You can find it just about every day on these threads and any social media. It’s what we have become as a society of “civilized people”.

“America’s Friendliest Hometown”......NOT!

Homelessness in America is a problem that has no real solution...at least not yet. As a quality of life issue, the question soon becomes how much of your quality of life are you willing to give up to increase their quality of life? This is a concept not dissimilar than redistribution of wealth. What will you give up in order to lift up the other guy?

And, should the litmus test really be "hurting someone?" You hear that all the time..."they only did (insert whatever), they're not hurting anyone." For the sake of argument, let's say The Villages decided to be "compassionate," and took 100 acres of preserve land and designated it as an approved homeless camp. Restaurants could bring leftover food for donations. Portable toilets could be delivered. Fresh water and outdoor showers are easily brought in. Now, let's say that YOUR house is right around the corner from this camp. Do you think you would be "hurt?" What would happen to your property value? Would you still feel the same level of compassion, or would you quickly become a NIMBY (not in my back yard)?

If you were a seasonal resident, and arrived at your Villages home on October 1st to find four homeless folks camping on your lanai, what would be your first inclination? Call the police (no compassion), or invite them in for dinner (lots of compassion)? It is easy to feign benevolence when the problem is distant. It is much tougher when it is in your face. This is why, since there are no real solutions to the homeless question, the most prevalent answer is to move them along...and make them someone else's problem. It may be sad, but it is true.

Walk the talk. Prove your compassion by providing your addresses or getting involved directly. Otherwise your words ring hollow.

Most are homeless because they want to be. It's a lifestyle choice. There are already options out there that they tend to ignore. You can't force someone to a shelter or temporary housing, but you can move/arrest them when they are breaking the law.

Nope, this is what it has become.

Um, wakey-wakey?????
We have shelters, they won't utilize them
The medical they need is anti-psychotics, neuroleptics, SSRI/SNRIs and lithium-----they won't take them
And while I suspect most will take food, some embrace the lifestyle and so I'll quote Dr. Alan Grant from "Jurassic Park"-----"Velociraptor doesn't want to be fed, he wants to hunt"

as far as the OP goes, "No compassion shown here by the OP"---I suspect that person would be willing to show some compassion, just NOT HERE

If your point on the "Broken Window" theory, in relationship to the homeless people showering in the dog part, is that the police need to stop it or crime will increase, you're misguided. The solution is that the community/society needs to help the less fortunate among us, especially with what they/homeless have had to endure since the beginning of the pandemic. As soon as I read the Wikipedia source and it referenced Rudy Guiliani, I discounted the theory as not being legitimate.

You should give them your address so they can use your hose, use your bathroom or yard. Now that would really be compassionate. Many not all of course but many homeless would be turned away from donating blood for many reasons like having TB, hepatitis, aids just to mention a few. There are shelters for the homeless that truly want help, TV is not a shelter.

Seattle.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness calculated that, in 2021, the U.S. federal government enacted over $51 billion in funding for selected homelessness and housing programs. This, of course, does not include city, county, or private dollars invested in homelessness and affordable housing as well.

Estimates are that there are about 552,000 homeless in the USA. That comes out to $92,000 per homeless person - which for a family of four is $368,00. That would put them in the top 3% of the country. And that is just in federal spending!

I don't think the problem is lack of funds. Perhaps the funds are not being spent wisely.

I have also seen that we are giving billions of dollars to Ukraine.

Thanks for the link to a very interesting video. Never really thought about the drugs/homeless cycle and what it would take to break the cycle. This sounds like what true compassion should be.

And just how does society help those who don't want help?????

Community Watch only gets paid to drive around aimlessly and wave. Forget about them actually doing anything.

Have to love the efficiency of government:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Watched the Seattle article, very eye opening as to what gets started and how it can snowball into out of control chaos.