Hooverville 2008

[Bayou]

I’ve been reading the latest updates on the “Nickelsville” encampment and (as was intended) my mind keeps displaying images of Seattle’s sprawling shantytown, Hooverville, during the Great Depression. Homelessness is such a massive problem that it is sometimes hard to define with that one word. Maybe because it is cultivated by so many factors- job loss, rising costs of goods, alcoholism, drug addition and mental illness to name a few. Not to mention, the effects of just pure bad luck or bad timing. That was the case for myself when I ended up living my vehicle for a while as a teen. I don’t talk about that very often and I’ve never brought it up in a public forum like this. But it’s because of this experience that I try to have a compassionate attitude towards those less fortunate. That, however, doesn’t mean that I’m not realistic about the problems that we face as a community.

I’ve seen quite a diverse set of viewpoints on the issue in all of the articles and comments so far on Nicklesville, which is to be expected. Some people suggest that we bulldoze every tent city in the Puget Sound, while others advocate for warehouses to store people in. None of the extremes seem to come up with any real solution to the long term problem. And yes, some of them choose that lifestyle. BUT what about those who haven’t made that choice and who are victims of misfortune or victims of our spiraling economy? Like it or not, they are people and they can’t all be categorized in the same column.

I was just as disgusted as everyone else when I saw the photos at Camp Long. No one wants to see our public land and our parks treated like a big honey bucket. No one wants to see a place that breeds crime and drug use. It’s important to have shelters that run on the premise of safety and sanitation but obviously there are not enough of them. If there were, we wouldn’t constantly see people camping in our parks and greenbelts. Or would we? I think it’s safe to say that even if there were two beds for every person out there, that there would still be some that chose the cold night and 40oz over a warm, sober bed. So, how do we tell the difference? What are real solutions to such a massive epidemic?

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[Bayou]

Wow, I’m surprised no one has any thoughts/comments on the matter since this is going on in Highland Park…

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[soclwrkrinmotn]

Actually, Bayou, the last time we had a posting on this matter, many of us got blasted for suggesting that homelessness was a problem, and most people do not choose homelessness.

What are the solutions? There isn’t a simple answer for sure. Many of these are young people who are “throwaways,” others have untreated mental health issues, poverty stricken folks who haven’t many alternatives, vets…all these people have different stories and have different needs.

However, as I said before, one can tell the values of a culture by how we treat the most vulnerable members of society.

As a nation, our values are seriously messed up.

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[Bayou]

Yes, it’s a very complicated issue that can’t be generalized away. I know that many people may feel very strongly for or against the tent cities but I certainly didn’t write the post to inflame or to criticize. I just think it is a valid discussion to have.

I’ll have to see if I can find the original posting on the subject. I just thought that more people would have an opinion after seeing all the pink tents dotting the landscape near my work.

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[soclwrkrinmotn]

*grin*

I didn’t take it that way. Just was warning you it got heated…as it stands, I agree it needs to be discussed. :)

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[FullTilt]

I think we should open up Key Arena to the Homeless.

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[soclwrkrinmotn]

How about the some of the hotels? The Silver Cloud on first is pretty nice.

I have to admit, I have had a fantasy about having transitional (as long as you need to get stable) housing for “throwaway” kids. They fall between the cracks too often.

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[JenV]

maybe John McCain can turn one of his homes into a shelter…

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[credmond]

It is complicated and it’s intertwined with a lot of other things. For instance, if we want to improve the pedestrian safety situation here in Seattle it will take money and people – money for improvements, money for educational campaigns and ads and billboards, and it will take SDOT staff and SPD staff and lots of other folks. That comes out of our tax dollar – the Seattle citizen support for our collective services. If we also want to remove the indigent from terrible conditions on the streets or under freeways or by the river that, too, will take money. Money for housing, money for social and psychological and counseling services, money for education for those that need critical life skills, money for food and clothing.

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There is a finite number of things our collective tax monies can buy. I’ve mentioned only two and each of them is complicated way beyond the ability of a blog post or entry to capsulize in a few dozen words. And, since there are multiple priorities for our limited funds, there are multiple proponents and opponents of each possible use of these tax dollars. The same could also be said of publicly-held resources, in this case, public land which one group has seized and taken over as if it were their private property. That element is wrong and these are not organizers who believe in the civility of law nor in the proper weighing of priorities as discussed by those supplying the tax money – for the services or for the publicly-held land.

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This particular tent city is not really a solution to homelessness in any way, shape or form. It is a political statement using some knowing and some unwitting homeless individuals as the window dressing. This is a stunt more than a solution and I don’t like being held hostage by anyone – not my government, not a stranger, and not some group claiming sympathy for those less fortunate. Kick them out and try and deal with the truly indigent with the existing support system and try the organizers in court for disabusing the community and make them liable for the additional city cost in dealing with this. I agree that existing services are meager by the “needs” standard, but believe me, Seattle is incredibly generous by most other city’s standards).

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And, if you ask me, I’d say I’d rather spend additional tax monies trying to solve the violent youth issues than the indigent population issues. Both are endemic to urban areas and both have – basically – been going on for centuries.

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[soclwrkrinmotn]

Violent youth issues vs. the homeless youth issues? They have the same root cause in my mind.

Seattle may be generous by other cities’ standards, but that is saying very little…it is the services to these vulnerable populations that get cut first in hard times: funding to youth and adult transitional living, shelters, the CASA programs…

If we provided more social justice services vs. social services…we could help people get on their feet and stay on their feet. Instead, it is the triage attitude…running from crisis to crisis and never looking as to the “whys.”

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