Australia's Homeless

[MrBurns]

Mr Rudd already has the problem in hand. In May 2008 he included the homeless in his his Social Inclusion Agenda. Problem solved.



Mr Rudd has very active with this agenda;

1. He sleeps rough once a year to show his is still caring.

2. He could call a conference.

3. If all else fails he will give them one of his apologies.

Or he could cut out the bullsh*t and admit there is no solution.

They could put New start back where it was before the cuts and weed out the bludgers.

Rudd was having his teeth whitened again and was taking crying lessons from Bob Hawke and so was too busy to discuss it.

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Do you seriously expect individuals to take matters into their own hands ?

I don't expect anything of anyone; just giving an answer. Julia asked for a solution to the problem of homelessness, and there's no more direct, obvious or immediately effective solution than the one I pointed out. Homelessness could very easily be solved in one day if enough people wanted that to happen If someone really was concerned, that's what he/she would do - share a spare bedroom.

 

[Zedd]

Why? So that we can all sit in our cosy homes and go "tut tut".

Yes, because that's what all the ASF discussions turn into. Collective back-patting and head-knodding.

If someone really was concerned, that's what he/she would do - share a spare bedroom.

Has no one else had this discussion before w.r.t. your own home? Neither my housemates at the time, or my partner now felt secure and safe enough to try this, but we did talk seriously about it at the time.

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Has no one else had this discussion before w.r.t. your own home? Neither my housemates at the time, or my partner now felt secure and safe enough to try this, but we did talk seriously about it at the time.

I wouldn't want a stranger in my home. If I wanted to do something to help, I'd go down to the city at night, get to know a few people personally over a period of time, then invite them to live in my investment property for a while (if I had one) or garage.

 

[MrBurns]

I wouldn't want a stranger in my home. If I wanted to do something to help, I'd go down to the city at night, get to know a few people personally over a period of time, then invite them to live in my investment property for a while (if I had one) or garage.

Why don't you just vote for someone who'll do something OR let's start our own party

 

[Zedd]

I wouldn't want a stranger in my home. If I wanted to do something to help, I'd go down to the city at night, get to know a few people personally over a period of time, then invite them to live in my investment property for a while (if I had one) or garage.

And that was pretty much the conclusion we reached too.

 

[Julia]

I wouldn't want a stranger in my home. If I wanted to do something to help, I'd go down to the city at night, get to know a few people personally over a period of time, then invite them to live in my investment property for a while (if I had one) or garage.

It's just remotely possible most Australians have neither an investment property nor a spare room, so your suggestion is less than helpful imo.

If one person invites one homeless person to use a spare room that's not even a blip on the horizon of the problem.

I'm frankly a bit fed up with your derision and air of superiority if someone feels concern about a national situation and wants to discuss it. You seem to believe you are above such silliness. I'm reminded of an instance some months ago when you, as you have done so often, told me I needed to 'give up compassion'. I don't know where you acquire all your presumed wisdom from, GB, but I wish you wouldn't so presume to be patronising to your ASF co members including psychiatric diagnoses of people you have never met.

If you're not interested in a topic, don't read the thread, and don't make your usual critical contribution.

Even on the thread where so many people sent get well wishes to Sails, your contribution was a criticism that someone should reword their post, no good wishes as the thread suggested.

Some of us have contributed thousands of voluntary hours in time given to community agencies supporting homeless and mentally ill people. I'm damned if you have the right to rubbish such genuine contributions.

 

[DocK]

I am reminded of a doco I watched on the ABC (Country Town Rescue) about the small town of Trundle in NSW, where empty and run down homes were offered for rent of $1 per week to city people looking for a tree change, on the basis that they'd do improvements to the homes in return for the practically free housing. There were the usual problems one would expect in such an experiment, however I recall that at least some of the families settled into the little country town very well. The main problem is finding meaningful employment - assuming that the homeless person actually wants it. It seems wrong that a country with so much empty space cannot manage to house it poorer citizens. There are so many small towns slowly dying as their population dwindles - there must be homes going to ruin for lack of occupants. If only living in these areas were made somehow more attractive - it seems a bit of a catch 22 situation where there are no jobs due to a lack of population, and no increase in population as there are no jobs. I grew up in a small country town in Qld and saw many city folk transferred in who thought they'd hate being away from the city and were more or less resigned to serving out their "country service" for a couple of years and then hotfooting it back to the bright lights asap. Some never adapted, but the ones who were prepared to get involved in the community and give it a go invariably came to enjoy their time in the bush, with more than a few opting to stay. It seems to me if there were a way of providing employment and an incentive for some of the people who struggle to pay rent in the cities to move out to regional areas then both they and the struggling towns would benefit. I guess it's a matter also of services and infrastructure. Maybe instead of giving every house in the city pink batts, and every school another hall, that money would have been better spent on facilities in rural areas - maybe "if you build it they will come"

 

[sptrawler]

I don't expect anything of anyone; just giving an answer. Julia asked for a solution to the problem of homelessness, and there's no more direct, obvious or immediately effective solution than the one I pointed out. Homelessness could very easily be solved in one day if enough people wanted that to happen If someone really was concerned, that's what he/she would do - share a spare bedroom.

+1
I agree completely, why hasn't Bob Brown in his public funded retirement, furthered his cause. Why doesn't he open a refuge for asylum seekers, rather than float around on greenpeace boats?
Why can't he welcome them into his home, for $50/wk like they were suggesting we do. Just another dick.
Don't they make you feel sick.

 

[Calliope]

Yes, because that's what all the ASF discussions turn into. Collective back-patting and head-knodding.

You got that right, except for the "head-knodding" bit. That sounds dangerous. It's all very well for do-gooders to keep raising issues of homelessness. It reminds me of Hawkes ridiculous slogan "that no child will live in poverty" blah, blah, blah.

All political parties rant on about homelessness, and nothing ever happens, and that's because there is no solution. The problem has always been left to charities to try to ameliorate the hardships, and the best we can hope for is dormitory overnight accommodation and giving them a Xmas dinner.

Problems like homelessness, Aboriginal housing and alcoholism will never be resolved because there are no votes in it.

 

[Some Dude]

Yes, because that's what all the ASF discussions turn into. Collective back-patting and head-knodding.

Not all of them

 

[Trembling Hand]

Homeless is very often a symptom not the problem. To say just provide cheap housing and a decent job or a room in your house till someone gets back on their feet is in many of the cases, particularly the long term and young, completely missing the point and very uniformed.

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Homeless is very often a symptom not the problem. To say just provide cheap housing and a decent job or a room in your house till someone gets back on their feet is in many of the cases, particularly the long term and young, completely missing the point and very uniformed.

No it's not. Everyone knows people end up homeless because of mental problems. What are you going to do - offer a freezing homeless person counselling? Pfff. I think a warm bed is going to help more.

 

[Trembling Hand]

No it's not. Everyone knows people end up homeless because of mental problems. What are you going to do - offer a freezing homeless person counselling? Pfff. I think a warm bed is going to help more.

Well I guess you would know. You are the expert in trying to be handed fish rather than learn how to fish...

 

[McLovin]

I think a warm bed is going to help more.

Depends what you're actually trying to achieve. If giving someone shelter for a night is the aim then a warm bed will fix that. You've done nothing to address the root issue of why they are homeless. If someone has grown up in a house where sexual/physical/verbal abuse is the norm then offers of a warm bed are more likely to be met with suspicion. Ultimately, if someone has gotten to the point where they are living on the street in a country like Australia, it's a pipe dream if you think their situation is merely one of bad luck that will be fixed with a job and bed.

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Depends what you're actually trying to achieve. If giving someone shelter for a night is the aim then a warm bed will fix that. You've done nothing to address the root issue of why they are homeless. If someone has grown up in a house where sexual/physical/verbal abuse is the norm then offers of a warm bed are more likely to be met with suspicion. Ultimately, if someone has gotten to the point where they are living on the street in a country like Australia, it's a pipe dream if you think their situation is merely one of bad luck that will be fixed with a job and bed.

Same answer I gave TH. Are you going to offer psychological help to someone hungry and freezing? You think that will work? That's naive.

 

[McLovin]

Same answer I gave TH. Are you going to offer psychological help to someone hungry and freezing? You think that will work? That's naive.

Did you read my first two sentences?

Depends what you're actually trying to achieve. If giving someone shelter for a night is the aim then a warm bed will fix that.

Considering you're the resident Frasier Crane on ASF, I'm a bit surprised that you think the long term homeless can be "fixed" with a job and a bed. If only it were that easy.

 

[Gringotts Bank]

Did you read my first two sentences?



Considering you're the resident Frasier Crane on ASF, I'm a bit surprised that you think the long term homeless can be "fixed" with a job and a bed. If only it were that easy.

It's not always possible to treat the cause fully, so you treat the symptoms as best you can. That's how all healthcare works. Cure the problem if possible; provide relief when you can't.

 

[Julia]

All political parties rant on about homelessness, and nothing ever happens, and that's because there is no solution. The problem has always been left to charities to try to ameliorate the hardships, and the best we can hope for is dormitory overnight accommodation and giving them a Xmas dinner.

Problems like homelessness, Aboriginal housing and alcoholism will never be resolved because there are no votes in it.

Well, if everyone took your view, of course these problems will never be resolved. You are an expert in sitting back and delivering derision, scorn and criticism on pretty much everything and everyone, with the recent exception of some young children who apparently recently charmed you with their doting mothers.

Despite the pfft attitude from you and the all knowing GB, a number of people have in fact made sensible and constructive comments, viz prawn, boofhead, sydboy, Mr Burns, knobby, DocK, McLovin and at the core of it all Trembling Hand with this:

Homeless is very often a symptom not the problem. To say just provide cheap housing and a decent job or a room in your house till someone gets back on their feet is in many of the cases, particularly the long term and young, completely missing the point and very uniformed.

That's so true.

I don't expect anything of anyone; just giving an answer. Julia asked for a solution to the problem of homelessness, and there's no more direct, obvious or immediately effective solution than the one I pointed out. Homelessness could very easily be solved in one day if enough people wanted that to happen If someone really was concerned, that's what he/she would do - share a spare bedroom.

You also know it's completely unlikely. Neither is it the responsibility of any individual to look after any other individual. Much homelessness , as TH has suggested, is a result of eg mental illness or other underlying problems, and as such needs to be addressed at a national or at least state level.

 

[Trembling Hand]

Considering you're the resident Frasier Crane on ASF,

LOL..... best post of the year