Mentally ill & homelessness

I’m most likely to be going homeless in the future.
What I want to know is how is the homeless mentally ill treated in your country.
Awareness will likely lighten my load

3 Likes

Here in Canada they are treated badly. They are chased away from where they try to live without anyone providing acceptable alternative accommodation. Most people are cruel to them. I was homeless in the past and it was horrible.

2 Likes

I lived homeless and also went through the shelter system in us
I found the shelter system to be adequate here.

2 Likes

I live in a coastal town in California.

It rarely rains and the weather is always moderate.

Our local grocery store has a homeless camp across the street from it.

The store allows for long term parking so a lot of people living in their cars there.

Some people asking for money sometimes.

I know a homeless dude I see there almost every time I go.

He always gets at least five bucks out of me.

Calls me “cool lady”.

Homelessness is terrible, but I think it’s a little more livable where I am.

9 Likes

Oh yeah. Being homeless during winter is quite easily deadly where I live.

2 Likes

I see the shabbily, dressed men and women with deep, lined, weathered faces, bent over almost double, with their heads down pushing shopping carts with all their worldly possessions. I gather it’s tough. I see them sleeping on the bench at the bus stop or on the sidewalk in front of stores on cold days and it makes me feel sorry for them and makes me feel grateful to have a roof over my head.

2 Likes

Here, especially in winter, homelessness can be deadly. We had a guy from our clubhouse who froze to death a couple of years ago. There’s not enough resources here to help the homeless get housing here.

2 Likes

It’s so humbling really really humbling.
The sense of reality we have to face,

2 Likes

To be humble is to be teachable. That’s not a bad thing.

:wink:

Why are you going to be homeless? I had the fear myself but as long as I play it straight I’ll have a home.

I’ve never been homeless, but I think near me, most people ignore them. They are basically treated like lepers or like they are invisible. Like, “Don’t look at them/ into their eyes, or they may ask for something.” We had a couch outside a house one day, waiting for trash. A homeless man came and rested on the couch. No big deal. At least, not until all the cops in the area got involved and forced him to leave. He wasn’t hurting anyone, wasn’t doing anything wrong. Homeless people need help, not hatred. Makes me sick. I understand California is worse, though. It’s all just tragic.

2 Likes

It’s mostly legal to be homeless in the US except for 2 states but some states have better laws protecting the homeless and even within those states, city laws and community members can be more tolerant or intolerant.

I’m in California and in major cities its easier to be homeless, but go out to the suburb and people will harass and call the police on homeless people and cause them legal issues, harassed and arrested for loitering just because. I’ve been arrested multiple times while having an episode and homeless in the past.

1 Like

San Francisco Bay area is the closest thing to livable for homeless I can think of. I guess that’s why it has so many! It’s ALWAYS room temperature outside and it NEVER rains (fires are often a problem). The craziest weather I saw in 2 years of living there was a “wind storm” that was just strong dry wind.

By contrast, northern Virginia where I live right now has a good amount of rain and has the full seasons, with it being uncomfortably hot in the summer and unbearably cold in the winter. You see a homeless person here and there but nowhere near the population that exists in California. Being homeless here would end up with you needing a hospital now and then due to illness or heat complications.

You really gotta treat USA as a bunch of little countries sorta.

2 Likes

Thats where i grew up!! In fairfax. Im in florida now. And you are so right, the US is like a bunch of little countries. Each state has its own way of doing things.

1 Like

I love Northern Virginia. My only complaint is when I got back from California, all the sudden Sports Gambling commercials were all over the place! They used to be illegal. They feel like such spam to me. I guess they became illegal while I was away.

It’s fun to be in driving distance of DC with all its museums.

3 Likes

People are becoming extremely vicious. They blame me for problems caused by stalkers, people are always trying to help. I get targeted just for avoiding people causing problems for people. They had vicious people drive me out of apartments. Now they won’t let you stay in shelters. They want to portray people avoiding the real criminals, as criminals.

This topic has been on my mind at present. With alll the corruption in the world its hard to focus on anything at all. I wrote a letter to a senator about it. I am sad about it, the criminalization of mental illness and homelessness. thats wrong for obvious reasons. i want someone like me to be able to rise from circumstance.

I recently thought I was going to become homeless.
Thankfully it seems I get to stay living where I’m at.

No one should be homeless or starving or without health care.

2 Likes

Some societies treat it as a crime being displaced
It’s like move on or get fined

I live in Sacramento. They are always clearing homeless camps by the river or on sidewalks. The state spends alot of money to help homeless people without much results.