Thread by @diegueno

.@vosdscott was talking about #homelessness about 35 minutes into the VOSD podcast from a few days ago. I've spent some time thinking through what he & @andy_keatts were talking about.

I read about/ hear most people reducing #unhoused people to abstractions and dismissing what is obvious about living #homeless: the stress of not having your own residence makes you kind of crazy. It's natural.

People with means and a few rungs up on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs are blind to where the homeless are. thoughtco.com/maslows-hierar…

I often think that they are ignoring that obvious circumstance because it leads to where they play a part in a person being homeless.

A candidate for state legislature reaffirmed that to me last week. When I told him that I supported #housingfirst, he returned to say how he would support mental health and services for homeless people. I told him that he was reducing homeless people to abstractions.

He came back with how #children witnessing people who are mentally ill, acting inappropriately traumatizes the children. It was a good comeback, but kids wouldn't see that if these people had a place to live instead of the streets.

Knowing how pragmatic the candidate is, it was obvious that the "band-aid" programs he proposed have more political support while they are not the best solution for #unhoused people.

Seeing California nibble around the edges of #homelessness is frustrating and shows how the-way-that-it-has-been-done, reducing #unhoused people to mentally ill abstractions, is insufficient.

More needs to be done beyond striking down Art. 34 in the state constitution
planetizen.com/news/2022/03/1…

I believe that California's housing solution needs an old model that gave people a roof over their heads along with a place to bathe and feed themselves.

Sure, some would reply (sic)
🤯Soviet Union block housing ⁉️⁉️⁉️🤯
I would suggest that they sleep on the street for 45 days to see how bad that is in comparison.