My experiences with homeless people in California are very limited to my trip there 10 years ago. I did have a really good conversation with someone giving me some tips about SF for a dollar, and I was robbed by someone else while walking home late at night.
Neither of those guys seemed mentally ill, but if my own country is anything to go by, a lot of these people have serious mental issues to deal with, and sitting them in a flat isn't gonna solve the underlying issues.
One of my best friends is a social worker for re-integration of homeless people, and getting them a flat is actually the very first step. A particularly illuminating example he told me about is that he often has problems with landlords, because the people he is trying to house do not shit in the toilet, but will do so in the hallway or somewhere else on the property.
There's a lot of work necessary from social workers, psychologists and doctors to help people who were homeless for a longer preiod of time, and it has to be a longterm commitment.
The ones who can't use a toilet are a handful, and will never get off the streets.
Most homeless I have known whom are homeless just want a piece of land, with a outhouse, and maybe some fire pits so they can cook.
They want a piece of land where cops don't ticket, or get harassed.
Homelessness is just going to get worse. It's time to open up available federal, state, and local land, to free camping.
I've given up on housing. It's too expensive, and comes with too many rules.
Most of these guys just want to pitch a tent, and live the rest of their short lives out with a bit of false dignity.
And the drug use?
I once heard a homeless guy say, if you had to crawl into Scothbroom, after a day of being harassed by cops, and looking for food; you might want a stiff drink too. Let's not forget about the amount of self-medicating going on either.
(I know it's easy to throw your hands up, and lump all of them together. They are all very different. There are some professional beggars out there too. I've noticed a lot of foreigners working sympathy beg. Foreigners with jobs. Every American homeless person I know would never think about begging if they had a roof over their heads.)
Neither of those guys seemed mentally ill, but if my own country is anything to go by, a lot of these people have serious mental issues to deal with, and sitting them in a flat isn't gonna solve the underlying issues.
One of my best friends is a social worker for re-integration of homeless people, and getting them a flat is actually the very first step. A particularly illuminating example he told me about is that he often has problems with landlords, because the people he is trying to house do not shit in the toilet, but will do so in the hallway or somewhere else on the property.
There's a lot of work necessary from social workers, psychologists and doctors to help people who were homeless for a longer preiod of time, and it has to be a longterm commitment.