedDiva

Blessed said:


> There but for the grace of God go I...whatever the reason it just breaks my heart that the older and the youngest in America go without a home and food.  We know what we have paid in over our lives in taxes to help the needy but it seems that we still struggle with basic human decency. I do not see this as a failure of Americans but of those we entrust in our government to do the right things.


_"There but for the grace of God go I." _I have always said this Blessed.  People who look down their noses on the homeless better be careful. They may be among them one day.  Just sayin.....


----------



## Pepper

Went to my neighborhood park Saturday.  As I was leaving I saw a woman in her seventies or beyond. She was immaculately coiffed, like she just came from a salon.  She was dressed well.  She seemed to have only one shoe................clothes upon clothes were in a shopping cart.  Homeless!


----------



## Liberty

Having the basic necessities for the mentally ill would certainly be a good place to start!


----------



## Knight

The U.S. is facing a graying of the homeless. By 2050, there are expected to be 95,000 elders living without stable housing – which is more than double the current population for this age group. 
Source: National Health Care for the Homeless Council


https://online.simmons.edu/blog/aging-on-the-streets-americas-growing-older-homeless-population/

IMO. Not a very good projection & an indicator that nothing well intentioned is working or going to work.


----------



## helenbacque

Medical emergencies can bankrupt someone quickly and, once down, its difficult to recover.  Every advanced nation in the world has some form of universal healthcare but not the U.S.  Why???  We spend trillions trying to make a better life for people in other countries because it creates profitable businesses for a favored few. Universal healthcare here would kill a few businesses that are profitable for a few but benefit the entire nation.

Hillary Clinton proposed an excellent health care plan for the country in *1993 *but the old white guys in Congress would have none of it.  Had it been adopted, the homeless and indigent elderly population would certainly have been drastically reduced today but there would have been fewer millionaires.

https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/health-reform-initiative


----------



## Don M.

helenbacque said:


> Every advanced nation in the world has some form of universal healthcare but not the U.S.  Why???


Health Care is the 3rd largest "Industry" in the U.S.....accounting for over 17% of the nations GDP.  We used to have a Medical Profession, but over the past few decades it has become the HC Industry.  The Primary purpose of Any Industry is to make money.  

https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-healthcare-industry-statistics/

https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/healthcare-industry/

Coincidently, the Health Care Industry is one of the biggest political campaign donors.  

Do some research on this site, and you will quickly find out just who really runs this country.

https://www.opensecrets.org/


----------



## SeniorBen

With the structure of our U.S. economy, the rich get richer and the lower and middle classes get poorer.

Somebody recently paid $195 million for an Andy Warhol painting of Marilyn Monroe. That person evidently had 100s of millions of spare cash laying around that they could use to purchase a wall decoration. We have people paying over a million dollars for a few minute ride into outer space while others get their dinners from trash cans and sleep on the street. People working full time for minimum wage in some cities can't afford rent on a small apartment and have no choice but to live in their cars.

We're living through something out of a dystopian novel. It's no wonder people are flipping out and doing crazy !@#$%. People have lost hope and they're losing it.


----------



## Pepper

That's what you get @SeniorBen when you don't vote or vote for the wrong clown.


----------



## officerripley

Huzz and I are acquainted with a man here in town, who due to his wife being on dialysis (and she being unable to work at all due to her health), the man is working at a job where he does get health ins. (which is rare around here) and also a minimum wage job to the tune of about 70-80 hrs./week to just barely keep a roof over their heads in addition to her getting the dialysis.

Huzz's brother has terminal cancer and not feeling too bad yet but since he knows his time is short, would love to retire from his job now and go do some traveling, etc. before it's too late. But nope, can't happen because if he were to quit before his younger-than-he-wife is old enough for Medicare--which is 6 years from now--it would cost him about $2,000 to keep the health insurance he has with his job now. (And he couldn't go ahead & quit & go out looking for cheaper health ins.--if he could find any that's cheaper (doubtful)--and probably couldn't get diff. ins. anyway since he's got the pre-existing cancer.

I think that things being like this in, to hear some people say, the "greatest country on earth," is disgusting, barbaric, and inexcusable.


----------



## OneEyedDiva

helenbacque said:


> Medical emergencies can bankrupt someone quickly and, once down, its difficult to recover.  Every advanced nation in the world has some form of universal healthcare but not the U.S.  Why???  We spend trillions trying to make a better life for people in other countries because it creates profitable businesses for a favored few. Universal healthcare here would kill a few businesses that are profitable for a few but benefit the entire nation.
> 
> Hillary Clinton proposed an excellent health care plan for the country in *1993 *but the old white guys in Congress would have none of it.  Had it been adopted, the homeless and indigent elderly population would certainly have been drastically reduced today but there would have been fewer millionaires.
> 
> https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/health-reform-initiative


Helen when I see that we are sending other countries *billions* of dollars, it gets to me. Remember how ugly things got when the Affordable Care Act was still in the works and it wasn't just politicians either! We have families with starving children, seniors who have to decide whether to pay their rents, buy food or buy their meds....and now this, growing numbers of white haired homeless. When the 4th stimulus for Americans still hurting from the effects of the pandemic, was proposed, we heard there wouldn't be another because "it would be too expensive", it would be a budget buster and send the national debt skyrocketing..... yet, how much did we send the Ukraine recently? It makes no damned sense to me! We want to seem like "big shots" at the cost of the most impoverished and vulnerable in our own country.


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## Leann

There are some very sad stories on YouTube of senior citizens living in their cars because they can't afford to own or rent a place. And these same folks rely on the meager revenue from their YouTube channels for extra income to add to their Social Security.


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## OneEyedDiva

Don M. said:


> Health Care is the 3rd largest "Industry" in the U.S.....accounting for over 17% of the nations GDP.  We used to have a Medical Profession, but over the past few decades it has become the HC Industry.  The Primary purpose of Any Industry is to make money.
> 
> https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-healthcare-industry-statistics/
> 
> https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/healthcare-industry/
> 
> Coincidently, the Health Care Industry is one of the biggest political campaign donors.
> 
> Do some research on this site, and you will quickly find out just who really runs this country.
> 
> https://www.opensecrets.org/


Thank you for these links Don! Interesting info and stats, though some are grim. I'm not quite sure how to navigate the Open Secrets site to find out "who really runs this country".  I did look under lobbying.
@Knight Excellent article in the link you posted! Seems like they covered all the bases regarding this issue.


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## Lethe200

helenbacque said:


> Medical emergencies can bankrupt someone quickly and, once down, its difficult to recover.  Every advanced nation in the world has some form of universal healthcare but not the U.S.  Why???  We spend trillions trying to make a better life for people in other countries because it creates profitable businesses for a favored few. Universal healthcare here would kill a few businesses that are profitable for a few but benefit the entire nation.
> 
> Hillary Clinton proposed an excellent health care plan for the country in *1993 *but the old white guys in Congress would have none of it.  Had it been adopted, the homeless and indigent elderly population would certainly have been drastically reduced today but there would have been fewer millionaires.
> 
> https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/health-reform-initiative



I believe both Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon - but definitely Nixon - believed in universal healthcare. But the vocal minority shouting "SOCIALISM!" shuts it down every time.

This, despite the fact that time and time again, studies show the US spends more but receives less benefits (in terms of longevity) on healthcare than any country that has universal healthcare.

The US is #46 in global longevity rankings. We are BELOW Cuba, Lebanon, Slovenia, Guadeloupe, and Singapore. As of 2021, Hong Kong rated #1, with Japan #2.

It's not only embarrassing....it's tragic.


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## OneEyedDiva

Lethe200 said:


> I believe both Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon - but definitely Nixon - believed in universal healthcare. But the vocal minority shouting "SOCIALISM!" shuts it down every time.
> 
> This, despite the fact that time and time again, studies show the US spends more but receives less benefits (in terms of longevity) on healthcare than any country that has universal healthcare.
> 
> The US is #46 in global longevity rankings. We are BELOW Cuba, Lebanon, Slovenia, Guadeloupe, and Singapore. As of 2021, Hong Kong rated #1, with Japan #2.
> 
> It's not only embarrassing....it's tragic.


My BFF and I were discussing the pitiful state here in the states and she brought up how people cry socialism and don't really know what the hell it means. They go by what they think it means. And you're right, such labeling, along with other excuses, is preventing the powers that be from doing the right thing by we citizens.


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## OneEyedDiva

Just came across this when doing some "digital cleaning". Famous Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell was facing homelessness at age 86 in 2019. Mr. Burrell has played with many Jazz and Blues greats as well as lead for his own projects. He has recorded countless albums and is a professor and director of Jazz studies at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. I'm sure he never expected to possibly face homelessness.
_"His plight became public after his wife, Katherine Burrell, launched a GoFundMe page on May 9, in which she chronicled a number of overwhelming circumstances that the couple is currently navigating. In her telling, the couple has faced a cataclysmic series of misfortunes — including substantial ongoing medical expenses after a 2016 accident, identity theft and ongoing litigation involving the home owners association group in their community — that has brought them to the brink.

"We are facing possible foreclosure and homelessness," Katherine Burrell wrote, adding: "It saddens and embarrasses me to desperately need and request help, but it is necessary at this point." The page's initial fundraising goal was $100,000; as of Tuesday morning, donations totaled almost $145,000."_
I hope the Go Fund me donations helped resolve their plight.


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## Michael Z

My son told me that as many as 30% of the homes near him in the Mnpls area were owned (and flipped) by investors! Consequentially, an uninsulated unlivable 100+ yr old home was selling for $180,000!  This is a crime and needs to be stopped!


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## garyt1957

Don M. said:


> Seniors who were unable to prepare for retirement are going to be hit especially hard in coming years.


Unable or unwilling? I see so many people now setting themselves up for a very bad retirement. They have two big cars a big house, toys and then complain they can't save anything.


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## garyt1957

officerripley said:


> A convo I had with a realtor a few years ago:
> 
> *Me:* So many of the new (and the few that are affordable) single-family housing divisions have all 2-story homes which are not good for the elderly. I wish they would build more single-family housing that's suitable for the elderly since there's no way I'll ever be able to get my husband to live in any kind of multi-family setting.
> *Realtor*: I agree with you; they should build more for the elderly but not going to happen; single family housing that's suitable for the elderly (i.e., single story, etc.) is too hard to re-sell.
> *Me:* Really? Why?
> *Realtor:* Because (and I can tell you from first-hand experience) any home buyers that are middle-aged or younger do not want to live in an area with even a few "old people." This happens to me _all the time_: I'm driving prospective buyers to look at a home and if they see one head of gray or white hair, they frown & say, "Are there a lot of old people living in this neighborhood? Because I do NOT want to live in an area with grumpy old people who'll be complaining about the noise my kids make and I myself don't want to hear sirens every day because some old person is having chest pains!" And no matter how much I beg them to look at the house & tell them how nice it is, they won't even look at it and want to move on to the next on the list. And this happens _all the time._
> 
> I think this is sad but didn't really surprise me to hear it.


Funny, even before I was old I looked for houses that had older people in the neighborhood. You knew they would take care of their property, be quiet  and respectful and general good citizens. But I can see a family with small kids wanting to be in a neighborhood with kids around


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## StarSong

garyt1957 said:


> Funny, even before I was old I looked for houses that had older people in the neighborhood. You knew they would take care of their property, be quiet  and respectful and general good citizens. But I can see a family with small kids wanting to be in a neighborhood with kids around





Michael Z said:


> My son told me that as many as 30% of the homes near him in the Mnpls area were owned (and flipped) by investors! Consequentially, an uninsulated unlivable 100+ yr old home was selling for $180,000!  This is a crime and needs to be stopped!


Our neighborhood was built in the mid-1950s.  When we moved here in the mid-80s there was a good mix of owners in their 70s on down to families in their early 30s like us.  None younger - few in their 20s could manage a 20% down payment and mortgage interest well in the double digits.    

Flash forward to today - we're now among the longest-term owners.  Over the years many houses have been sold and resold.  We love our neighborhood of owners of all ages, every race, color and creed you can imagine, and many small children.  

Lots of flippers have sucked the cream off home sales here in the past few years, I'm sad to say.  They put in $50K worth of prettying up and minor modernizing, add $150K to what they paid for the house and sell it in nothing flat.  Sure, it makes my house ever more valuable (ridiculously so, to be honest), but it also makes the neighborhood unaffordable for young couples.

@Michael Z, you couldn't buy a postage stamp sized piece of land for $180K here, never mind one with a house on it - livable or not.      

3 br/ 2 ba, 1450 SF, nothing-fancy, tract houses in our middle-class suburb go for over a million. Upgraded houses like mine that have almost double that square footage go for plenty more. And they sell in a week. It's ca-razy. Problem is, unless cashing out by relocating to a far cheaper area, the next house will cost the same.


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## Don M.

garyt1957 said:


> Unable or unwilling? I see so many people now setting themselves up for a very bad retirement. They have two big cars a big house, toys and then complain they can't save anything.


Future retirees are going to have to start planning and saving early in their working careers.  Defined Pension plans are becoming a rarity, and Social Security is headed for trouble within the next decade.  The Best, and perhaps Only plan that will serve retirees nicely is the 401K/IRA program.  But, that will only work for people who invest fairly early in their working careers.  Those who fail to plan ahead may be in trouble when they retire.


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## StarSong

Don M. said:


> Future retirees are going to have to start planning and saving early in their working careers.  Defined Pension plans are becoming a rarity, and Social Security is headed for trouble within the next decade.  The Best, and perhaps Only plan that will serve retirees nicely is the 401K/IRA program.  But, that will only work for people who invest fairly early in their working careers.  Those who fail to plan ahead may be in trouble when they retire.


With strong encouragement from parents and other elders in their lives - including their employers - my children and their friends began planning for and investing in 401Ks and other retirement programs while in their mid-twenties. They get some degree of matching funds from their employers and understand the "distant" horizon will be upon them sooner than they think.  

To be honest:

DH & I planned for retirement but not nearly as early or diligently as they are.  

My parents didn't plan for retirement in any specific way, but fortunately had sufficient assets to sustain themselves.  

My grandparents never really planned for retirement and didn't have substantial assets, so their adult children kicked in every month to help support them.  

By my observation, young adults are planning for retirement far earlier than previous generations. The internet is loaded with information about how and why to start early preparations.  News reports abound with sad tales of seniors who hit retirement with very little savings, hoping and imagining Social Security would be sufficient, then learning the hard way that it is not.


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## David777

Another story today about how mobile home parks are in the cross hairs of greedy Wall Streeters and most politicians are no where to be found doing anything about it other than flapping their lips about "Rent Control"... A media diversion tactic from what needs to be done, taking real estate and financial corporations and REIT's out of the low end residential home markets. Be sure to read Comments that shows overwhelming numbers of people are sick so little is being done.  Besides being a prime element causing massive homelessness it is also the largest factor driving up inflation killing all working class folks. Demand your politicians stop this American tragedy from happening.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/corporate-landlords-blackstone-gobbling-mobile-174500027.html


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## Giantsfan1954

President Reagan:
The most 9 terrifying words in the English language,
I'm from the government and I'm here to help


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## officerripley

“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.
~~Leviticus 25:35-36


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## officerripley

The three most terrifying words in the U.S.: "The bottom line."


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## MarciKS

OneEyedDiva said:


> And unlike what someone insinuated in another post...it's through no fault of their own.  Fixed incomes, often poverty level or not much higher, rising rents, lost income opportunities due to their ages and/or the pandemic, huge medical bills and rising rents are among the causes.
> _"We’re seeing a huge boom in senior homelessness,” said Kendra Hendry, a caseworker at Arizona's largest shelter, where older people make up about 30% of those staying there. “These are not necessarily people who have mental illness or substance abuse problems. They are people being pushed into the streets by rising rents."_
> 
> This is a very sad situation and like the saying goes "There but by the grace of God go I".  People who never thought they'd be homeless are now.
> _“I’d always worked, been successful, put my kid through college,” the single mother said. “And then all of a sudden things went downhill.” Corley traveled all night aboard buses and rode commuter trains to catch a cat nap. "And then I would go to Union Station downtown and wash up in the bathroom,” said Corley. She recently moved into a small East Hollywood apartment with help from The People Concern, a Los Angeles nonprofit."
> 
> "A 2019 study of aging homeless people led by the University of Pennsylvania drew on 30 years of census data to project the U.S. population of people 65 and older experiencing homelessness will nearly triple from 40,000 to 106,000 by 2030, resulting in a public health crisis as their age-related medical problems multiply." _Read the entire article:
> _https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/americas-homeless-ranks-graying-retire-streets-83996564_


i just can't imagine. it's so heartbreaking to hear about these kinds of things but when the money is gone it's gone. i think the way seniors are treated is terrible. we may be old but we're still here and we still have the right to live our lives on our own terms. but the US has no respect for aging citizens.


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## dko1951

OneEyedDiva said:


> And unlike what someone insinuated in another post...it's through no fault of their own.  Fixed incomes, often poverty level or not much higher, rising rents, lost income opportunities due to their ages and/or the pandemic, huge medical bills and rising rents are among the causes.
> _"We’re seeing a huge boom in senior homelessness,” said Kendra Hendry, a caseworker at Arizona's largest shelter, where older people make up about 30% of those staying there. “These are not necessarily people who have mental illness or substance abuse problems. They are people being pushed into the streets by rising rents."_
> 
> This is a very sad situation and like the saying goes "There but by the grace of God go I".  People who never thought they'd be homeless are now.
> _“I’d always worked, been successful, put my kid through college,” the single mother said. “And then all of a sudden things went downhill.” Corley traveled all night aboard buses and rode commuter trains to catch a cat nap. "And then I would go to Union Station downtown and wash up in the bathroom,” said Corley. She recently moved into a small East Hollywood apartment with help from The People Concern, a Los Angeles nonprofit."
> 
> "A 2019 study of aging homeless people led by the University of Pennsylvania drew on 30 years of census data to project the U.S. population of people 65 and older experiencing homelessness will nearly triple from 40,000 to 106,000 by 2030, resulting in a public health crisis as their age-related medical problems multiply." _Read the entire article:
> _https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/americas-homeless-ranks-graying-retire-streets-83996564_






 Great Pink Floyd Claymation video "On the Turning Away" showing what you are speaking of. Beautifully done and heartbreaking.


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## SeniorBen

MarciKS said:


> i just can't imagine. it's so heartbreaking to hear about these kinds of things but when the money is gone it's gone. i think the way seniors are treated is terrible. we may be old but we're still here and we still have the right to live our lives on our own terms. but the US has no respect for aging citizens.


The U.S. has no respect for anything but money.


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## StarSong

SeniorBen said:


> The U.S. has no respect for anything but money.


Sad but increasingly true.


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## JimBob1952

SeniorBen said:


> The U.S. has no respect for anything but money.



I disagree.  We spend nearly half the Federal budget on Social Security and health insurance.  Poor people in every state have access to a range of food and housing programs.  There are multiple non-profit programs aimed at helping needy seniors, as well.  

Housing inflation is indeed rampant, but the problem isn't so much with greedy "flippers" but with state and local governments that crimp supply with extensive zoning, environmental and other regulations. Another problem is the shortage of workers willing to pound nails and carry bricks, despite good wages in construction. Needed houses just aren't getting built.   Add in market distortions caused by the pandemic, and inflation caused by multi-trillion dollar stimulus injections into the economy, and you have a real mess.  

I might also point out that adding hundreds of thousands of low-skill immigrants pushes up rental and, ultimately, purchase prices at the lower end of the market.  

No one wants seniors to be homeless.  Targeted, sensible interventions at the state and federal level can solve this problem.  We're talking about 30,000 people in a country of 330 million, fewer than 1000 people per state.


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## David777

Greatly disagree with some of @JimBob1952 post that to this person reads like what those causing this situation and their powerful media and politicians want people to believe instead of Wall Street, financial and real estate corps, REIT's.  Wall Street where they arrogantly have been openly advertising to the wealthy across the world to buy into their real estate investment corps so they can skewer the rest of we defenseless working class Americans as much as they can like it is some kind of legitimate and ethical game.
​


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## JimBob1952

David777 said:


> Greatly disagree with some of @JimBob1952 post that to this person reads like what those causing this situation and their powerful media and politicians want people to believe instead of Wall Street, financial and real estate corps, REIT's.  Wall Street where they arrogantly have been openly advertising to the wealthy across the world to buy into their real estate investment corps so they can skewer the rest of we defenseless working class Americans as much as they can like it is some kind of legitimate and ethical game.
> ​



We post here to agree and disagree.  The shortage of affordable housing is a problem with many causes.  REITs and others buying up single family homes may indeed be a contributing factor, but there are many other factors as well.  This report that Habitat for Humanity co-sponsored with Harvard University seems like a pretty objective look at the big picture.   

https://www.habitat.org/costofhome/2022-state-nations-housing-report-lack-affordable-housing


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## dko1951

OneEyedDiva said:


> I was thinking the same thing Liberty. Why can't cities use programs that are showing success and model them? Perhaps if they weed out the wastefulness in their budgets and really put some effort into it, they could.


Whenever I hear of a solution that may lessen the homeless situation, there is always the same response, not in my neighborhood. I know that everybody wants something to be done, but talk is cheap, action takes sacrifice and commitment to and for the cause.


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## OneEyedDiva

dko1951 said:


> Whenever I hear of a solution that may lessen the homeless situation, there is always the same response, not in my neighborhood. I know that everybody wants something to be done, but talk is cheap, action takes sacrifice and commitment to and for the cause.


So true!


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## Teacher Terry

25 years ago Reno had a very small homeless population that was mostly people with substance abuse problems.  Now that’s radically changed. Seniors are among them. I see young working people on Nextdoor asking for tips on how to find apartments they can afford. Some people are renting out rooms in their homes.


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## Lethe200

John cycling said:


> Beware.  He's working on that too, with his bogus philanthropy <- which includes vaccinations.
> .


Your opinion, not necessarily anyone else's. Polio, for example, is still a HUGE problem in Third World countries.


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## hollydolly




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## Remy

dko1951 said:


> Whenever I hear of a solution that may lessen the homeless situation, there is always the same response, not in my neighborhood. I know that everybody wants something to be done, but talk is cheap, action takes sacrifice and commitment to and for the cause.


Well I can say that apartments to rent are sure going up in people's neighborhoods. I know I've mentioned this numerous times but plots of land that sat vacant for years (I've lived in this county over 25 years) started getting apartments built on them after the fire destroyed so many homes. A triangle of land for sale for years and years, big sign, sold with now "luxury" apartments built on that triangle. At least they take pets. But it's sandwiched between two busy roads. 

Two plots of land a few blocks away from each other on a very busy street no one seemed interested in, now both have had apartments put on them. Rent. Nothing affordable to buy. That's what they want from people. Rent money or to buy their big oversized house that was built.


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## Remy

OneEyedDiva said:


> My BFF and I were discussing the pitiful state here in the states and she brought up how people cry socialism and don't really know what the hell it means. They go by what they think it means. And you're right, such labeling, along with other excuses, is preventing the powers that be from doing the right thing by we citizens.


It's such a buzz word.

Kid going to a public school? (I never had kids but pay taxes for public schools. It's part of living in a society. And don't get me started on my experiences in the public school system)
Driving down the road and over a bridge?
Called the fire department?
Went to the library?

I'm sure smarter people can think of more.


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## JimBob1952

Remy said:


> It's such a buzz word.
> 
> Kid going to a public school? (I never had kids but pay taxes for public schools. It's part of living in a society. And don't get me started on my experiences in the public school system)
> Driving down the road and over a bridge?
> Called the fire department?
> Went to the library?
> 
> I'm sure smarter people can think of more.



Socialism is easy to define:  It's government ownership of the means of production and distribution.  So, under true socialism everything is owned and run by the government or "the people" -- not just utility companies and railroads but food production companies, warehouses and stores, phone companies, you name it.   

The things you mentioned aren't socialism, they are just government.  

Examples of "real socialism" include Cuba, North Korea, the USSR under Stalin, and China under Mao.  People cite Scandinavian countries as examples of socialism, but they are actually capitalist countries with strong social welfare programs.  

The UK experimented with socialism, nationalizing such things as airlines.  The results were fairly miserable. 

The great thing about real socialism is that its adherents never learn from their mistakes.


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## Remy

@JimBob1952 I do think they are socialism. The countries you would describe would be communist.  Wouldn't countries with the stronger social programs be more socialist? I don't know. I'm not an expert. I know there is one cable news station that likes to shout the word.

When I was a teenager, 16 maybe, we went to East Germany because my mother was from Dresden. We never made it to Dresden due to car trouble but that was something most Americans have never seen. I still remember the guards and when we left. The trucks going through the border to the west, had soldiers going around with dogs and mirrors under the trucks. I remember my mother stating "I guarantee you all those truck drivers are married with kids so they know they will come back. They aren't sending single men out driving those trucks." I'm sure she was right. My mother hated the Eastern block and said she never thought she would see it end. 

Those people had no freedom. They could leave. It wasn't like an Israeli Kibbutz that I would assume is considered socialism. Those people were free to leave if they wanted.


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## JimBob1952

Remy said:


> @JimBob1952 I do think they are socialism. The countries you would describe would be communist.  Wouldn't countries with the stronger social programs be more socialist? I don't know. I'm not an expert. I know there is one cable news station that likes to shout the word.
> 
> When I was a teenager, 16 maybe, we went to East Germany because my mother was from Dresden. We never made it to Dresden due to car trouble but that was something most Americans have never seen. I still remember the guards and when we left. The trucks going through the border to the west, had soldiers going around with dogs and mirrors under the trucks. I remember my mother stating "I guarantee you all those truck drivers are married with kids so they know they will come back. They aren't sending single men out driving those trucks." I'm sure she was right. My mother hated the Eastern block and said she never thought she would see it end.
> 
> Those people had no freedom. They could leave. It wasn't like an Israeli Kibbutz that I would assume is considered socialism. Those people were free to leave if they wanted.



Socialism has little to do with social programs.  It's all about who owns the means of production and distribution.  Communism is just an intensification of socialism, with more emphasis on the political system.  

Many kibbutzes have "gone private" since the 1980s and now embrace capitalism.  Also, kibbutzes are small-scale, not on a national basis.  

As I said earlier, socialism sounds nice to many people.  The big problem is that it doesn't work.


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## OneEyedDiva

I saw an add on Yahoo finance about senior housing..no waiting lists, so out of curiosity, I clicked the link. There were other links for other types of senior housing. One of the listed apartments (in N.Y.) *startied at* $7,900 a month. WTH!! Of course it had lots of amenities but really?!


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## officerripley

OneEyedDiva said:


> I saw an add on Yahoo finance about senior housing..no waiting lists, so out of curiosity, I clicked the link. There were other links for other types of senior housing. One of the listed apartments (in N.Y.) *startied at* $7,900 a month. WTH!! Of course it had lots of amenities but really?!


Wow, isn't that something? You wonder why it doesn't dawn on the people who offer senior places that are that expensive that most people who could afford to pay that much money can afford to stay in their great big nice home and hire full-time, live-in help and usually will.


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## Remy

A mobile in a senior park came up for sale. Decently newer, large square footage. Price more than I have in my savings account. Pending by day 4. It's really depressing. And scary


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## oslooskar

Due to a significant loss of income I was compelled to live in a trailer for my last three years of living in the USA. It wasn't bad, but I still had more money going out than I had coming in so I moved overseas and bought a nice 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom house in a gated community near the beach. Life is very affordable here in Thailand and the quality of dental and medical care is outstanding.


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## Aunt Mavis

I sat on a jury where a gentleman that had mental health issues represented himself. He wanted out of the institution so he could live in a homeless camp instead. He was a real character, I had a laughing fit sitting in seat #1. I thought I was going to get arrested because I couldn’t get it under control.  The rest of the case was sad sad. This guy has no chance really.


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