A tale of two cities

Woodsy · 08-03-2022, 08:04 PM

The homeless issue is beyond complex....

IMHO, approximately 20% of the homeless population is homeless due to circumstances beyond their control... lost job, divorce, domestic violence etc. These are the easiest ones to help, they usually want to work & be productive members of society. They miss what they had and are grateful for help. Get them some housing, get them settled and on their feet with a decent job or job training and they are usually good to go.

The larger percentage of homeless suffer from both mental illness AND addiction, be it drugs or alcohol or both. These are the ones who are close to impossible to help. Bottom line is they usually don't want any help because help usually comes with rules like sobriety. Currently there is no solution to help these people until they actually want to get clean and want the help.

The Isaiah 61 Cafe is a wet shelter that does not require sobriety to stay there or use the facilities. The other shelters in Laconia require sobriety as a prerequisite to stay.

Woodsy

08-03-2022, 08:04 PM	#14
Woodsy Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Weirs Beach Posts: 1,965 Thanks: 80 Thanked 979 Times in 440 Posts	The homeless issue is beyond complex.... IMHO, approximately 20% of the homeless population is homeless due to circumstances beyond their control... lost job, divorce, domestic violence etc. These are the easiest ones to help, they usually want to work & be productive members of society. They miss what they had and are grateful for help. Get them some housing, get them settled and on their feet with a decent job or job training and they are usually good to go. The larger percentage of homeless suffer from both mental illness AND addiction, be it drugs or alcohol or both. These are the ones who are close to impossible to help. Bottom line is they usually don't want any help because help usually comes with rules like sobriety. Currently there is no solution to help these people until they actually want to get clean and want the help. The Isaiah 61 Cafe is a wet shelter that does not require sobriety to stay there or use the facilities. The other shelters in Laconia require sobriety as a prerequisite to stay. Woodsy __________________ The only way to eliminate ignorant behavior is through education. You can't fix stupid.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Woodsy For This Useful Post:
KennyFromBoston (08-04-2022), mowtorman (08-03-2022)