Nashville's Homeless Problem - Nashville counts 1,982 homeless people

[sleepy]

I still think most of the hustler types aren't homeless, and those that are are probably mental cases.

I think most homeless are pretty invisible--a minimum wage earning family whose car broke down, who lost the job, etc., etc. And I think--at least I hope--that those types are being assisted by some public or private social services. But I don't think they're on the streets begging.

[mcashlv]

The entertainment industry attracts large numbers of mentally ill people. They come from every small town in America with delusions of becoming country-music "stars". Since almost all of them fail, the facade of their delusions is mercilessly ripped from their psyche, resulting in their inability function. They become alcoholics, dopeheads and homeless (or politicians). I vividly remember seeing a passed out homeless drunk in a parking lot in downtown Nashville 30 years ago--he was lying unconcious between two cars with his genitals hanging out of his pants. People walking by everywhere, little kids etc., no one removed him or did anything.

Here is the link to the breaking story over at the City Paper :

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?se...p;news_id=48605

What can we do to lower these numbers, or at least get them out of busy areas and downtown, and the parks? Any ideas? I see it as a huge eyesore downtown in the parks. You cant even visit the parks downtown these days because of the sheer ammount of them in the parks. especially the one there on church st.

[doormanpoet]

Enforce the vagrancy and panhandling laws that have been on the books for 100 years. If need be, aresst them. Also, stop the mental hospitals from releasing patients who need to be in a lifetime facility. Open rural workcamps here in Tennessee that have been in existence for many years like other states have done.

[pturbo]

Enforcing the laws mentioned above is fine, but it solves little. There isn't a multi-year jail term for vagrancy. You can't fine someone with no money and teach them a lesson. Homeless are arrested, processed, maybe spend some time(days) in jail, and out they pop on the other side until it is time to repeat the process again at a later date.

Forced institutionalization is also dicey. You can't deprive someone of their liberty until they break a law that calls for imprisonment.

I used to live in San Francisco. There is more what you would call an army of homeless people there. It was over 16,000 strong when I was there - I'm sure it's only gotten worse. You can't walk a block without seeing many homeless. I remember watching the US set up housing with clean water and showers for Albanians fleeing Kosovo and wondering "Why not do that for our own refugees?". I'm sure that comes down to politics and any mayor would rather discuss the "causes of homelessness" than to have to address a permanent homeless settlement close to the city.

Many of SF's adventures with mass homelessness began when an incumbent running for mayor of LA(I forget which one) bought a bunch of one-way bus tickets for thousands of homeless people, rounded them up and sent them north. Anyone that's been to LA recently knows that this was only a temporary fix, but he won the election.

When I lived in Portland, the homeless were getting organized along the lines of a union. That's right. They had weekly meetings with committees and the whole nine yards. They even had their own lawyers. They were demanding that the city allow them the right to make a camp. They would organize rushes on certain pieces of vacant property, set up a huge encampment and then start a lawsuit when the police came to move them out. Needless to say, there are some different attitudes there that allow any of this to go on. I believe that Portland is the only city in the US that has a May Day parade thru downtown to celebrate the communist revolution.

[barakat]

An interesting solution to the 'homeless problem' in Seattle detailed by the NY Times:

Homeless Alcoholics Receive a Permanent Place to Live, and Drink

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/05/us/05homeless.html

Would this work in Nashville? Where would the building go?

[Hankster]

So let me see.....Mmmmmm....All I have to do is be a drunk, be a complete public nuisance, refuse to improve myself or do anything about it, and the city will provides me with brand new housing free of charge and let me continue to drink myself silly. Sounds like typical liberal nonsense to me.

I have another idea. Unfortunately, it will cost the taxpayer a lort of money too, but at leastr it doesn't reward bad behavior. It makes me sick when bad behavior gets rewarded. After several repeated failures and physological counseling, put them in jail for a year, and make sure they are completely dried out until they're released. If they fail after that, put them in jail for 5 years, and repeat the process. The next time, make it 10 years. At least this way, their bad behavior is not rewarded, they receive free meals and free housing, they're not a public nuisance, and they're not drinking themselves into a stupor.

[mcashlv]

I kind of like this idea...

So let me see.....Mmmmmm....All I have to do is be a drunk, be a complete public nuisance, refuse to improve myself or do anything about it, and the city will provides me with brand new housing free of charge and let me continue to drink myself silly. Sounds like typical liberal nonsense to me.

I have another idea. Unfortunately, it will cost the taxpayer a lort of money too, but at leastr it doesn't reward bad behavior. It makes me sick when bad behavior gets rewarded. After several repeated failures and physological counseling, put them in jail for a year, and make sure they are completely dried out until they're released. If they fail after that, put them in jail for 5 years, and repeat the process. The next time, make it 10 years. At least this way, their bad behavior is not rewarded, they receive free meals and free housing, they're not a public nuisance, and they're not drinking themselves into a stupor.

[rocky top buzz]

yeah, sorry, but rewarding bad behavior does not make capitalism successful. We take care of refugges in other parts of the world beacause they are just that: refugess! But in American our resources are abundant that only the smallest percentage of our population cannot provide for themselves and their familes.

[Bound4TN]

After only living and working in Nashville for just a few months, I have become personally aware of the homeless situation in downtown Nashville. One day on my lunch hour I had three people ask me for money. I now tend to be on the lookout for suspicious people and try to avoid them altogether; I believe I have gotten better about it.

In fact, I do not have a problem informing others to be on the lookout for these people who are likely soliciting for money. I personally believe that if you give someone on the streets money once they are likely to solicit you once again. In fact, I have noticed the same homeless people tend to repeatedly hang out in the same spot regularly.

Is the problem really that bad? Yikes. We were going to check out the area to live. But, is this is bad and no officials are doing anything. Makes me think..Geeez

[Lexy]

Is the problem really that bad? Yikes. We were going to check out the area to live. But, is this is bad and no officials are doing anything. Makes me think..Geeez

Every large and medium sized city in America has homeless problems of their own. Nashville certainly isn't an exception here. This should hardly sway your decisions when that time comes to make them.

[Bound4TN]

Every large and medium sized city in America has homeless problems of their own. Nashville certainly isn't an exception here. This should hardly sway your decisions when that time comes to make them.

Actually our current population is 60k and no problem here. Nashville is 500k?

[Lexy]

Actually our current population is 60k and no problem here. Nashville is 500k?

500,000 and some change I believe. I came here from Lexington, KY. Which is in itself, a wealthy college town of 270,000 and we had a homeless problem up there. To many on here, it's just part of city life. I count myself a part of that group that just accepts that the homeless are there and moves on with things. There are cities that are much, MUCH worse off than here.

[Bound4TN]

500,000 and some change I believe. I came here from Lexington, KY. Which is in itself, a wealthy college town of 270,000 and we had a homeless problem up there. To many on here, it's just part of city life. I count myself a part of that group that just accepts that the homeless are there and moves on with things. There are cities that are much, MUCH worse off than here.

In my mind I picture 100's walking down a city block. Is this a bit much?

[Lexy]

In my mind I picture 100's walking down a city block. Is this a bit much?

If you mean 100's of homeless people, then yeah that is a bit drastic.

[rocky top buzz]

I always hear people say that NYC doesn't have a bad panhandeling problem; Is that true? If a city of 5 million can control it, a city of 500k certainly should be able to as well

[jice]

In my mind I picture 100's walking down a city block. Is this a bit much?

Wow... yeah that's a bit much, lol. I have no idea where all 1,982 of them hide... cuz every time i'm downtown i've never noticed more than like 10-15 in the whole 2nd ave/broadway/riverfront area.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I always hear people say that NYC doesn't have a bad panhandeling problem; Is that true? If a city of 5 million can control it, a city of 500k certainly should be able to as well

Actually, NYC has 8 million. The panhandling problem has been solved there, since most of them are serving on the City Council and in the state legislature.

[Bound4TN]

Wow... yeah that's a bit much, lol. I have no idea where all 1,982 of them hide... cuz every time i'm downtown i've never noticed more than like 10-15 in the whole 2nd ave/broadway/riverfront area.

Oh good! Thanks.

[jeb1974]

Is the problem really that bad? Yikes. We were going to check out the area to live. But, is this is bad and no officials are doing anything. Makes me think..Geeez

Since I first posted the message that Bound4TN replied to, I have been told that the homeless problem is typical in large and medium-sized cities. Before Nashville, I lived in Mobile, AL for nine years; there is a homeless problem there as well. In Mobile, homeless people would often hold up signs at interstate interchanges.

Just recently on two separate occasions, I have seen the same homeless man hold up the same sign at the interchange to I-65 South/I-40 East while exiting Charlotte Avenue. However, since I have become more aware of the homeless and started avoiding them, they have not panhandled me for money.

One place where I frequently see homeless people is in Church Street Park across from the main branch of the Nashville Public Library. Homeless people will sleep there during the lunch hour. The homeless also tend to hang around the Nashville Arcade as well.

I believe that the homeless people that panhandle often choose to live that way and are mentally ill.

[Bound4TN]

Since I first posted the message that Bound4TN replied to, I have been told that the homeless problem is typical in large and medium-sized cities. Before Nashville, I lived in Mobile, AL for nine years; there is a homeless problem there as well. In Mobile, homeless people would often hold up signs at interstate interchanges.

Just recently on two separate occasions, I have seen the same homeless man hold up the same sign at the interchange to I-65 South/I-40 East while exiting Charlotte Avenue. However, since I have become more aware of the homeless and started avoiding them, they have not panhandled me for money.

One place where I frequently see homeless people is in Church Street Park across from the main branch of the Nashville Public Library. Homeless people will sleep there during the lunch hour. The homeless also tend to hang around the Nashville Arcade as well.

I believe that the homeless people that panhandle often choose to live that way and are mentally ill.

Can't you call law enforcement and have them removed? In our area, they will taxi them to the next city

[Lexy]

^ No, that won't happen here.

[smeagolsfree]

Since this subject has come up again on another thread, I thought it may be good to let you all in on something I found out from a friend of mine here in Ashland City. We don

[Plasticman]

Atlanta has a huge homeless problem. I saw a man standing on the side of the road with the typical work for food sign. I had no food in the car but I did have a bottled water ice cold from my cooler. It was 95 degrees that day last summer and the guy was sweating profusely so I handed him the water. He took it, said thanks, and then set it down beside him in the grass. I saw him walk away to another intersection and just leave the bottled water laying there. A hustler.

On another occasion in the winter my wife and I and the kids saw a lady sitting in her car at the secluded end of the walmart parking lot. She had a baby in a car seat and it was very cold outside. She just had a sign that said I need food and diapers. We stopped to speak to her. She said her husband was out of work and they had no money to get groceries. We asked her if they had received any public assistance and she said they had applied but hadn't got any yet. Her little baby was crying the back seat. We told her we would be back and she smiled but I don't think she believed us. We went to the store and got two bags full of easy to fix foods, some diapers, wipes, and baby formula. When we got back to her car she was just sitting inside talking to her baby but when she saw us she smiled real big. We gave her the stuff and she started to cry. We directed her to some local churches who won't have red tape or waiting periods. We had actually shorted ourselves by doing it but at least we had some food that week and home to go to and I had a job. When you are hungry, you are hungry now, not a week from now.

To conclude it has been my experience with many other pleas for help that those who run up and down with signs at intersections are hustlers most of the time. Those who are more passive in parking lots and above all don't say they will work but just genuinely ask for some help are the ones we have succeeded in helping just a bit.

The government isn't the answer and almost never is.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

How about county jail for public drunkeness and drug intoxication?