Where are the homeless?

kevmy

I think the homeless problem is actually kind of overstated in Ireland. There are very few homeless people in any other city bar Dublin. There was a survey/census done on them in Galway a while back and it came out with something like 10-30 people who were offically homeless, others where in halfway houses that kinda thin as permenant residents. In Dublin its a bigger problem for sure but still its small enough for a city of its size. One of the richest countries in the world (America) has massive homeless problems tents and tents of them living alongside the roads. Most countries in Europe also have higher homeless populations.
Thats not saying the problem should be ignored just put into perspective. A lot of the people on the streets are drunks and junkies. Wheter they became so before or after they were on the streets is a moot point. They won't get off the streets and back into society proper without kicking the habit. In this regard the government has preformed poorly and not fulfilled its obligation. Money to help these poor unfortunates should come from the government and to a lesser extent the well known charities (if your afraid of giving money to "charities") such as SVdP and the Simon Community. IMO giving money directly to the homeless person is only going to give them food or water or a bed or drink or drugs for a day. It won't solve the problem, in fact it might hold back from giving them a long term solution.
I also think that its not as easy as some people say to fall into homelessness. If you have friends or family they should help you out. I belive that alot of homeless people have a psychiatric illness or an addiction which quickens there decsent and are aslo lonely and isolated before their fall (eg. immigrants, no family etc.)

Kintarō Hattori

kevmy wrote:

IMO giving money directly to the homeless person is only going to give them food or water or a bed or drink or drugs for a day. It won't solve the problem, in fact it might hold back from giving them a long term solution.

kevmy wrote:

I also think that its not as easy as some people say to fall into homelessness. If you have friends or family they should help you out.

I don't think you've thought this out properly.

kevmy

eo980 wrote:

I don't think you've thought this out properly.

I mean by giving them a place to stay so that they don't to sleep rough, giving them food, getting them into a treatment programme if thats whats needed. I don't mean by giving them handouts of money to buy drugs and leaving them at that. If you've a freind or family member in this situatuion some tough love might help them.

aidan24326

kevmy wrote:

I mean by giving them a place to stay so that they don't to sleep rough, giving them food, getting them into a treatment programme if thats whats needed. I don't mean by giving them handouts of money to buy drugs and leaving them at that. If you've a freind or family member in this situatuion some tough love might help them.

You are not considering the fact that some of these people may not have friends or family they can turn to. Or no-one that really cares.

I recall a few years ago the body of a man who'd drowned was found in the River Lee in Cork city. He was quite decomposed and had clearly been dead for some time. There was no evidence of foul play and it was considered a probable suicide, yet the man did not match anyone on the missing persons list and the gardai were having difficulty in even identifying him. It was thought that he was a vagrant who drowned himself, and no-one even took any notice that he was missing, or at least never reported him missing anyway.

kevmy

aidan24326 wrote:

You are not considering the fact that some of these people may not have friends or family they can turn to. Or no-one that really cares.

If you look at my original post I said IF they have family and friends. I understand that most of these people unfortunately have noone to care for them and it is sad. But the point I was trying to make is that it is not as easy to fall into vagrancy as some people make out in this forum. I don't belive the "it could happen to anyone" line of reasoning. If you have real friends and a good family even if you fall on hard times they will help you and stop your slide and hopefully turn it around.

thebaz

The_Minister wrote:

This is the trainee economist in me talking, but you do realise that if you give them food, and other people give them money, then they will spend less of that money on food, and more on alcohol, as they need to buy less food. So in effect, by giving them food, you are raising the amount of alcohol that they can buy.

It may make economic sense to give them no food , and they'll starve and thus save the tax payer some petty ecomic expense !!
The homeless are people, all different, some drink , some take drugs , some are young, some are homeless due to there own mistakes , and others simply born into it.
Those of us lucky enogh to have housing, should just be gratefull we have a roof over our heads for winter , and not make judgments on the less fortunate !

5starpool

thrill wrote:

I know of one guy who went to the streets because of the abuse he got at home. Violent abuse that is.
Two of my brothers stayed with him for a while and even slept out in the cold in Fitzgerald park (cork) to keep him company.
They said it was a horrible experience but they feared for their friend.

Out of curiousity, why did your brothers sleep out with him rather than take him in for a while?

Also, Dublin doesn't seem to have as many homeless as it did 2-3 years ago, and I was simply amazed last summer when I was in San Francisco by the number of homeless there, it was incredible.

If you are ever looking for a homeless guy again there is always one outside of the Fitzwilliam Card Club on Fitzwilliam street across from the ESB head office. He took up residence there about 18 months ago, probably due to the fact that he can get free sandwiches/tea/cigarettes from there. He will never accept money off anyone though, and I have seen him violently throw it at people if they insist he takes it.

cormie

hehe, thanks for the compliments above:)

Zambia

Ok well done to the OP your heart is definatly in the right place. I have met and talked to several Home less folk and personnally think there a blight on the city. Large gangs of homeless males are often seen at the top (St green) end of grafton st to name but one .

These are imposing for less numbered groups of people.

I have on two occasions had serious violent encounters with homeless people in this regard.

I think we set up think tanks for all sorts of useless crap why cant we have one to once and for all come up with a solution to this.

If anyone wants to help the homeless however i would suggest donating straight to the York street hostel , or simialiar. They are at the front end of this.