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Plans for homeless village in Redding California moving forward

RLF

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The Shasta Humanity Project team is days away from opening a physical office space, but that's just the beginning of a series of steps.

Redding California resident Douglas Christian has an idea on how to help his city's homeless population.

"We're envisioning developing a piece of property with 30 to 40 homes on it and providing housing for people that are currently homeless," he said.

The vision is based on Quixote Village in Olympia, Washington.

Read More / Video

Plans for homeless village in Redding moving forward


Do you think this is a good answer for your city as well?
 
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I was wondering when I saw this... If this place is for homeless people, and they go here to live, they will no longer be homeless, so does that mean they have to move out?

Seriously though, I think anything we can do on a local level to help the homeless is a good idea to at least try. One of the things to remember though, is that many homeless people need psychological treatment just as much as they need a dry bed indoors, and also, some people, very few I admit but still some, CHOOSE to live that way. We have a guy near me that lives in the woods and roams from wooded area to wooded area among the farms. He's harmless and just likes it that way. He always asks the land owner before he moves in. He's been evaluated by the county and state and has no mental issues. He is not a threat for stealing. Actually has a job, and just wants to live in the open without owning any land or repairing a house. He's a nice guy, and isn't some recluse that hates people. It IS very strange, but it's what he wants for his life.
 
Tough life to live homeless during temperature extremes, and yes many have mental issues. What gets me is having homeless children and senior citizens in our country, especially homeless Vets. I think these tiny homes are a great idea as far as a stepping stone approach. :peace
 
Tough life to live homeless during temperature extremes, and yes many have mental issues. What gets me is having homeless children and senior citizens in our country, especially homeless Vets. I think these tiny homes are a great idea as far as a stepping stone approach. :peace

I do as well. In fact, FEMA is using the exact same approach for temporary housing after a major disaster: Mississippi Alternative Housing Pilot Program | FEMA.gov
 
Absolutely, why not? There are all sorts of cheap ideas for helping the homeless out hugely. Something as simple as a durable tarp and a spool of extra-strong tarp cord and a book about knot-tying is basically a life saver. I could teach someone 3 basic knots for tying up a perfectly angled roof over their heads, giving them dry and reliable living space anywhere they decide to set up shop. That and a variety of other camping goods and you've got yourself a lifestyle. That's worth a lot more than just whatever spare coins I have in my pocket.

woodland_camp_prepared.jpg


tarpXL1.png


The idea in the OP goes far above and beyond that, but why not help people find and acquire super-cheap housing solutions that empower them?
 
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My town has several programs for the homeless. I live in a small vacation town in northern Michigan, so one of the programs offered is "temporary" housing (temporary in quotes, as some people have lived there for years now) at a hotel/apartment complex about 4 miles outside of town so that the homeless don't bother the tourists. You know what happened when they built that complex?

We got a lot more homeless people. The moved here from surrounding areas. In the off season, they harass the locals outside of bars for money and cigarettes, sleeping in parks and even dying of exposure to the elements if they happen to have violated the terms of their stay at the complex during the winter. During peak tourist season, the police brutalize them and haul them off to jail for almost nothing.

And the problem is getting worse every year. They simply have no motivation to leave, what with free room and board (and discounted busing services). Last fall, one of the town drunks was found beaten to death in the park he frequented. There was no robust investigation and the cops really couldn't have cared less, because two new guys will take his place this year.
 
It's a shame that Shasta County never recovered from the environmental tree hugging activist and the Carter years.

I lived up near Shingletown for about a year back in the mid/late 70's. It's back when all of the lumber mills were being forced to close. The biggest employer ended up being the County, that was a red flag for sure.

But Shasta County is a sportsman's paradise.
 
The Shasta Humanity Project team is days away from opening a physical office space, but that's just the beginning of a series of steps.

Redding California resident Douglas Christian has an idea on how to help his city's homeless population.

"We're envisioning developing a piece of property with 30 to 40 homes on it and providing housing for people that are currently homeless," he said.

The vision is based on Quixote Village in Olympia, Washington.

Read More / Video

Plans for homeless village in Redding moving forward

Do you think this is a good answer for your city as well?




I do believe that we need to do a lot more to help homeless people.

I also believe that no matter what we do there will always be some homeless people on this planet.
 
If it's privately funded, I am definitely for it (though I would not want to own a house next door to it).

If it's publicly funded, I am partially against it (would be cheaper to build one building with rooms then separate cottages - could house more people for same amount of money).
 
I was wondering when I saw this... If this place is for homeless people, and they go here to live, they will no longer be homeless, so does that mean they have to move out?

Seriously though, I think anything we can do on a local level to help the homeless is a good idea to at least try. One of the things to remember though, is that many homeless people need psychological treatment just as much as they need a dry bed indoors, and also, some people, very few I admit but still some, CHOOSE to live that way. We have a guy near me that lives in the woods and roams from wooded area to wooded area among the farms. He's harmless and just likes it that way. He always asks the land owner before he moves in. He's been evaluated by the county and state and has no mental issues. He is not a threat for stealing. Actually has a job, and just wants to live in the open without owning any land or repairing a house. He's a nice guy, and isn't some recluse that hates people. It IS very strange, but it's what he wants for his life.

True enough. There's no better cure for mental illness than community though. Most forms of madness arise from loneliness and interpersonal issues preventing you from making a connection with other people.
 
This is all fine and dandy...except for the question of who is going to pay for it.
 
It's always about dollars and cents with some people.

Sure. Especially if one is talking about public dollars and cents.
 
I do believe that we need to do a lot more to help homeless people.

I also believe that no matter what we do there will always be some homeless people on this planet.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
 
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.




Horses aren't always thirsty and some would rather drink from a certain spring where the water's fresh and clear, because no one has got around to mucking it up yet.
 
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Horses aren't always thirsty and some would rather drink from a certain spring where the water's fresh and clear, because no one has got around to mucking it up yet.

How do you know so much about horses...Europe doesn't have horses, do they?
 
This is all fine and dandy...except for the question of who is going to pay for it.


Providing housing for the homeless saves taxpayers money.....and it's more humane.....


"...A program in Salt Lake City decided that it would be smarter -- and more humane -- to spend $11K/year each to house 17 chronically homeless people and provide them with social workers than it would be to waste the average of $16,670/year per person to imprison them and treat them at emergency rooms. As Nation of Change points out, this commonsense, humane and economically sound way of dealing with homelessness works, unlike the savage approaches taken by other cities (like the Waikiki rep Tom Bowker who smashed homeless peoples' carts with a sledgehammer, or cities like Tampa, which banned feeding homeless people)......"

Fighting homelessness by giving homeless people houses - Boing Boing
 
Providing housing for the homeless saves taxpayers money.....and it's more humane.....


"...A program in Salt Lake City decided that it would be smarter -- and more humane -- to spend $11K/year each to house 17 chronically homeless people and provide them with social workers than it would be to waste the average of $16,670/year per person to imprison them and treat them at emergency rooms. As Nation of Change points out, this commonsense, humane and economically sound way of dealing with homelessness works, unlike the savage approaches taken by other cities (like the Waikiki rep Tom Bowker who smashed homeless peoples' carts with a sledgehammer, or cities like Tampa, which banned feeding homeless people)......"

Fighting homelessness by giving homeless people houses - Boing Boing

So...from what I understand from the article, Utah exchanges prison and emergency medical care for a place to live and a social worker. Does that mean they STILL provide emergency medical care...but neglect to count that number again?

Just wondering.
 
So...from what I understand from the article, Utah exchanges prison and emergency medical care for a place to live and a social worker. Does that mean they STILL provide emergency medical care...but neglect to count that number again?

Just wondering.

I think it means that treating the medical needs of the homeless outside of the emergency rooms and providing shelter in lieu of prison is less expensive.
 
I think it means that treating the medical needs of the homeless outside of the emergency rooms and providing shelter in lieu of prison is less expensive.

I don't see how you can get that out of the article.

...it would be smarter -- and more humane -- to spend $11K/year each to house 17 chronically homeless people and provide them with social workers than it would be to waste the average of $16,670/year per person to imprison them and treat them at emergency rooms.

Seems pretty clear to me. But hey...liberals are known to misinterpret what they read and hear.
 
I don't see how you can get that out of the article.
The article said the government did a study....

"... In 2005, Utah did a study that found the average annual cost for emergency services and jail time for each chronically homeless person was $16,670. The cost to house them and provide case management services was only $11,000 per person...."


Seems pretty clear to me. But hey...liberals are known to misinterpret what they read and hear.
So are conservatives.
 
The article said the government did a study....

"... In 2005, Utah did a study that found the average annual cost for emergency services and jail time for each chronically homeless person was $16,670. The cost to house them and provide case management services was only $11,000 per person...."

Again...pretty clear. Emergency medical care and prison/housing and case manager. My question still stands: What about medical services when they are provided the housing and case management? Or do they think that, somehow, those homeless people won't need medical care if they are provided a house to live in instead of being put in prison?

So are conservatives.

If you say so...
 
I don't see how you can get that out of the article.



Seems pretty clear to me. But hey...liberals are known to misinterpret what they read and hear.

Exposure, beatings, that kind of thing.
 
Back in the day I hitchhiked from Sacramento to Ashland. Got stuck in Redding for two days. End of July. Never again, cruel and unusual punishment. :mrgreen:
 
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