This is actually a really important distinction that I think is lost when people argue about the homeless problem.
I think most people who have a problem with the homeless, myself included, are speaking primarily about people living on the street and very obviously either A) addicted to drugs, or B) mentally unwell. Whereas it seems that people who advocate for the homeless are advocating mostly for people who have fallen on hard times and are struggling to get by.
FWIW, I don't think people who are anti-homeless really have much of a problem with somebody who is sleeping in their car because they're struggling financially. But we do have a problem with people who live out of their car because drugs and/or mental illness render them unable to participate productively in society.
What? I think most people who advocate for the homeless are advocating for the full spectrum of people. Most of the homeless - addicted, mentally ill, down on their luck, etc - aren't really there by "choice" in any meaningful meaning of the word.
Most of the advocacy I've seen specifically points out that the majority of homeless are not the people you see on the street. Meanwhile, just about 100% of the outrage I see on FB and Nextdoor is directed at the people you see living on the street.
Ah, the good old deserving/undeserving poor distinction. You say yourself that their "mental illness render them unable to participate productively in society", which is true - so why is this their fault?
There's a difference between thinking people should not be allowed to do whatever they want just because they're homeless and thinking that they are underserving of compassion and help. FWIW, I said nothing about the latter.
> FWIW, I don't think people who are anti-homeless really have much of a problem with somebody who is sleeping in their car because they're struggling financially.
It only takes one person to file a complaint to the police about someone living in a vehicle on their street. It is, de-facto, a crime in most cities.
I think most people who have a problem with the homeless, myself included, are speaking primarily about people living on the street and very obviously either A) addicted to drugs, or B) mentally unwell. Whereas it seems that people who advocate for the homeless are advocating mostly for people who have fallen on hard times and are struggling to get by.
FWIW, I don't think people who are anti-homeless really have much of a problem with somebody who is sleeping in their car because they're struggling financially. But we do have a problem with people who live out of their car because drugs and/or mental illness render them unable to participate productively in society.