-DJ R-Tistic- Member since Nov 06th 2008 51986 posts
Mon Jul-13-15 04:46 PM
"What do you consider "Homeless?""
My perception of "homeless" has ALWAYS been of what I saw in Downtown L.A./Skid Row, and in every other hood. Folks who literally live in tents and boxes on the street, begging for money, usually for years at a time. Those who go to the shelter because there's zero other options, and usually no family support or any friends who are there to help...for whatever reaasons.
Then, I started hearing stories about how certain celebs were "homeless," such as Tyler Perry who would sleep out of his car. And then, I started meeting hundreds of folks who moved to L.A. and basically sleep couch to couch with no permanent address, and some of them will refer to being "homeless" when they speak in a "Rags to riches" "I made it!" tone.
So my question is...what do you consider to be "homeless?" If someone has slept on a train/bus bench for less than a week, would you consider them to have been homeless, or more-so between homes? Is my perception of the word just screwed up because I expect homeless folks to be begging for change with extremely dirty clothes on?
2. "i used to work on housing and homelessness issues" In response to Reply # 0
and after that i came to understand that ppl who sleep couch-to-couch or who rent hotel rooms as their living place or who sleep in their cars...those ppl are definitely homeless. i saw that one doesn't have to sleep on the street or in a park or under a bridge or even in a shelter to be considered homeless by the ppl and organizations who work w/the homeless. so now i see it.
i had a little cousin who was in his wild phase in his early 20s and got kicked out of his parents' house. he was sleeping from couch to couch w/our relatives and was fucking up. so we had a Come To Jesus where i let him know HE was homeless and was on the verge of having to sleep on the street if he didn't shape up. i let him know he qualified for several programs i worked with...i had to break it to him b/c he was acting all uppity about some bullshit. lol
PoppaGeorge Member since Nov 07th 2004 10384 posts
Mon Jul-13-15 05:14 PM
4. "under that definition there's prolly a number of folks on this board" In response to Reply # 2
that were homeless at some point.
... including me.
Summer of 1997 just wasn't cool for a bruh. ---------------------------
"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out? Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then? They don't want to call for peace then.
-DJ R-Tistic- Member since Nov 06th 2008 51986 posts
Mon Jul-13-15 05:18 PM
5. "I can get that, yeah. My little homie (RIP) just dealt with a similar" In response to Reply # 2
situation, where his parents would kick him out over and over, but he would always come back after a few days and they let him stay. It was always for smoking weed or something stupid...some nights, he would just walk around the neighborhood, or sleep in his car, if he didn't have a couch to stay on. He could never afford to get a motel, or at least never spent money on it.
But even in his case, I don't know if I would have called him "homeless" since he still had the permanent address. Hell, the car he was in was under his home address as well.
-The Knicks’ coaching search still includes a lone frontrunner, Kurt Rambis, whose qualifications for the position include a strong relationship with Jackson and a willingness to take the job.
PoppaGeorge Member since Nov 07th 2004 10384 posts
Mon Jul-13-15 05:02 PM
3. "no place to go, living on the street/shelter/tent/box on the block" In response to Reply # 0
I've seen a lot of men and women like that in downtown PHX. I worked at this spot downtown off Van Buren ave and a block away was the single homeless men's shelter. Shit was depressing seeing all these able-bodied dudes completely destitute like that.
At one point around 2003 or so there was an area just west of downtown where homeless folks were able to set up tents and live there. Not sure what happened 'cause that shit was gone a few years later.
---------------------------
"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out? Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then? They don't want to call for peace then.
7. "Couch to couch is homeless" In response to Reply # 0
If you don't have a permanent residence nor the resources to secure one at will then you're homless. If your living situation is based on the whim of someone else who can come home from work and say you got to go today... then you're homeless. If you stay in a motel because you can't secure an apartment... etc. I think more homeless people exist couch to couch and relative to relative than do sleeping on a park bench or down on skid row. ___________________________________________________________
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
General Discussion
