Homeless Population

[mugofbeer]

The bill was authored by a woman in Norman who has stated the specific reason behind it was to stop anyone there from providing assistance to the homeless.

I supposed it's a twisted way of hoping to drive them out of where she happens to live.


On the other end of the spectrum, the Outrage Brigade is going off on social media over the boulders placed at I-44 and Penn and the Classen underpass. What they haven't bothered to understand is that only happens after finding homes for the displaced camp. And these virtue signalers also have no idea about the crime, drugs, violence, break-ins, theft, vandalism, human waste, and mountains of garbage that are part and parcel of these camps.

Those bigger camps can't be allowed near homes or places of business. There are massive public safety and health issues.


The Key to Home initiative (finding housing for people in one camp after another, then ensuring the camp isn't reestablished) is doing good work. It's just going to take some time and there will always be people who absolutely refuse shelter, even when it's free and there are very few rules.

While l agree passing a state law isn't the right way to handle the problem, the strategy of providing few, if any, homeless services is a deterrant.

[Rover]

While l agree passing a state law isn't the right way to handle the problem, the strategy of providing few, if any, homeless services is a deterrant.

Yes, maybe we can refuse medicine for the sick to keep people healthy, or just get rid of the police to eliminate crime. I am sure it says somewhere in the Bible to starve the hungry, don’t clothe the needy, don’t welcome the stranger, don’t look after your neighbor, and don’t help those in need. Shove them off to someone else.

[Celebrator]

Yes, maybe we can refuse medicine for the sick to keep people healthy, or just get rid of the police to eliminate crime. I am sure it says somewhere in the Bible to starve the hungry, don’t clothe the needy, don’t welcome the stranger, don’t look after your neighbor, and don’t help those in need. Shove them off to someone else.

I think what may be at the heart of this (because these fellow countrymen should be cared for and everyone can agree to that surely) that the safety net should be provided by private organizations that are funded privately, rather than expending public funds for this. Private organizations will do it better anyway. Not sure if I agree with that approach, but that might be what people are thinking.

[Canoe]

None of the press or the wording seems to indicate this at all.

I forgot to put the /sarcasm tag on the post.

[Rover]

I think what may be at the heart of this (because these fellow countrymen should be cared for and everyone can agree to that surely) that the safety net should be provided by private organizations that are funded privately, rather than expending public funds for this. Private organizations will do it better anyway. Not sure if I agree with that approach, but that might be what people are thinking.

Society's responsibility vs. passing the buck, huh?

[Pete]

Reminder that most funding for homeless programs is from the government (administered at the federal, state, county, and city levels) but goes to private, nonprofits.

The Homeless Alliance is a 501(c)3 organization.


I ran a nonprofit in L.A. County and we were an independent organization and we received the funding for our homeless outreach from HUD which was administered through the County. We'd go to alliance meetings and there were dozens of similar nonprofits.

[Dob Hooligan]

Society's responsibility vs. passing the buck, huh?

I think there are people who have the opinion, that was expressed upthread, that not providing any help to the homeless is a true and effective deterrent. Something like if you never feed a stray cat it will go away. Then it becomes "out of sight, out of mind", or "someone else's problem".

I do not believe that, based on my decades of experience with homeless people around my business. I don't try to have any judgements about giving them cash, instead of buying them food, etc. If they ask for money, I either do or do not give to them. What they do with the money I give them is not my concern. Buy food, buy intoxicants, buy sex. I do not care. They asked and I answered.

[Pete]

BTW, some churches *do* get federal money for homeless programs but it can't be tied to religious outreach.

From my experience, the majority of the work regarding the homeless is done by nonprofits, not directly by the government.

[Pete]

It's nights like tonight that really make me worry for the unhoused.

At least OKC now has enough beds in night shelters. I sure hope everyone gets inside because it's already completely brutal out there.

[Paseofreak]

^^^^^ I drove four blocks home after watching the game and was frigid. Can't even imagine facing an hour out there with no heat, much less the night and the morning. Lady that wrote that anti-homeless bill is a genuine demon.

[OkieBerto]

It's nights like tonight that really make me worry for the unhoused.

At least OKC now has enough beds in night shelters. I sure hope everyone gets inside because it's already completely brutal out there.

I work across from Homeless Alliance and just a few blocks from their large night shelter. There are still at least twenty tents in the area that people stay in over night. Not sure why they do not walk two blocks to safety.

[bamarsha]

Yes, maybe we can refuse medicine for the sick to keep people healthy, or just get rid of the police to eliminate crime. I am sure it says somewhere in the Bible to starve the hungry, don’t clothe the needy, don’t welcome the stranger, don’t look after your neighbor, and don’t help those in need. Shove them off to someone else.

I mean, separation of church and state... the government can't do it if the Bible says to do it, right?

[Pete]

I mean, separation of church and state... the government can't do it if the Bible says to do it, right?

As I posted above, churches get a lot of government funding for homeless programs, they just can't tie it to religious forrays.

[Rover]

I mean, separation of church and state... the government can't do it if the Bible says to do it, right?

People grossly misinterpret the meaning of and limits of separation of church and state. It is used as a scapegoat for all kinds of biased agendas and to stir up suspicion and hate.

[warreng88]

I work across from Homeless Alliance and just a few blocks from their large night shelter. There are still at least twenty tents in the area that people stay in over night. Not sure why they do not walk two blocks to safety.

I noticed this morning there were about the same amount of tents on the median across from the city care night shelter. I wonder if both of these will be the next targets of the clean up. Maybe further down Virginia as well.