Quote:
Originally Posted by golfing eagles
While I applaud your empathy for these people, I still think The Villages cannot be the place where society figures out how to handle the problem. By doing so it would create a Mecca for the homeless. Personally, I am in favor of dumping them on the doorstep of those who created the problem, but naturally I cannot state who they are on this forum. I also think that as a group they are a LOT more mobile than you think----Many migrate north-south with the seasons. Just think how many gathered in Denver or Portland with changes in the marijuana laws.
I am not referring to those who are temporarily homeless, had jobs that they lost, and are looking to find another and re-enter normal society. I am referring to the hardcore professionally homeless who embrace their lifestyle. And the last thing we need here are a gaggle of social workers, do-gooders, and other assorted bleeding hearts.
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I don't think they need to be housed in the Villages. I was actually thinking more on the order of the Ocala Forest, where there's already a large community of homeless people. I think that community should be better supported. Taught how to be self-sustaining, provided minimal provisions - solar showers, timber and other materials to build their own modest homes, social workers and basic medical care to prevent the spread of disease, maybe dentists who typically do pro-bono work every year could target the Forest as a rotating service destination. The ones who show interest can be taught agricultural techniques to grow their own fruits, vegetables, legumes, using water barrels, rain water and koi ponds to create fertilizer and more food. This is mostly prepper stuff, but it would work great for *organized* homeless encampments.
They could ultimately create their own self-sustaining village, an eco-village. There are such communities in the country, some work better than others.
But I think the concept is great and it'd get these homeless folks away from us, without pushing them into the gutters (or your neighbor's back yard).