« Phil in the Blanks

Diving Into The Homeless Crisis In America

2022-10-04 | 🔗

California has the highest number of homeless encampments in the United States and holds more than half of all unsheltered homeless people. In an effort to resolve homelessness, major cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Portland, Austin, Houston, and San Francisco, are passing bills that will effectively ban homeless encampments from certain areas. However, homeless advocates argue banning and sweeping homeless encampments is inhumane, doesn’t solve the problem, and will ultimately create even bigger issues.

Dr. Phil speaks with Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, on his Phil in the Blanks podcast to dig deeper into this crisis.

“If we give them a hand-up – not a handout – we can really change the direction of this country,” says Whitehead, who has worked for years advocating for systemic change to end homelessness.

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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
When you want to save money check out the general, there are clear, What car insurance company with great low rates and they ve been saving people money? nearly sixty years, plus the super flexible. You can do. when and how you want to pay whether its cash card or check so to get quality coverage ep prices, you can afford call one hundred general or business general dotcom, the general auto insurance services incorporated in insurance agency, Nashville tennessee, some restrictions apply. Those are human things in there. We need to help if we solve homelessness for everybody. It benefits everybody. In the country, but for some reason you know we resist that. California holds more than half of all.
And sheltered homeless people in the united states fifty three percent and has the highest number of homeless encampments. That's what we're talking about today. fill in the blanks because women have half with the rest of them or threw out the united states clusters of ten cities line almost every block here, but you have them in your city as well, in an effort to take aim at the issues made cities across united states, including l, a portland Austin Houston san francisco are passing bills that will effectively ban homeless encampments from certain areas. Now homeless, advocates argue banning. and sweeping homeless encampments is inhumane. Does it solve the problem and will ultimately create even bigger issues to go deeper into this crisis? I am speaking with the guy talking about donald whitehead, executive director, national coalition
then for the homeless eve probably seen donal whitehead on my show before he brings more, in twenty years of experience in serving in advocating for persons experiencing homelessness and see a including five years experiencing homelessness himself. He brings a unique combination of direct service to those experiencing all of us: as well as years of arabic, see four systemic change to and homelessness through increased federal investment in housing and services, as well as an end policies that act We criminalize homelessness and you're right.
Said criminalize homelessness. Even though there are supreme court decisions and say you can't do that if there are not alternatives, but it still happens down. Welcome. Thank you so much for coming to take time to do this. Thank you, doctor fail. Thank you so much for having me here and thank you for elevating the east. of homelessness. Well, it's a big issue and I want to start out by saying something that you to underline so well and personify so well and that is that these are human beings, their sons and daughters, mother fathers, brothers and sisters there you, you were homeless five years. I was homeless four months as a teenager like junior varsity,
You were out there for years, but I think we're both examples are the fact that this can be overcome and you can go on with your life and death thing. So this situation is getting worse, not better. Right now is that a fair statement, areas affair. stable. We ve seen on sheltered homelessness, grow all across the country and its knowledge. Asked in urban communities, like los angeles, mishap in rural communities is happening in suburban communities and we we have definitely seen an increase and that especially on sheltered homelessness over the last five years. Let's talk about you, so people understand our terminology, because We produce gonna, be raw and candid about this people and businesses. People in neighborhoods people who take their kids too ghoul- they don't want to walk by these encampments most the time they can't. You came
down the sidewalk because they set up to ads and then they expand because they have their belongings and all of them, out there and they don't smell good. They don't look good their oftentimes deficit, on the sidewalk because they don't have facilities they're urinating on the sidewalk. Then it gets hot out and you're not been in these places. They smell rain said yes, and I say that not being judged middle, but this just a fact. for everybody. That says how unpleasant is imagine living in twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Absolutely- and you know again- and I say this often- we live in a richest country in the world. no one should have to live in those conditions and these many times these are people who don't
want to be in that situation. I was eight, and none of them want to be that situation, but they're forced into it they're forced into a because of economic conditions because of the lack of treatment because of structural racism in some cases. So these are- underlying issues that we have to address to be able to get people. So you don't have to live in at a you write the more we talk. about the realities. It's not. You know. Some people think it's like people. You know urban campus If you will get it? Some kind of leisurely activity- and we know that as far from the truth it it's dangerous all the things you talked about exist and so we have to do better. People should not have to be forced to live like that. Okay, now let me play devil said. I don't want anybody role in their eyes about this insane first thing he did was play there. Scarred here and say well, some of it is slow.
Shared racism first off what percentage of the population are people of color, so african american make up about forty percent of the population, they only make up thirteen percent of the general population in america when you look at pacific islanders. It's a nine to one ratio. If you look at and native eric indigenous peoples of three two one ratio The reason why structural racism is why we think that exist is that if you look at poverty there, there is the relationship to poverty that change just when you talk about these people of color. So if you look at people of color the number, homeless people. The number actually is higher than those in poverty, but for all other races, wider merit can asian americans. That number goes down so power pretty isn't the underlying factor, so it has to be
But the traditional structural issues that have played people of color for decades ok and when you say structural issues fill in the blanks for people, so, sir, on fill in the blanks fulfil in a black ass, ITALY so very fill in some of the bikes here. So when we talk about structural issues, we talk about the fact that people discriminate in who they have in their housing. So in order for us to be able to create enough housing in, as we have to have people that don't deny peep housings because of their race. We know that that still exist in his country when we started out in the thirties, with housing programs, those programs we're not. We have work, what was called red lining and so people were not able to purchase homes if they were people of color or immigrants. Also, a net that's changed over the centuries. Some people who emigrated from ireland are
some asian countries or other parts of Europe were considered other and so black people, and other people of color have continued to be other, and so, when we created housing programs like public housing that housing was segregated at the beginning and it was, She segregated in places that were integrated already on the jobs programmes, created in and a new deal people of color were not able to access those jobs, sir, this man, returning from the war, old war. I and there were Gee I bills, but people of color were not able to get into those gr bills and what was created was impoverished communities, and you know they are what people consider ghettos, and happened is not only where they people not able to generate wealth and one of the the easiest way to generate wealth in his country, sue homeownership. So if you don't wanna home, you,
generate wealth, and so of head decades. Of this, investment in those communities and now their food deserts. They don't have the health care facilities. They dont have banks They have predatory lenders, and so that cycles continued, even in a homeownership it'll, do we to go in. Baltimore Maryland. There were two professors at johns hopkins firstly, they were mixed race couple otherwise appraisal of their housing by an appraisal of course, the first time of the earth American woman who met the appraiser she a prey to praise the house and she got a price I thought it was low, so they they took all of her identity. Out of the house. The white husband was the person who got the house upraised, and there was a two hundred and thirty six thousand out different, and so we know that it still is exist in his country and is
the communities that are or are in the south research into real estate agencies, real estate showings, with couples individuals that are african american he'll reveal red lining their just careful about it in the banks, are still getting accuse wells Fargo just a few years ago, was accused of red lining and and paid a norm. fines in baltimore maryland, so that the definition of structural racism is intent. no decisions made by governments are a structure to advantage one group of people over another process. It's a small word with big implications, because, whatever an idea starts, a process gets done. It's how big talk drives. Real action and people achieve their best war at smarty,
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your number one asset for most families is their home. That's what appreciates across time they have biggest percentage of their net worth their home and if you are denied the opportunity to own a home or by home or biased, the home or in a favourable area? That's going to appreciate, then your denied building that wealth access, and so the utter sworn people did know. That's what you were talking about. Let me those are real thing. Did their real things and in a kind of when I look at other factors, and and and these are things that you know, sometimes we become right all things we can talk about the over over exposure of people of color in a criminal justice system. Although you know, if you think about the crime,
related to substance abuse. The levels of use are the same, however. The people who are convicted of those crimes and the length of sentences is different if your person color and in the one that really sticks out to me is is in health care. So if you look at me colonel hell, for instance, if you take a look at that issue, the the death of of- of mothers in, and the death of children, the same for mothers of color with advanced agrees, that is at the same level of women white women with less than a seventh grade education. So there's something wrong there. and until we grew we come to grips with it until we actually create actual solutions that address it will always be stuck in the cycle and I think we're coming to
a realisation that there is a problem we we ve started to talk about it, a lot but amazon, real solutions. I mean things like the fair housing laws are really dead, there's no enforcement, and so we have to come to grips with that. That's a very real thing and I just wanted people to hear a new send bolts explanation of that. So it's not just some liberal explanation. This do the math. It's very simple trace and it's very real, but now putting side, whether their black white, indigenous, whatever we ve how many homeless people across amerika right now, people experiencing homelessness. How many would you using the most common sense,
an issue not until we get in a lot of different evidence, but the most common sense definition how many people are experiencing homelessness, so I think the numbers closer to five million any may even be higher than that. In my opinion- and this is donald whitehead's opinion- and it's really hard to quantify homelessness and people are hard to find and people live, doubled up and I think doubled If you dont have a fixed address in somebody can walk in that apartment and say you have to leave, you should be considered homeless, but most of the federal departments don't consider doubled up homeless, and so the numbers very, as you say, department apartment patients is alone, is three point: five million children are homeless, so the numbers that we see typically, are three point: five million, and sometimes we see five hundred give a night, but those are all under counts, and I do believe that's a few the mental reason we haven't addressed this issue in a way, that really dramatically reduces the number, because
using numbers that don't reached the scale of the problem, so we congress that looking at creating solutions for five hundred thousand people when there's more like five million people- and you know if we don't ever raise those rights- sources to the scale. I think we're almost there in bill back better the region version that had like seventy five million dollars for housing, I'm so sorry, twenty five billion dollars housing, seventy million for public housing alone. We were getting close it wasn't even enough, but we we keep coming up with these myopic, oceans and let me say one other thing about structural racism. I want to say this that we are now. I'm not saying that everybody in america's erases, I'm not that people. Why people in america don't experienced the same issues majority of the people that are homeless or white
but I'm saying that people who are white never have to experience these issues. discrimination based on a color of their skin and yourself, you ve been through struggle as we saw people any or on a panel today who want their struggles? We know all kinds of people go to struggles. The differences is not because of that. color of their skin and the solutions? What what really gets to me? I've been reading a book by heather Magee. It's called the some of us so that their site, a resistance to solutions that could actually help solve this problem and those solutions would benefit everybody. They wouldn't just benefit people of color, they benefit everybody it it's universalism, so think of medicate expansion, for instance, every body more people that are white need medicaid expansion, then people of color, but we resume to doing that. Why, in those communities where there are high
those closing every day taxes for us is won't, won't ex pay a medic here, have more hospitals closing they were in a country. It just does it makes sense. If we we solve homelessness for everybody, it benefits everybody in the country. We don't have to use, utilise the resources that we are using, for some reason, you know we resist that an and it it just pains me to say that. Well, however, they got there. However, these people, are living on the streets either there carping from sheltered a shelter whether its chronic, whether their six months or there six years where they got their through discrimination, mental illness, drug addiction. whatever it is this lucian, as you say,
is going to have to be universal and it's not gonna be a one. Size fits all the biggest challenge that I screwed. My head about when I'm thinking about this is you ve got a big percentage that have become attics. You ve got a big per an age that are mentally ill. You ve got a big percentage that are just financially disadvantaged in just simply don't have, the earning power, the wherewithal the attraction to get to the point where they can get a place to live. Pay the deposit four utilities and sustain it I mean I'm sure there are more in lot overlap within those, but those are three different groups that are going to need new answers to their solutions: All of them have some things in common, the indescribable
if your ways, but one way we ve talked about before, is like maslovs hierarchy of need. The first thing you gotta do is actually meet their survival needs where they know about going to freeze to death, I'm not going to starve to death. I'm not gonna- be murdered. I'm not going to die from the elements or whatever of at least got that covered- and that's why you say that begins with getting them in a safe home. Yes, and we know that We have enough empty places. in the united states to put everybody, but we don't do it. I suppose the people have the right to read their play sister, whoever they want to. Does it make sense in new york city to go in and by a hotel, read up a hotel,
it has been done. Did that work they did it for a while and then they didn't. It is a word very well it not only addressed me, of the issues that people have privacy for one. The ability to engage multiple people at a time that the fact that those congregate. Shelters are not safe when it comes to the transmission of disease, so it worked very well. It worked as it was a robust response there was a response like we would do any other emergence. Situation and so people really drives. We got to move people into some of those When it housing units are. We talked about on fourchan lay, though those resources were short term now some communities like denver colorado? They actually bought those hotels their communities, do that, but many communities Didn't have that that foresight, and so they bid
clean least the hotels and then they run out of money. You know it was a response for the pandemic dollars aren't available anymore, and so people are starting to go back to the street, but it was great instrument for people to change. This episode broad you by the all new honda, see harvey hybrid onto knows that covering an oasis, only comes after braving the desert. That's why the all new sea army hybrid. This bill to conquer mountains taken a view and go everywhere between its the car back, does you ve, as determined as you are rise to the challenge with the all new sea. Harvey I've read, learn more at sea are the eye. dot honda dot com check it out. I've got a secret with robin mcgraw, with Eric beauty, by known as the forest to the stars and king of roses, designing opulent arrangements for aid,
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these communities and also doing one of the issues is that if you build that Malta family unit is gonna, take you seven or eight years. That's what I'm saying exactly is a long time is a long time proposition. However, if you protests in already existing building, and you make whatever kind of repairs are necessary. Then you forgot instead resources, and so I think that it It is a much better proposition to go hidden by that that hotel and, as I said, media that had the resources and a fourth thought they d go and do that In addition, the the hotel industry suffered through the pandemic as well. many of those, are a kind of honor market now, and so, if you eight, the resources that we use for Some of those other solutions that are not as practical like criminalization, instead of putting people geo because there is a cost associated with that too. We should
those resources into providing housing and support of services. If you put body in jail, you're, talkin. What forty fifty thousand dollars a year. Absolute hurry, inmate! Absolutely that's! Not cheap, is not cheap at all. And in its a cycle so that person goes to jail. Now they can't get into public housing. They can get into The other housing programmes like the housing choice about your programme. They can't get jobs, no one. You know people their theirs is long list. I used to get of people that would hire ex offenders when I was to indirect service I'd, send a mere and nobody else got hired I'm so you know it's to get a job. It's hard to get. You eat lou the opportunity to vote, may you lose your connection to society so that ass is even higher than that. You know initial costs of dealing with a lot of these. bull that are in jail and certainly would be
jail. If that model is allowed to go forward. Let us be honest: therein jail because their homeless their laundering or because I've got enough elsa. Do they deep all to drugs. Their crime is having nothing good form at that point, absolutely it in its it's it's at its a cast eating cycle, so they get a a ticket. They get a fine, they don't pay to fire, then it becomes failure to pay fine there. There may be an interaction when arrested and there they get a resisting charge, and so it contains too many Just having many and arrest is a big enough barrier, but when becomes a felony, a lot of doors, get close to its amber viable, in some communities. So we don't have public bathrooms most communities right. So, if you, you know it's a physiological event that has to happen to every person in the world, so in states like florida, if your court
urinating in public- and you know- nobody's condoning urinating in public, but you have to urinate you gotta go you gotta go. If you get caught, you're a sex offender and so not all are you arrested. You become a sex offender and if you think, it's hard to get a job with a criminal record if europe sex offender, you can't even go to some shelters, and so it is really a ridiculous of of We don't want any body whose exposing themselves in public, but that's not whose getting charged with those guys are crimes, is somebody who's in the woods are behind a building in somebody just comes opponent, And in their life is totally ruined at that point, and you know is very different from other Kinds of tarzan ringlets: no, it absolutely is ok. Now, when we are talking about these people, that our living in these encampments and most of them are in tents, were,
kind of money. Are these people collecting from the government? Are they getting some kind of relief? And if so, what is it and how much? There are some in our say. This is certainly a minority there may get. You know some food stamps Others may get not direct cash, but they may get medicaid. And ah in and somewhat children may get mad a care. some there get social security benefits and then we also have veterans and some veterans we'll get em. They are a veteran disability check matter percentage, So there are some who get resources most are there because they have not got and connected to those resources. So they day they qualify for all of those benefits, but they have been connect to him, I'm so some working day labour, so they go out and get it.
And very job, and you know me a minimum wage I am actually have full time jobs or one study. Several years ago, I found it up to forty per cent of the people that were homeless worked every day and what happens with those people as they attract Auditors. Yes, sometimes drug dealer show up something: The law in short, show up they know when people get pay an end victimize those people when they get those resources. One of the problems this here and allay on skid row, is they know exactly when these people get paid? So the drug dealers from the gangs show up they do the day they get paid and often its rival gangs, which are in a turf war to control that area and they show up at the same time
and they have conflict. Now. All of these people that are live on skid row on the sidewalk and I'll get caught up in the cross. this and you'll. Have people get shot, get stab get hurt, but because of these warring factions are there to control the drug trade exactly, but those people get paid in the morning. and their monies gone in an hour, yes, because the predators been there and get their money, and now there broke until the next payday. In You know Therein lies another issue and that the issue of treatment for substance abuse are our mental health services, which we severely lack in this country, and you know some of those drug users so insidious what they were It will give people either testers. They call him and expect or they'll, give people the drugs prior
the czech coming the day before so they did. You know that present up owing a whole check- and you know this is This is america, and this is the kind of environment that people with with with medical wishes, you know since abuse and mental health of both medical wishes, and we should providing the resources that are necessary for people. You are, of people leaving to foster care system. You have children who are met data from foster care no, survival skills, no independent living skills, and they end up. In this trade in all kinds of other situations, because we don't have a response for them. We. Who have sexually vouchers that they can access, but somebody has to talk to him about. Well, that's the thing age out of the system and allow foster parents or loving, caring and giving but All of them are assembly line also in his day
kid ages out good bye, that no more contact no more contact, and that is another issue that people should understand. If for the lack of a safety net for the lack of if you or I get into some kind of situation where there be a health situation, are a financial situation, someone Our family will probably be there to help us do that situation course they give, the spare room or account your money or whatever most of the people when a homeless population are those people that don't have anybody either they ve contact with their relatives or their people that their people who have burned bricks is, but for some reason they don't have that safety net to fall back on and that the place that should provide that as the federal government and we just have seen areas
instance a lack of effort towards that end and asked what continues to perpetuate this issue. Is there a country? that has this figured out There are some european countries that have done a much better job. Finland is one example and the thing about fin is that they have a to housing and they have the housing and support of services. The housing first programme, the difference with their housing forces, its housing first rate, anybody. If you become homeless, you get a housing unit, and so on and then they attach whatever support of services are necessary. We have promised abortive housing, you have to qualify. You have to be you have to have a disability. You have to be homeless for it
here consecutively or have had four episodes in three years. So that's about ten to twenty percent of the population. Ashley, so that's whose getting those farmers support of housing units which leaves eighty to ninety percent of the population who have to really I find it on their own cause. We we stop doing. shelter in most of our communities, los angeles, really kind of cut back on shelters and We don't have the kind of transitional housing programmes, so There there there's who you know, the majority of people don't have a real solution. If the government steps up and say they come with twenty five billion or whatever would be the dream scenario to provide permanent, stable housing for pick a number five million homeless,.
This is, I know, all hypothetical and a pipe dream and flood. Let's say that happens. What is the balance where you get away from the non contingent situation of just giving people a house giving people an apartment, given people a dwelling? The antithesis of that is people that are really compromise in the dire situation having to qualify. That's not the answer. Clearly in the other side of it is the show up and will give you a free place to live. That seems to have a flaw. In being a disincentive for people to take pride in
their given. They have no sweat equity in it. They haven't- anything other than to be disadvantaged, How do we motivate those people where they say? Ok, I've been given a break here and by Golly, I'm going to hang on to this. I'm going to make this work. This is a launchpad. This isn't the soft place to fall. This isn't a hammock. This is a place to lay my head and till I can get oh my feet, sure I think there's a number of things so, first, first one thing is that any of those housing units of people, do have an income source they do have to. They do have to into that housing. So you paid thirty percent of your income. So beware, the security people with mental wait. Shops are still paying some portion of that, but it goes back new maslovs hierarchy of needs, one shoes,
stabilize lies em in their housing ever thing else can of filters up from their, so people do take pride in that housing People do aspire for for greater levels of success depending on determine that so think the incentive becomes. You know once you put people on a community people who tried to men our emulate, what other people in our community are doing and one you stabilize him they'll, look to be the best. People want to be the best they can be. Sometimes the boy careers are so hard to overcome that they never make it there, but if we give them, you know the opportunities to stabilize themselves their work on the other things inertia, the tin, see for bodies at rest to remain at rest and momentum tennessee for bodies in motion to remain in motion? If
we take somebody that has just been sitting twenty there's a day in a tent on the sidewalk, which has got to be the most boring exists. Those days have to seem like weeks long right, but there used to doing very little to nothing. So now we move a man to place their inert there sitting there and. It seems to me that way, workers are so important because it really hard. Sometimes too self start from zero. But if you, got someone there. This come by saying: ok, look! Let's get a haircut. Let's get some decent close. Let's talk about What's your consequences, knowledge? What is You know how to do. What did you do before? Did you work on cars? Did you have good people scales? It mean to really get
to start putting some all goals in front of themselves and move I've seen people that I have worked with that when you got them clean, you got them hair catch. You got women where they got any kind of modest, wardrobe, anything where they sat taller. They stood tat. They wanted to do the next thing after into take so little, but I think they could really move and drug treatment. The same thing, all of a sudden I got a place to live there start saying I need to ask more of myself, but they need that little bit a help. How much follow up and how much case work. Do these people get once there in the stable home? Why so permanent, supportive housing is not just the housing is housing and services. So everything you has described, is what that case: managers trying to do but they're giving the person. The agency to make that decision and
it is it you have to this tomorrow, you can get there over the period of time. You can gradually get there and, I believe that we should also do that in the shelter system and that's what I did in the shelter. Operated in orlando. So you know I had job fears, I had recreational activities ahead, motivational segments that that happened at the shelter, so the house first mentality doesn't have to be giving someone a house right. Then it could also be looking to see what that next option is wilder in a shelter situation so giving them case management, giving them all kinds of things build on their own skills, the asset building that you talked about, and you know that's actually it happened to me, so I you know have been an actor in my life. I've done theatre have done. A few movies have done a bunch of commercials. Prior to me,
coming homeless and when I talk to my case manager and told them about that, they created a job for me that allow me to utilise all those skills and it it was so powerful that I never went back to act nor comedy or the stuff that I used to do a stadium of the homeless movement- and you know you- It'S- is incredibly tough to do that for everybody. But everybody has that's they were an artist? They were a welder, they were a singer, they worked in a factory and if you do that, what you described, if you happen to whatever that skill set is a network managers are doing every day working with people within those firm support of housing units and they also providing people that have already done that. I had a a guy that I I he became a mentor and what he said is the reason I do this is. I want people to see that they can get to. The
sigh by seeing me do it myself, and so we we have lot of programmes that have those ingredients. Unfortunately, not all do, of course, not all that programmes have the adequate support of sir says to move people one but part That again lies in indonesia, echo bay over all full sail government responds so instead of J J, said and labour and all these other govern until agencies fighting resources at the same level. That huh does we're not see in that. If We could see that then than what you say would be something that would be happening more regularly. How much You see it now with people that you've gotten off the street gotten into a stable home. How much do they actually tanned day treatment for rehab. How much do they
actually go to work. What stats on people that taken issued even go the next level, it's hard to quantify that across the country. And I know my success rates in in transitional and shelter were like in the seventy percent range. If you give people that opportunity they'll take advantage of it, not one hundred per cent but I believe that most of the programmes like promised support of housing has and percent success rate for people just staying in the housing and, if they see in the housing. Everything else is possible, over several years is still at seventy percent. Obviously we lose some people. These are the most vulnerable people in the street, so their life expectancy he's gonna, be a little shorter, but even for years, people are still at the seventy percent range I'm so we We provide these opportunities. The problem is, we, we have
really tough time finding units for people to read. You know all of the characters you caricatures their peoples and you know I know the young man is is really trying to do his best to help with the tick tock videos, but when we villain eyes people it it really. You know that the caricature that's created, really doesn't allow people to understand that these are like the person next door and if we give them a hand up not a handout weakened. the change you know the direction of this country. We you know, once we, we actually have an impact on homelessness in impacts the other layer of society, and so if we could just convince people that people are people you- and I are perfect examples. I mean we're doing our best- to give back and were you know? I see this as my ministry. I'd do this because I think I'll
went through those things to prepare me for this, and so you know people just looked at whose truly been a victim of this issue. and not rely on the stereotypes. We could really start to make some difference. Well, I'm a bully. Because I don't think I was particularly good at it, but when I was honest great, I had a job every day and I think a lot of people out there did have a job every ideas were you. I was young, but I was tall I look to hold enough efforts of but yeah. I just went up and down the street, and this was back in the sixties. There weren't, so many big chain stores there were lotta, mom and pop ups and he in gulf door need skilful order Do you need a work done today and you get a lot of so you customize your pitch and say you get us.
avc room that needs cleaning up mister now get out of here and pretty soon guy's wife said: hey he's got a good point, looks like a tornado went through there absolutely pretty soon. You got a job clean up, a stock room and that two or three days than they take to guide two doors daily. Knows it skidded a really Jeff created, my stockroom nuclear appears down there and in pretty soon there you sleep in the stock room at night and then, for you know it gotta go a little cottage industry. going on you. You can work it out. If you do in any take pride in it absolutely and you get go, and then I saw a lot of people do that, and you're right. It's kind of a contagion effect You see your body essay. I got a job, get get a job man I can. Let me introduce you somebody you can help me do this. I think people want to do better than just need that. First step and It just seems to me that what you're doing makes
the sense in the world. I think the audience today when our work together. It seems like we put a face on this. Yes I know you didn't like you see in those tiktok videos, but I thought he was good to say this is less than one percent right. He didn't if we don't acknowledge that people say were this whitewash in this and not acknowledge in these places are stinky and that there are some dangerous characters in there and a very nice ok the other being straight up about this. But those are human beings in there? We need to help and it s times are not even homeless, I mean so when are you people talk about like the needles and stuff? the street, we don't know who love those needles there we don't know their homes are housed or bar that the sea over company you know and We also need it. member of the origins of some of those epidemics, I mean
There was no. It didn't happen by mistake that the obesity epidemic started. I mean that the companies that started I knew that it was gonna cause addiction issues and so Furthermore, paying you know huge fines for that, but we blame the people at the other end instead of blaming the people that started that in the first place they were targeted, victims, yeah and a crack epidemic. We know the federal government had a role in that and you know what I'm saying is, is those institutions should be paying reparations to people that are homeless? People are, for stick to the issue and the people who were responsible for that should be responsible for the solution. What is the cost? If you know to the government for people litter chronically on sheltered it
this point, because it in free no and in when we created a solution called the bring america home act and nineteen eighty one, I'm sorry said knight in aid I'm at two thousand and one, and that the last bill that Dylan existence that still funds homelessness was nineteen. Eighty seven, so I'm not that far off, but it was about doctor the congressional budget office. Gordon about eighty one billion. I think it's probably in the etrurians now the solution cost in, and I think you know we think about the cost of you know what I'd spends its you know in the in the far far homeless, assistance it's in the billions of dollars that that hard is spending right now and I don't the I'm Emma have a minister this in my head. I can't remember that exact number today, but its it is,
actually not is as robust as it was in the eighties, but is very spent well a b will understand- is that these people on the street are free, no so putting them in a home first situation. Yet look at the door because they're not free on the street. Now we're looking at the difference between who is not zero versus putting an end to an apartment or house there's a cause. That's there to begin with an that's one of the big issues around criminalization because that money that's already been spent, whether it su hiring outreach workers. Our case managers are intake workers. Tom, you move someone, you have to start that process over again so we're wasting dollars. Not only the cost of incarnate Getting people wasting a heard. Those who have already been used on those people are, there
care for the homeless dollars that go into people getting free access to healthcare those those actually going the window in and they need to be, double down one. Every time we move people they have to restart their process at. I just don't think like some the elected officials when they come up with these myopic solutions and is really because people complaining homeowners are complaining. You know it's close to their communities in other reaction from elected official. the especially around this time when you are left it's coming up or these, these quick fixes these myopic solutions there really You know you have to recreate every year and you never get to anything final talked about tennessee in miami. They want to put people on the island, they want to move all the homeless people to an island like a leper community. Yes, yes, and it's right next to a hazardous waste facility. Oh that's great
you know in Missouri they made it illegal to do permanent, supportive housing. So you know it as all these dead there's a group as going around a country does actually promoting model legislation that really really is is not present dave which is causing harm to communities, is called the cicero institute, and I mean than before, but they they are providing this motto: legislation and even you, know, states I California, more progressive, Unities. The one at that they promote is what just passing california that the california cares initiative which would allow people to be put in to mental health facilities on involuntarily. I'm so we think that that's an approach that again is a myopic solution, because even when they go to those who civilities there's no housing or any other end, so you may of meda
did the issue for a very short period of time, but at the end, you haven't ended their homelessness. Well, my problem with that sort of thing: is they become less inconvenient, it will have to walk past him and stuff. But us that makes me think about pre dorothy addicts. when we were just warehousing these people tat s a wall, they don't bother you so much. You can't do that. You can't put people chemical strait jacket. You can't put him in an involuntary mental health commitments when you have no exit strategy whatsoever? What are you gonna? Do you put him in a chemical straitjacket and they're not inconvenient, exactly stood over here and drool, because you ve got I'm so medicated that they become lethargic, but then what you re Israel is like aging outer foster care. What do you do when they leave, and that is what people and understand is that all
of those systems are feeding people back into the homeless part of course, and if we don't address again, if we don't have a whole government approach which would which provides resources for- people with mental health issues, the idea of taking people out of those large facilities where they were chemically straitjacket ed where they were sprayed with water hose is that was right thing to do, but what happened is what's happening with homeless people? Now the the administration did it we're supposed to be all these community based facilities for people they still haven't been built to this day and those people actually ending up in jails in on the streets of our community. That is a huge part of the problem. de institutionalization without the resources to poor people in we're just doing it again. We were making a convenient for people,
But we have solved the problem which is making people disappear. Basically exactly Bela, I targeted. If I had a business, then on the beach, was selling souvenirs or whatever to people in I relied on walk in traffic, and it was my livelihood. feed my family and all of a sudden people couldn't or did not want to walk in air because they couldn't get in because it was so ellie and they were afraid of the people in there we're getting pan handled and all that, and that was my business in my livelihood that I worked for. I would be very upset about that. I totally get that and I would want that situation fixed but I understand all you're gonna do let's move it down to your neighbors place. If you dont come up with a real solution for this and in
that's all we say we want the same thing. We don't want business owners are property. Owners are too you're, going to school to have to encounter people on the street, but we want it. We want permanent solutions to that, we don't want to move them to the next who are the next community, are the nets business and we I get serious about that. Those businesses go out of business you're, going to have a hard time coming up with those multi trillion dollars to fix this absolutely so, it's gotta be a balance for everybody. In part of the challenges. If you talk to those business owners- and you ask them many times if, if had a solution and you say that solution might be that we we build an apartment in your community, we're gonna say no they they're not willing to bring the solution to their communities. Nimby, as is what happens in this country, and It is unfortunate that we still have our people
who can say who can move into their community and anna ok, I'm in. If I don't like you, because your other by any reason, you know- and I have a bias everybody has biases but but mob This is because I am thinking that year that caricature of homeless and not the true person that that is, is in this situation. I can just say you can't come in my community and suffer the us proud to meet, ryan and made today does what it intelligent straight up. Young man and all which is so antithetical too What people have in their mine a burial typically every time gone down and taken time to walk these encampments and talk to people here, san francisco or die. Alice is washington heights in new york. There are some really
arming people in there that just need a hand up? You know if you think bout yourself in and kind of people that we respect in his community. who just like ryan, who have gone through this issue and just think of how many people were respected. Have polar disorder are are some other mental health or behaviour health disorder, but if you can bout. The other successful people like tyler bury the dead carry, and I could go on and on tiffany hanish. There's this whole group of people who ve through that experience in their people who are revered in society today, an unknown people are walk in the streets of los angeles. Today, people we have the same degree of talent to say. meant elect and if weep via them, the resources date they become a benefit to our community, hire a thousand people Erin tyler pair is a really good friend of mine. He presented
nay, my star on the hollywood walker feynman, working on a movie together to see what he overcame. And came through them in those are inspirational sort of things we just have to, up and realise these are men and women. Human beings like I said: mothers father sends daughters, brothers and sisters. We just gotta give me a chance to get back in the game absolutely year who, in the things that I think need to happen, form to get in the game, and I support what you- and I want to continue to support what you're doing- I don't think you're, the being of give away. I think you're. What, these people to be responsible an accountable. I thank you and to give him a launch pad, not a hammock, absolutely and that's a big big difference absolutely because we need their voices to what a tell it blew absolute wasted of in
for so many reasons. We do. You know unemployment. If we we give p, under the resources they need to get back on their feet there there on employment gap right dear, we put these, we put people to work and they can help you no change the economy and in help he'll all kinds of wounds. I think the key is we ve got to help every one of them find it's what I call consequential knowledge if you have a job the king be replaced in two hours, you haven't found your sequential knowledge aims, but if you can become a coder or you and become a computer repairman or you can become a really good pay her painting houses if you can become a nurse. Her nurses aid, where you actually have knowledge. That is consequential too. The situation there, you're, not going to be a minimum wage worker. You're gonna be someone that can command
reasonable salary. We ve got to get these people to the point where we can say, let's find out why Are you good at? What were you good at before? What are you had the aptitude for? Let's identify or develop consequential knowledge for you and get you back in again and it's his apartment, labors, about retraining those rights. We have so many seers in population whose drops become irrelevant because of changes in technology all kinds of day, if, if we had a deal urban of labour that was retraining people for the environmental jobs, the you know that the game. Jobs, the code or jobs. All of those things think, how much of an impact we could make on a society. I'll bet, you have population could work in the tec, computer industry and its needed. We just have to continue to do this if I can help you bring hate to this issue,
anyway. In any time put me in coach, you you're doin, it you're doing it, and- and I appreciate you- and I know you will continue to do it and I'm just so tight for that. You ve chosen this as an issue that you want to support, because you know reach out to you know some of the people. You mentioned all the time because I just think them making a statement about it in whatever small way they can people wanna be near them. They want to follow them, they they wanna, be attached to them and if they are attacked to the solutions. It'll just make so much difference in his work. Well, let's compared to contain doing the partner on us together and I hope you'll come back when anytime, you asked me we can, this again, because I think we brought a lot of attention to this today. We done it before will continue to do it and if we need
I hit him up on capitol hill? Will go do that too? Absolutely I! You got an invitation waiting to come to korea, fair enough donald, thank you for taking the time to do this. Well, thank you for having me and thank you for taking the time Well, I'm going to continue. As I know, you will so appreciative. Thank you. So we read it from a parent's weight the day that anxiety right. Oh no! No! No! I have maybe one piece of cheese in the house and some mustard- oh, don't worry. We can get free same day, delivery from Bjs wholesale club. If we spend one hundred dollars or more, it takes as little as two hours. Free same day, delivery from bjs lot of relief. I owe you one sweetie good, because they're bringing all my sisters spend one hundred dollars or more and get free same day, delivery on bjs dot com December six to the twelfth only pjs, absurdly, simple savings,
Transcript generated on 2022-12-08.