Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - Homelessness

[Rhiannon12866]

With homelessness increasing nationwide, John Oliver takes a look at the way we discuss the unhoused, what policy failures are making the problem worse, and how we can help.

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R!

That was excellent and spot on.

[burrowowl]

2. K&R

[niyad]

3. Excellent. This is a good starting point for those who have not been working on

these issues for ages.

A friend was just telling me about how one of our mountain communities is dealing with aa very large number of homeless in their area. The town converted a B & B to living units. . .six units total. They are so proud of themselves.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. That does sound like the most workable idea and something definitely needs to be done

This issue has been ignored or dealt with inhumanely for far too long.

[niyad]

5. Indeed it has. Disgraceful in the richest, bestest, country in the world.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. And yet it continues, and nothing is done.

It's particularly heartbreaking among our veterans...

[Uncle Joe]

6. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread Rhiannon.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Thanks!

John Oliver is always spot on - and with humor.

[Rhiannon12866]

11. He manages to come up with something we need to know or we've overlooked every week.

[Uncle Joe]

12. I thought

I was experiencing deja vu.

[Rhiannon12866]

13. Same here! And I replied to you already!

[Trailrider1951]

8. Here in Western Washington State, King and Pierce Counties (Seattle and Tacoma areas) have been

purchasing and renovating older hotels for housing the homeless. This looks like a very effective method of generating low-income housing for the people who need it. The buildings are already there in the neighborhoods, and are usually located where there is ample public transportation, available at a very low cost for the low income, senior or disabled residents:

https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/orca-card#orcalift
https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/regional-reduced-fare-permit
https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/fares#youthfares

Here is an article from last May:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/king-county-will-buy-hotels-to-permanently-house-1600-homeless-people/

More from last July:
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/homeless/king-county-buys-third-hotel-homeless-housing/281-eb974570-6c16-452b-ac9c-9477ada70270

And more:
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/07/11/king-pierce-counties-buy-hotels-for-homeless.html

To me, this looks like the best deal for the money.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. What a wonderful thing! Thanks so much for sharing this!

And yes, it certainly makes sense from both a financial and humane standpoint, a win all around! But it's not a surprise that this area is stepping up - back in the day, I was responsible for the newspaper television listings for that area. Even though I'm in the Northeast, my company was responsible for newspapers throughout the country and the Pacific Northeast was my "beat" and so I got somewhat familiar with what was going on there and decided that I really wanted to visit someday. KING, KOMO, KIRO, KCTS, KVOS, KSTW, KCPQ, I remember them all...

[2naSalit]

14. In Montana...

I was homeless for 10 months while waiting for disability determination. I was a seasonal federal employee who was supposed to get my job back but tfg froze all hiring so I couldn't have my job back.

I applied for disability when I was confirmed to have arthritis in such advanced condition that I would have needed to request special accommodations for my job which requires documentation. While getting the MRIs I found I needed to get on disability and since my job wasn't coming back it was the only thing I could do. Lost my housing at the same time because I had no income. Even at GS5, I qualified for Medicaid which is the only reason I was able to afford the MRIs.

Disability requires that you have gone a year without employment.

I applied for Sec.8 right away, the waiting list then was two years long, finally got it but it took ten months, during winter included, living in my car. Wasn't like I had any other place to go since all the applications would have been moot if I left the state.

It's a catch 22.

I have an advanced degree, many years of work experience, started working at 14, and at 60 was put through the wringer. I was lucky, I had a functioning vehicle to sleep in that I could heat up once or twice a night but finding a bathroom or a shower was an ordeal every day, and I even had a job for a time that was under a federal program where it would not disqualify me for disability. It was an office job and I had to get ready for work in a gas station bathroom every day.

It wasn't a choice unless you consider the fact that I didn't choose suicide.

[Rhiannon12866]

15. I am so very sorry, my friend! Things need to change, it's long past time!

[2naSalit]

16. Indeed.

My therapist asked for permission to use my case as an example, along with a couple others, to appeal to the county to create a warming center/nightly shelter because the NGO that deals with the homeless were sending everyone to the next county over to find the shelter there. They kept trying to send me there but I refused since the flu was going around and I wasn't willing to be exposed to that.

The good part about that was that the county did create a shelter but it was after I obtained housing.

I was in a subsidized housing in yet a third county for 15 months before I was awarded the Sec.8 voucher.

I have an advanced degree and it was a nightmare for me to navigate a a master of public administration, I can't imagine being in that situation without having the knowledge I have.

I have been homeless twice in my life, both times were under an R president. The first time was over a decade prior and it was not for that long and I was able to find work and housing rather quickly back then because my sister and I got a place together.

States like Montana have no social services outside the one NGO and federal programs. And healthcare is a joke too. You know it sucks in Montana when I have to come to fucking Idaho for better care. They only want wealthy people there these days now that tfg's minions are running things... you know, self deportation.

[Rhiannon12866]

17. Even here in New York, at least in my county, they only have emergency shelters in bad weather

And we have terrible winters, recently have experienced record low temperatures to the point of 20-below in some places. I do know that they have numerous food banks and provide meals in several places, my mother volunteered at one at her church. But we have a long way to go, even here in New York. I am so sorry that you've had to go through so much.

[2naSalit]

18. Thanks.

I've been housed for nearly five years now but I'll never forget that year. I don't know which is more damning, that I went through that or that I am currently more financially stable than I have ever been in my life now that I get a whopping $900/mo on SSDI with Sec.8.



Upstate NY gets winters close to the severity of the winters we have here.