The Homeless

During my morning shower, I was contemplating the plight of the homeless.  Why?   I have no idea, I just started thinking that we could use CHUs to house the homeless back in the US.  But, the real problem with homeless isn't the lack of housing, is it?   Nope.  It's not.  After some thinking I came to the conclusion that the real problem facing the homeless isn't actually being homeless – it's a lack of self-respect; not a lack of employment, or money, or any of that.   As a matter of fact, millions of dollars are pumped into the homeless plight every year by governments across the country.

 

            **At this point, I'd like to say that, no, I've never been homeless so I am not relating from personal experience.   However, I've also never jumped off of a bridge, but I know that it could be hazardous to my health.  While personal experience is handy, it is not by any means necessary to deal with or come up with a solution to a problem.   If it were, everyone would have to repeat the same mistakes that everyone else makes in order to deal with the situation properly in the future.  We must learn not only from our mistakes, but from the mistakes of others in order to get better.

 

            Now, back to the issue at hand:  homeless people (for lack of a better term) need assistance in regaining their self-respect.   In order to do that, governments (local and federal) should worry less about shelter and food – which are plenty, and more about getting the homeless off of drugs and alcohol and helping them to find jobs where they can once again become a part of society.

            I think one reason that homeless shelters are so ineffective is that they are a lot like jails – no personal space, no sense of being able to make your own decisions, everyone is cramped up in one or two rooms with a bunch of other people who may be bad influences.   If we could make little homeless communities with CHUs and give each homeless person their own mini-home, maybe they could regain some sense of independence.   Now, I'm not saying to give EVERY homeless person a CHU, because if you did that, you'd have people who didn't care to improve themselves living amongst people who do and that wouldn't work.   The CHU program should be part of a bigger program that assists the homeless in recovering from whatever brought them down and regaining a foothold in life.  They would have to earn a space in the CHU lot by working and maintaining certain higher functions of civilization.   Maybe later, I'll expound on the program. 

But, anyway, the CHU part would be something like this:  a series of CHUs in a controlled area by a city.   The residents would have security made up of the newly working homeless who lived there.  They would have communal showers and bathroom that were cleaned by more residents (part of their job).   It would be near a bus stop.  There would be certain rules to follow and a mini-government to ensure compliance with them.   Because it would only be comprised of people who earned the right to be there, each would have a sense of pride in being there and being around the people they were with.  Homelessness isn't a disease or affliction, its an attitude and outlook that can only be changed by the person experiencing the situation.  

I am 100% confident that if I were to lose EVERYTHING I had (down to the clothes I'm wearing), I could be put in ANY city or town in the USA and recover to a decent lifestyle. Why?  Not because of any skill I have, not because of any experience I have.  Only because I am confident that with the things I control (when I go where, what I do with my time, etc), I can convince someone to give me a job and then work my way up from there.   Anyone with free will can make something of themselves in the USA.  No question.