I am from a little island in between France and England called Jersey.
The island is very small (7 miles by 9 miles) but has a population of over 120,000.
Homeless is a minor problem here (up to 2000), due to there being a lack of affordable housing.
The island is an offshore tax haven, which offers the rich and famous a tax infrastructure where they
can save considerable amounts of money by stashing their money in one of the islands many merchant banks.
I would say that some of the homeless are homeless out of choice, as there are a number of hostels for those who are homeless, but which require the homeless to be relatively sober and civil in order to inhabit, as well as be able to pay the low rent.
Some of the homeless choose not to live in a hostel, as they prefer to drink or take drugs, living in various places instead (such as car parks, parks etc).
I believe others also end up homeless, due to their inability to keep their accounts, again, this is often due to
drug or alcohol problems, as the local government does give benefits to those who are homeless, however, the government allows the individual decide as to whether he/she gets paid the rent money or the rent money gets paid directly to the landlord.
Many junkies / alcoholics ask for the rent to be paid to them, which usually results in them using the money to buy drugs / alcohol, and which results in them not paying their rent, and which usually results in them getting evicted.
Although the homeless problem isn't massive, it still exists more so due to human dysfunction rather than due to lack of funding from the government (which is unusual).
In the UK, there are presently a couple of cities that are running a new scheme that gives junkies who are homeless, a place to live, as well as prescribed heroin three times a day.
The areas that are running this scheme say that this strategy has reduced the amount of costs in all sorts of areas for looking after the heroin users and has resulted in a significant reduction in drug related crime.
The police officers in charge of advising on UK drug policy recently made a statement that he thought that it would be a good idea to roll out this scheme across the UK, as he believed it would reduce the costs but also be the most humane way to treat the long term heroin addicts, who are also human beings.
I personally also think that this is the most positive statement that i have heard from someone in the police ever.
I also can see how such a policy could save so many lives, and help those who have problems with heroin, to eventually rehabilitate with out judgement or pressure, but in their own time, while being cared for by heath carers in their own homes.
I have to say, I am shocked and saddened to hear of so much homelessness in the US.
The US, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and most certainly one of the most advanced countries in the world, it is absolutely shocking to see such little care for their own people.
I also think that not paying taxes in order to provide for these people is counter productive,
as not paying the tax results in a country that has such problems, rather than a country that is safe,
and kind to its inhabitants.
I understand that the US hasn't got an endless amount of financial resources to throw at the worlds homeless crisis,
this is why i personally believe in Globalism, unite the world so that the world can solve all the problems together.
But yes, i know my fantasy for Globalism is unrealistic. Perhaps in another million years, human beings hopefully will have evolved so that they can learn to work together on such essential things and evolve spiritually to allow themselves to do so.
11 Dec 2020, 8:40 am
