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Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:20:35 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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I seen on free speech tv- the idea presented was that if all vacant apartments were opened up- there would be no homeless in USA. Picture a downtown area. a store on the main level, the 2-3-4 stories of apartments VACANT. Why? Code. Lawsuits. and the like.

Look around.

Astounding that our legal system has created this monster! /foot stomp/

opinions, observations, comments?

Post #: 1

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:33:07 AM

LaTigresse

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Unfortunately the fact is that most of the people that own those apartments would not want many of the people that are homeless now living in them.

The town I am in has many homeless, most of them have some sort of mental illness. If I have an investment of real estate I do not want the chance that someone that will have no respect for MY property, and take proper care of it, residing there.

Yes that sounds harsh and callous, I am just giving an opinion as someone that is able to own property and importance of that investment.

_____________________________

My twisted, self deprecating, sense of humour, finds alot to laugh about, in your lack of one!

Just because you are well educated, articulate, and can use big, fancy words, properly........does not mean you are right!

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Post #: 2

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:34:10 AM

Rule

Posts: 10479
Joined: 12/5/2005
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Practise birth control. That will supply plenty of abandoned houses starting in about twenty years.

(in reply to pahunkboy)

Post #: 3

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:35:53 AM

toservez

Posts: 1733
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From: All over now in Minnesota
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The biggest mistake people do is project themselves onto others. While there is a percentage of homeless that are sane and have just fallen on hard times, there are far more where they are homeless because of mental problems. It is sometimes less to do with space available then it is for manpower and the money for that manpower to make sure people of this nature can take care of themselves enough that something like this would be truly beneficial and not just temporarily cosmetic.

Was this talking about completely vacant buildings? If so why were these completely vacant? Plus they are probably still owned by someone and while we may look down on our noses for how they maintained it or what they are doing with it now, we as people generally do not like being made to do something when we own it.

This is one of those great ideas that is easy to talk about but unrealistic to implement. One of those, it does not affect me so why not things.

_____________________________

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(in reply to pahunkboy)

Post #: 4

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:38:25 AM

SusanofO

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Joined: 12/19/2005
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I do some work with the homeless in my hometown. And, my real-life Daddy and I have already discussed that when he dies, he is leaving me some money, and I think it would be nice to build a homeless shelter with it. He thinks it is a good idea, too - he was a social worker his entire life, and he also thinks there are too many homeless. In my hometown, there are only two homeless shelters, and they've been filled to capacity all Winter due to the extreme low temperatures - they always are, every Winter, it seems.

If you build one, it needs to be able to house several hundred people, I think. I guess an apartment building would work, but you'd probably need someone to over-see it, for reasons already cited. Somebody will "accidentally" set the building on fire, etc. I would think there would need to be one (or several) live-in manager types of people. If I were a property manager, I'd consider that a legitimate concern.

Also, there would be the people living in the neighborhood to contend with.
I know in my town, they purposely "re-located" the homless shelter to a remote area several years ago, due to tourists' and merchant's complaints about drunks from the shelters sprawled along the downtown side-walk, etc. I suppose they did hurt business, and did not look particularly glamorous, as far as enhancing the city's image. Now the city's homeless shelters are located about a mile from the airport, and about five miles from downtown - far away from any commerical establishments or hotels.

- Susan

< Message edited by SusanofO -- 2/7/2007 10:09:19 AM >

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

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Post #: 5

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:41:30 AM

girliegirl26

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Joined: 5/11/2004
Status: offline

Homelessness in America is alot more common then you think. You wouldnt be able to tell who was homeless and who wasnt just by looking at them. I spent a week in a homeless shelter because I had a hard time finding another place to move into when I lost mine. If you must know I lost mine because I got sick and wasnt able to work and hence couldnt pay the rent. I think that more needs to be done to help pthers that are in the spot that I was. I know from being in the shelter that most of the people that where in the one that I was, were there because of former drug addictions and mental illness. There is no easy answer to this problem

(in reply to toservez)

Post #: 6

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:42:45 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse

Unfortunately the fact is that most of the people that own those apartments would not want many of the people that are homeless now living in them.

The town I am in has many homeless, most of them have some sort of mental illness. If I have an investment of real estate I do not want the chance that someone that will have no respect for MY property, and take proper care of it, residing there.

Yes that sounds harsh and callous, I am just giving an opinion as someone that is able to own property and importance of that investment.

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.

I heard stories of disgruntled tenants damaging a place- then reporting it to the code officer. bing. fines.

I tried to buy a 49 unit building. No one would finace it- insure it, etc. it still sits vacate- except for the ground level store. incidently- the asking price was 119k

(in reply to LaTigresse)

Post #: 7

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:43:15 AM

MzMia

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Joined: 7/30/2004
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I live in a very expensive metropolitan area, 48% of the people in shelters in Northern Virgina work full or part-time jobs.
The average home in my area costs around 300K, to rent in a fairly decent area you will pay at least $1000 a month for a 1 bedroom in a moderate rental community.
The idea that being homeless equates to not having a job is dated thinking at best.
Affordable apartments and housing must be created or we are going to see more than a revolution eventually.
I envision many more working people living in shelters.
IMPACT Press: Article: Dec. '98.-Jan. '99

< Message edited by MzMia -- 2/7/2007 9:44:40 AM >

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Post #: 8

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:43:36 AM

meatcleaver

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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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There are fascists who consider themselves humanitarians, like cannibals on a health kick, eating only vegetarians.

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Post #: 9

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:44:45 AM

pantera

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Well...once the owner of the property opens it up to the street person he can expect a lot of property damage. Also - those apartments need to be vacant a ready to go for a potential tenant.

Also - why doesn't the street person have a place to live like the rest of us? It doesn't have to be a mansion...a studio, or even a bedroom in somebody's house? Unable to make 1000 a month? 700? 500!

Oh, that's right!!! you have to actually WORK to get paid- bummer

(in reply to SusanofO)

Post #: 10

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:44:45 AM

bludemonn

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did you know 75% of all accidents happen at home.....at last...some good news for the homeless....

p.s. sorry

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Post #: 11

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:44:49 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
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From: Central Pennsylvania
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re-the 49 units. The SBA rep at Bucknell laughed at my idea. She said there isnt a need for housing. A few months later- Katrina hit.

(in reply to pahunkboy)

Post #: 12

RE: Ending homelessness in America - 2/7/2007 9:45:56 AM

kittensmailbox

Posts: 744
Joined: 1/7/2005
From: Youngstown, Ohio
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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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Post #: 13

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:46:47 AM

Sternhand4

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Joined: 3/6/2005
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If you have ever dealt with lower end rental property you would know what a nightmare this would be...
In the socialist state of NY landlords are being held responsible for the actions of their tennants. They screw up and you get fined. You now get to be dad too to your tennants.
S

(in reply to toservez)

Post #: 14

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:47:34 AM

pantera

Posts: 210
Joined: 1/7/2005
Status: offline

quote:

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.

The government doesn't make money- it takes it from other people.

Why should it be my responsibility to house anybody other that my family??

If I want to donate to a charity, that's fine, but putting a gun to my head and forcing me I have to give money to house some bum is a violation of MY human rights.

(in reply to meatcleaver)

Post #: 15

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:48:09 AM

MasterKalif

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since my family owns apartments in the US and Spain, I am against forcing landowners, etc for taking on homeless people for free. I think homesless should ba taken care off with tax payer dollars (not waste it on Iraq) and have a specific revenue for them.....meaning all oil sales money received by the federal gov. be spent on homelessness and on their problems (like toservez said, sometimes they have mental incapabilities and as such are dependent on the state)....and have the government build them nice shelters or trailers and live in communities and slowly work them out of dependency.

However, it has been shown that throwing money around at poor people does not cure the problem, as the German and French social systems have shown....but what helps people is to provide the necessary tools to have them help themselves out of poverty and out of being homeless.

(in reply to meatcleaver)

Post #: 16

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:50:30 AM

farglebargle

Posts: 10715
Joined: 6/15/2005
From: Albany, NY
Status: offline

I think there's "WIN-WIN" possible. 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.

In that case, I think it's reasonable for the City to sieze the property, auction them off in blocks, and use the proceeds to upgrade/operate some of the siezed properties for the benefit of the homeless.

It'll never happen, but it's an idea.

_____________________________

It's not every generation that gets to watch a civilization fall. Looks like we're in for a hell of a show.

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Post #: 17

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:50:30 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MzMia

I live in a very expensive metropolitan area, 48% of the people in shelters in Northern Virgina work full or part-time jobs.
The average home in my area costs around 300K, to rent in a fairly decent area you will pay at least $1000 a month for a 1 bedroom in a moderate rental community.
The idea that being homeless equates to not having a job is dated thinking at best.
Affordable apartments and housing must be created or we are going to see more than a revolution eventually.
I envision many more working people living in shelters.
IMPACT Press: Article: Dec. '98.-Jan. '99

thats sad- we just seen our 1st rental of $700 a month- no utilites. a 3 bedrrom half double zip code 17801. no jobs check the stats. the startling this- is folks are actually paying it-

(in reply to MzMia)

Post #: 18

RE: Ending homelesness in America - 2/7/2007 9:52:49 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MasterKalif

since my family owns apartments in the US and Spain, I am against forcing landowners, etc for taking on homeless people for free. I think homesless should ba taken care off with tax payer dollars (not waste it on Iraq) and have a specific revenue for them.....meaning all oil sales money received by the federal gov. be spent on homelessness and on their problems (like toservez said, sometimes they have mental incapabilities and as such are dependent on the state)....and have the government build them nice shelters or trailers and live in communities and slowly work them out of dependency.

However, it has been shown that throwing money around at poor people does not cure the problem, as the German and French social systems have shown....but what helps people is to provide the necessary tools to have them help themselves out of poverty and out of being homeless.

mom has a rental. she let is set vacant- as she tired of the numerous people- junk cars- she had no clue as to how many lived there. they ruined the place. to her it wasnt worth the $300 a month- as it did not even cover repairs.....

(in reply to MasterKalif)

Post #: 19

RE: Ending homelessness in America - 2/7/2007 9:52:51 AM

SusanofO

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Joined: 12/19/2005
Status: offline

I have. I have also been homeless (once, for a month, when I ran away from home, as a teen-ager. I lived in a shelter, too).

Most people don't realize they are about one or two pay-checks away from homelessness themselves - that is unless they've had the self-discipline and-or luck to be able to sock away about 3-6 months worth of living expenses in a bank (I have - and I did it before I could really afford to, because I already knew what it was like to be homeless. I don't ever want to "go there" again, if I can help it).

- Susan

< Message edited by SusanofO -- 2/7/2007 9:53:50 AM >

_____________________________

"Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all". - Emily Dickinson

(in reply to kittensmailbox)

Post #: 20

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