Cool.....lets start there then, let's define homelessness, that is a great idea.

Fact is, that might even shed some light into what the problem even is.

To me, I would put a healthy bulk of its meaning somewhere around the parameter of:

A living condition that is unhealthy for a person, lacking the basic sanitary, health, and safeguards, for the general good welfare of the public.
It exposes risk, beyond the immediate physical limitations, of such a lifestyle.

I will start there......any questions, or would anybody else like to chime in?

PS: Thanks Eegore, I hope with your suggestion of clarification,  we might rise above misunderstandings, and have a interesting exchange on the subject, which, I think we can all agree, has reached a level that should not be ignored, accepted, minimized, or used as a political football.  
 

My sincere hope was to keep it a exchange between us, sharing our thoughts, etc....
Not directing it to other websites or sources, with the hope we might find common ground, for a good cause, and maybe come to see its more fun to get along, than to go after each others throats.

Sorry if you have a hard time believing that, but that is on you, not me...

To the topic.

Yes, I agree the government has a role in this, for sure.

However, it needs to be one that, "teaches a man to fish, instead of giving him a fish"
Like, Habitat for Humanity, etc...

I think many of these programs result in a dependency, which further exacerbates personal situations, and cause unseen peripheral issues, that often become more hurdles to overcome.

Housing is cheap, in many places in the USA still. With job loss, maybe its wise to seek out places that take less money to live?

Seattle and Los Angles are expensive, why are so many of these homeless there, if the problem is not of the drug, alcohol, mental illness, nature?

Question, since dependency on substances ( as opposed to "hand-outs" )
Is a major factor in the plight of many homeless, are we going to agree its a mental/health issue, as opposed to a choice of life?  

 I think its fair to go with the three commonly accepted homeless types.

Short term, Cyclical, and Long-term.

 I will try to keep this short:
 There are many and common solutions to Short Term homelessness.  Government and private aid, family support, economic support (jobs).  This can be improved upon but I feel the real issue is a lack of proper education at the middle and high-school levels.  

 Porn is the primary s ex-education component, credit card and cash-advance companies the primary finance educators, YouTube the primary social skills educator.

 Creating programs that teach what red flags are in relationships (like needing to see/control one's phone or friend types) at the middle-school level will most likely reduce domestic violence.  Teach boys that their dad hitting their mom does not mean they can hit their girlfriends.  

 Teaching kids that p orn is not real life se x but instead paid actors, no different than Robert Downey Jr. playing Iron Man in Avengers will reduce s exual assault, and domestic violence.  That girl screaming in the video is not the norm, and not a child, just because your girlfriend doesn't moan like a p ornstar doesn't mean you need to choke her.

 Understanding that living in a debt cycle, even if you have all the money you want, is not ok because it's other people's money you are borrowing, then you give them your actual money for the privilege.

 Church, Government, Red Cross etc. are all there to help pick up the people that either didn't have the education, or were in circumstances that were completely beyond their control.  They are the most available, and most efficient, in my eyes, methods to address Short Term homelessness as it happens.

 This approach however will effect the other two types of homelessness, but the solutions lie along the entire spectrum and not at any one stage in my opinion.

 I'd add middle and high school social programs to suggestions like affordable housing, or donating goods to those in need.  I would also make it mandatory to perform community service to graduate high-school, or get a GED, or be released from a juvenile detention program.



Note: This post is an opinion in response to what I consider pertinent and valuable discussion material.  While they are words on a screen I contribute in an attempt to engage in discussion instead of contributing by slinging insults at other members.

"You are saying lots of the negative influences, in our culture, which might come under the banner of free expression/art, marketing, etc....
thus escaping the scrutiny, or responsibilities of the outcome(s), of its "message and influence," is a major component, of homelessness.....???"

 You could say it like that.  I am saying that I, along with funding programs to combat the already homeless, would like to combat the ways people get to that point to begin with.  Middle school is a good place to start.




"Or more to a general sense of morality breakdown, in our society, and homelessness is just a symptom of that?"

 I don't believe there is a "morality breakdown", I just think they are kids that have certain outcomes based off the environment they are exposed to, due to how the chemical structures in their brains work at that time in their lives.  

 I don't know what religion plays into this as I would expect fewer homeless in regions of higher religious study among youth if it were effective specifically to the homeless, but I am not sure how one accurately assesses that.  But if religion helps you, or anyone positively impact youth then have at it.  I for one have never heard of a Christian Sex Ed class addressing the impacts of p orn, or a Muslim accounting class teaching how credit card interest works etc.  This may be fine as they address more of an ethics standpoint, which especially for children tends to be less clear than math or science.



Note: This post is an opinion in response to what I consider pertinent and valuable discussion material.  While they are words on a screen I contribute in an attempt to engage in discussion instead of contributing by slinging insults at other members.  

Or we can give them free heroin like our liberal friends to the north.

Best regards,

 I forgot I intended to address this:

"I think it's safe to say - you don't (or shouldn't) need a disclaimer on your posts."

 I'd like to agree but when the same statement is brought up multiple times out of context I like to toss in a "disclaimer" so I don't have to keep explaining what context is, and how a statement can apply to only one discussion and not all discussions.

 I did the same thing when it was claimed multiple times I do not post opinions without data, which I do all the time.  It's just easier this way.

Serowbot wrote on 11/21/19 at 13:14:49:


...and you thought I was kidding...
Motels across the United States are housing the homeless
https://www.yahoo.com/news/motels-across-united-states-housing-110026843.html