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ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

France has just past a law making it a human right to have a roof over ones head and a place to call home. Whether that will force local councils free up the resources or make commercial owners of empty properties provide those homes is another matter. I wish Britain would do the same but with Blair in power, I can't see it.

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ORIGINAL: kittensmailbox

How many have you ppl who are bitching about homeless, gone down to the shelters to help or given money? Just wondering....

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ORIGINAL: FukinTroll

OP

I had a lengthy discussion with the Clinton administration on the subject. They made it quite clear that it was not a priority even with a good solution.

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my guess is thes places are owned by investors from afar. there is a 1031 exchange a tax loophole- that if you trade property- the tax is less.

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

I think the point is that the homeless rarely contribute to either parties coffers.

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ORIGINAL: SusanofO

Katy, you are right. That is true in my town as well - all of the shelters have no-drink-and-drug policies, among other policies, for the residents.

- Susan 

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Many cities have a LOT of unoccupied, abandoned property. Now I'm not adverse to keeping your units off the market should you choose, but when you abandon the building, let it rot and lose it's weather-tightness, roof damage, etc, then it's NOT a "Going Concern" so to speak.

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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth

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Many cities have a LOT of unoccupied, abandoned property. Now I'm not adverse to keeping your units off the market should you choose, but when you abandon the building, let it rot and lose it's weather-tightness, roof damage, etc, then it's NOT a "Going Concern" so to speak.

Great idea.

Step 1 - Eliminate Lawyers.

Until you get past that first step the rest is rhetoric suitable for parlor debate.

"Abandoned" property still has an owner. Authorize anyone to live there and the first splinter that generates an infection will generate a lawsuit. A cracked step causes a fall - lawsuit.

Of course we could put a government agency in charge of the situation. Run by lawyers, administered by career bureaucrats, whose goal is not to end homelessness but to perpetuate their jobs.

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

Could you clarify pls. I see you have 20 posts under your belt.

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ORIGINAL: FukinTroll

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

Could you clarify pls. I see you have 20 posts under your belt.

Sure.
 
I sent the Clinton administration prospectus for the homeless issue. It would use military surplus to facilitate a share cropping community for any homeless person that wished to participate. Medication and a medical facility would be available and the government would provide housing, via tents initially. As the program grew and the crops began to realize a profit permanent housing would be erected.  As the “residents” participation in the system grew, they would be offered more training, and more education.
 
The ultimate goal of the program would be to stabilize a resident, train them to have a structured life, educate them, and return them, where possible, to society as a trained/educated productive member of society. The statistics of mental illness in homeless people would allow this program to help stabilize the resident, by choice, and give them many options for productivity with there particular illnesses and phobia’s in mind. Moving beyond the share cropping/ranching facility is optional and available to anyone wanting to enter into a higher education program.
 
They were equally dismissive over a new prison I designed. However I am going to be sending a new prospectus to a few major corporations and hopefully they will take it seriously.