Homeless migration to RVs creating problems
There seems to be a trend for the homeless to get an old RV and live on the streets. County officials admit their hands are are tied as they do not have proper laws in place to deal with the problem....
Forum Discussion
The homeless problem began in the late 70's early 80's when the ACLU sued several states and eventually petitioned the supreme court to rule on whether or not it was unconstitutional to keep someone against their will in mental institutions, providing they were not a threat to themselves or others.
The outcome was that thousands of State Hospitals across the country were forced to release countless 'inmates' if they were deemed safe to be released into society. Some had family that could care for them, but many did not. As wards of the state, they had been cared for and treated for their illnesses, sometimes cruelly unfortunately, at the expense of the taxpayer, and most taxpayers had no problem with that or knowledge that their tax money was being used for that purpose.
At the start of this problem there were non-profits such as churches and the Salvation Army who would provide food and shelter for these people, but they soon were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.
As these mentally ill began to be a 'blight' on city streets, especially in the winter months as they slept on sewer or steam grates on the sidewalks to keep warm, the northern cities began to bus many of them to other, warmer states. It was a temporary solution to that cities' homeless problem, but the beginning of the problem to the cities where they were being bused.
Fast forward to today and we now see homeless people with many different reasons for why they are homeless, drugs being the main reason, with politicians without a clue as to what to do about it. We have had a cultural shift in this country where we feel we are no longer 'our brother's keeper' and expect governments to take care of the problem. We casually walk around the person sleeping on the sidewalk and basically refuse to acknowledge that person exists.
The solution back before the 80's was the state hospital. The solution for today's crisis has yet to be discovered, though Rhode Island has made a great start in their program to get help for the drug addicted. As RI does, cities/states must get tougher on drug and other crimes and provide facilities, like RI, to properly treat the offenders and not let them continually go through the 'revolving door' of our criminal justice system.
The outcome was that thousands of State Hospitals across the country were forced to release countless 'inmates' if they were deemed safe to be released into society. Some had family that could care for them, but many did not. As wards of the state, they had been cared for and treated for their illnesses, sometimes cruelly unfortunately, at the expense of the taxpayer, and most taxpayers had no problem with that or knowledge that their tax money was being used for that purpose.
At the start of this problem there were non-profits such as churches and the Salvation Army who would provide food and shelter for these people, but they soon were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.
As these mentally ill began to be a 'blight' on city streets, especially in the winter months as they slept on sewer or steam grates on the sidewalks to keep warm, the northern cities began to bus many of them to other, warmer states. It was a temporary solution to that cities' homeless problem, but the beginning of the problem to the cities where they were being bused.
Fast forward to today and we now see homeless people with many different reasons for why they are homeless, drugs being the main reason, with politicians without a clue as to what to do about it. We have had a cultural shift in this country where we feel we are no longer 'our brother's keeper' and expect governments to take care of the problem. We casually walk around the person sleeping on the sidewalk and basically refuse to acknowledge that person exists.
The solution back before the 80's was the state hospital. The solution for today's crisis has yet to be discovered, though Rhode Island has made a great start in their program to get help for the drug addicted. As RI does, cities/states must get tougher on drug and other crimes and provide facilities, like RI, to properly treat the offenders and not let them continually go through the 'revolving door' of our criminal justice system.
