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The Supreme Court Should Be Ashamed for Criminalizing Homelessness.
(inequality.org)
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this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2024
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"No one wakes up and chooses homelessness"
But then there's this guy, first person arrested under the new ordinance:
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-homeless-camping-arrest-no-jail-cite-release-ordinance/283-c4740190-38de-4aff-9b5a-20bca0928b3c
"Both police and city outreach workers had spoken with Macdonald "several times" prior, PPB said, and he refused to accept shelter or any other services.
On Friday, Macdonald was given a last chance to seek shelter, including access to a tiny home, police said.
"Macdonald was told his options would be to accept services or he’d be arrested," PPB said. "Macdonald stated he would rather be arrested than go to the tiny home.""
"Multnomah County Sheriff's Office refused to book him."
This dude would rather live in squalor on the public streets than accept assistance which has been offered multiple times.
Now, if we were only talking one guy, sure, not a problem. Keep an eye on him and arrest him when he inevitably commits some other crime. But there are upwards of 6,000 homeless in the Portland area and it's having a major impact on their health, the environment, and the overall livability of the city.
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/fire-homeless-portland-rv-camp-southeast-neighbors/283-5709a07d-d777-4372-a13f-d34dc2f15380
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-police-arrest-man-arson-northeast-portland-cafe-burned/283-8f600cf4-c969-4442-9493-594a2e5f6fff
https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2023/07/hidden-toll-of-homeless-crisis-portlands-prized-natural-areas.html
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2021/07/police-identify-man-previously-suspected-of-throwing-a-molotov-cocktail-at-portland-protest-as-may-homicide-victim.html
I get your frustration. "Why won't they accept our help dammit" is a common refrain. But it's one that assumes that (a) homelessness is a simple matter of not being housed and (b) housed people understand the appropriate solutions. In fact not being housed is mostly a symptom and the issues at play are much more complex, ranging from lack of opportunity and generational poverty to substance and mental health issues.
And it's also a cause... of shame, guilt, more mental health issues, more substance abuse. Often these mix in with the preconditions that come with offers of "help" to make it impossible to say yes.
I have refused housing because I didn't think I could live up to the obligations it came with. I've refused housing because it was clearly unsafe. And I've refused housing simply because I was suffering from severe untreated depression and couldn't handle being around people or even just accepting help.
So the truth is that yes, no one wakes up and chooses homelessness... but it's important to understand that the lack of housing is only one component of homelessness. I didn't choose to be born trans & gay and have to deal with all the mental health and societal issues that came with that. But I choose to not being housed at times because that was the only way I could even attempt to heal and deal with it safely and on my terms.
Yes. For example, I've known people who refused to be housed because they had experience of that type / area of housing, and had been very unsafe.
You might want to clear me off the street so bad you'll put me literally anywhere. But I don't want to be attacked just to make you feel better.