In the public imagination, homelessness looks like the man in soiled clothes sleeping on top of a subway grate or the woman peering out of a tent from under a highway overpass. But in cities and towns that have the highest concentrations of homelessness, many — and sometimes a majority — of those who do not live in shelters are in cars, not on the streets, according to the annual census known as the “point in time count.”
In Los Angeles County, for example, two-thirds are living in vehicles. In San Mateo County, which includes part of Silicon Valley, its even more — 71 percent.
“The American dream of owning a home is dead unless you make a gazillion dollars,”
Such a fucking Democratic approach. Means testing to sleeping in your car.
If you don’t have a job, are you allowed to sleep under your car?
Yeah. In this case it’s the resort town not wanting to provide living wages or housing for their contingent workforce.
Police: you sleeping in your car. Unhoused dude: yup. Police: you gotta job! Unhoused dude: yup. Police: oh yeah? Where? Unhoused dude: right here, sir. I have a podcast. Police: I’ll be on my way.
Right, being self employed is a job. Can be any made up shit. Or someone in the area should hire whoever needs it, they just don’t get any hours.
Welcome to end-game Idiocracy. Something tragic is that Texas essentially criminalized homelessness via ballot proposition a few years ago to remove tent encampments (misdemeanor for camping in public, Prop 3 I think). Sweep the problem under the rug. If you are privileged enough to have a roof over your head, despite how hard you work, count your lucky fucking stars. The Republicans are coming for you.
Used to be able to sleep all over at least NEAR Frisco, but probably never actually in town. I’ve spent voluntary nights in my van to catch first chair all over that county. There was a community of vandwellers 20 years ago and The Knowledge was passed around for where to avoid.
Sounds like more and more local employees can’t hack the obscene rent in Summit County and the drive from Copper Mountain et. al. to Leadville is done by the bulk of the ski industry employees, because Leadville is much cheaper than Summit.
Thankfully, nobody ever becomes homeless due to losing their job and struggling to find a new one. Robust social safety nets have ensured that the only people who find themselves homeless are lazy pieces of shit who are actively trying to be in their situation. They prey upon people’s generosity by begging in the streets and raking in 6 figures.
Big fat fucking /s because holy shit, I’ve actually encountered people who believe bullshit like that. I lived in my car for a little while, but thankfully I still had a job and there was a shower I could use at work. Only an absolute fucking ghoul would prey upon the unhoused.
“I knew a guy who made some bad choices and lost his home. Therefore all homeless people made bad choices and are lazy. I gave a beggar $20 once so that makes me an expert.”
I gave a beggar $20 once so that makes me an expert.
Reminds me of this:
The only thing punks and old nazis in my German hometown had in common was their love of dogs, often German shepherds.
I witnessed the following scene:
Punks with dogs are begging. Old man with shepherd dog says “I’ll give you €20 if you spend it on dog food.” Punks answer: “Nah man, we’re gonna spend it on beer”
Impressive ethics. You see they could have just taken the money. How’s the old guy going to make sure?
Big fat fucking /s because holy shit, I’ve actually encountered people who believe bullshit like that.
My mom hasn’t worked in a decade. Survives off of snap and my dad’s SSDI survivor benefits. She STILL buys the whole welfare queen narrative. “They live ten, twelve to a house, ain’t none of them got jobs, but they all got nice cars!”
Guess they’re just smarter than you, ma. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My twin and my sister are both incapable of work and full time care.
Mom pulls up ONE person on tiktok whining their brand new care has to be given up so they can stay on SSI as proof the whole system is infested by scammers.
Guess they’re just smarter than you
Perfect. I said something similar the last time this sort of rhetoric came out of a coworker’s mouth. Literally what I said about begging on the streets and making 6 figures was what he said. I said “that’s not happening, at least not for more than maybe up to 5 people, and if you don’t believe me then why don’t you just do that instead of working harder and making less?” The response was some bullshit about not wanting to be a drain on society and how he would feel bad taking money he didn’t earn. And yet his goal is to buy a few houses and rent them out so his housing is paid for by other people. Pointing out the irony to him would be a waste of breath.
My mom hasn’t worked in a decade. Survives off of snap and my dad’s SSDI survivor benefits. She STILL buys the whole welfare queen narrative.
Of course she does. She is said welfare queen. I’m sure she’d try to explain how it’s not the same thing, but the reality is that she believes that she’s earned (there’s that word again) what she’s receiving, implying that others haven’t. I would have trouble maintaining a close relationship with somebody who holds these beliefs.
Preach! These lazy bums need to pick themselves up by the bootstraps.
When I was young, I would work hard during Summer at McDonalds and pay for my college, buy a house and a car. Nowadays nobody wants to work!!!
