Invariable if you see "House Poor" encampments in Humboldt County such as the one above just north of the slough bridge, there is lots of garbage. I don't plan on being homeless in the near future, but if this ever happened to me I would at least keep things in order. It makes you wonder how these people would live if they were re-housed. Would they then just keep the same habits and blight neighborhoods? I just don't have the answer.
Easy. They're people who utterly do not give a fuck about how harmful they are to others. Theft, abuse of government assistance, car burglaries, home invasions, drug dealing, stolen bicycles, squatting, random arson (intentional and accidental), and letting someone else deal with their garbage. It's all symptoms of the same problem. The whole "down on their luck" and "just need a helping hand" thing is a myth - these are people who have willfully chosen to refuse to even pretend to care about how they affect others.
ReplyDeleteSure, there may be people who are just down on their luck, and it's a temporary thing - but you don't see them, because they try not to be a drain on society - and there's so much assistance available that these people aren't homeless for long. They're not the ones you see in trash-filled camps.
Oh - and, yes, if re-housed, they would indeed blight the neighborhoods they moved into. This is why so many Squires properties are filled with trash, despite the city's constant attempts to make it sound like Squires is somehow responsible for the garbage.
ReplyDeleteShort answer is yes. Have you tried to throw away your garbage while walking around town? Can you tell me how, where or even why people are supposed to dispose of their refuse if we as a society can't help all of our people at least find shelter?
ReplyDeleteToday is a perfect example. How long could you last outside in this cold and wet winter. What priority would you give to disposing of your trash, especially when your community makes it all but impossible to do.
Also, good morning Richard.
The answer looks fairly obvious to me if you enlarge the pictures. The outside of their tents are a trash barrel; the insides are as neat and clean as can be. They could care less, unless it directly affects them.
ReplyDeleteThey see their spots as a temporary location without the need of maintenance and upkeep. Why bother? They don't own the property and may have to move on at any moment, so why have the hassle or take the time cleaning things up?
People that choose to live on the fringe of society often live on the fringe of reality.