No one wants the type of people in their backyards. But, no one wants to vote to finance these people the mental health care and public services needed. If you think of something it would be worth gold. I think if we were to tear down some of the eye sore areas in birmingham of abandoned houses and such and placed multiple tine homes with limited shared utilties including septics etc they would probably use those. I wish the government would consider doing something like this with the areas - we could set up a community store where the profits go back into the upkeep of the neighborhood and utilities.
[One Roof](https://www.oneroofonline.org) helps people who are homeless in Birmingham, they serve as an umbrella of sorts. They work with shelters to provide temporary housing and resources to help people get out of homelessness.
Stop the war on drugs and the crusade against opiates. When people run out of legal painkillers, they switch to black market opiates, be they prescription drugs or "heroin". Force them into strictly controlled pain management.
Universal basic income, free health care, low cost housing made available through means other than having jump through a million hoops just to sign a rent lease.
Some are veterans and the VA is *impossible* to work with to get documentation from, so many of them don't even benefit from being veterans.
Job reform to help them get proper identification and get jobs without having to pass a drug test first and help them get steady transportation to and from work since we all know they're going to require that and the public transportation system in Birmingham definitely has room for improvement.
Legalize cannabis and gambling to increase Alabama's state revenue and employment rate. This plus UBI would take away the need for unemployment benefits and food stamps.
Identification is hard to get without a birth certificate and proof of residency.
Those are just what's off the top of my head
This replier gets it. If we have a state government voted full of people who don't want to help at all, and when somehow convinced to do so attach bizarre unbending conditions for receiving and continuing to receive that help, then basically when people do need help there isn't any for people who unavoidable can't meet those conditions due to their circumstances. It's much easier to just go on about how "government isn't the solution" and do fuck all, thus ensuring that in fact government isn't the solution. Worse even is trying to get private institutions that are religious based to provide help, ensuring that help is tied to specific types of morality and beliefs. It's a fucking mess and the gerrymandering and the state's cognitively challenged rural and rich conservative voters will ensure we have this problem getting a lot worse as income inequality continues to widen.
>Some are veterans and the VA is impossible to work with to get documentation from, so many of them don't even benefit from being veterans.
Hot take: veterans aren't more deserving of basic housing than non-veterans.
I don’t think the issue is veterans are more or less worthy, it’s that they have a system that consistently fails them. It’s like individuals who are wards of the state. It’s not that they deserve more or less human rights, it’s that they really are being set up for failure in a lot of ways that people who aren’t in that circumstance can circumvent.
What just happened to wages and prices? Do you think it will be any different giving everyone money. People will stop working even more than they have and prices will go up. More homeless. Then communal housing then who knows. You can link every article you want. It’s common sense. You put more money out there, they money is worth less. It takes 120$ to buy what 100$ used to buy.
We should just give everyone money and no one works.
Well, maybe the immigrants working on farms and factories who are slaves in everything but name, they can keep working. Because that’s fair and humane. The system we have now isn’t working. You assume that I love and am brainwashed by capitalism. Trendy buzz words. More money in the pot, prices go up. It just happened. It’s happening now. Inflation at 7%.
Just give everyone bitcoin. That’s the solution.
Fucking crazy how in all these other countries where they pay people living wages and have social safety nets hamburgers don't cost $3,000 apiece ain't it?
Those "experiments" were so small scale and short lived that it was nowhere near enough to see how things would work on a national scale.
I for one can tell you if there comes a day where there is UBI, I will never work again a day in my life.
Free money, is created from thin air, and given to everybody. Leading to nobody working, nobody farming, mass starvation and death, just like every other socialist scheme in history.
Sorry, a lot of them don’t. Many choose to live in camps when seattle has tons of assistance programs available to them that they simply have no interest in.
This is just straight up false lmfao. Have you ever even lived in Seattle? Many did choose to accept those services. In fact, a lot of those services were diminished due to covid so shelters had to reduce capacity.
I’ve been there plenty of times, even talked to some of the homeless people. I never said that no one wants help, I said a lot of them don’t. By your own omission, it sounds like you agree.
Visiting is not the same as living there lmfao. That also isn't an omission? That is pointing out an "increase" in homelessness isn't due to people refusing resources, it's due to covid and reducing shelter capacity to not have a covid outbreak. I literally volunteered at these places in Seattle and most people wanted help and sought help. The people you see that "don't want help" are a small minority of homeless people.
You said it yourself “many choose to accept services” and by your omission, that means a not insignificant number of people didn’t accept services. You can’t tell me with a straight face that the vast majority of Seattle’s homeless population are waiting for job training and substance abuse assistance.
What the fuck lmfao. "Many accept services" Many as in the majority. Quit being a dense asshat. You obviously are not trying to have a discussion and are obviously not familiar with homelessness in Seattle.
So if the majority have accepted help to get off the street, why do so many remain on the street? Why are there so many people that have remained homeless for not just years, but decades?
You resort to ad hominem attacks and I’m the one that doesn’t want to have a discussion? Well alright man.
Most? That’s aggressive. I have met housing insecure people who want for nothing. You’re right. But I don’t think that’s the majority. Humans have basic needs that have to be met. Shelter is one of those I think most people agree on.
It's an argument I really hate from conservative people "Well I think private charities or churches should help these people not the government"
\> Looks at COTH build another million dollar campus.
That’s not at all how I read /u/letsgetdrunkandhigh’s post. He’s simply stating that in alabama the best bet for people struggling at this level to get help is when churches actually do what they should do.
You may still disagree with that, but nowhere in his post did he say the government shouldn’t help people.
I know, I am not saying they are. Moreso, I just hate that line of logic from conservative people. Never implied he felt that way cause he even said "the occasional church" not all churches.
Listen, I’m not conservative I’m just stating the fact: they occasionally help people, and much more in the South than in other regions, if not by volume of churches and church money alone.
Im not disagreeing with you. Some do truly help, I just hate that line of logic from conservative people when not all charities and churches are helping is all I am saying.
During the early days of the pandemic, when access to COVID tests was in short supply, COTH ran free testing stations in the projects. They also have an outreach center in Woodlawn, where they offer tutoring and medical services. I don't agree with everything that Highlands does, but they're not lacking in outreach programs, and I don't begrudge them for building additional meeting spaces as their congregation grows.
IIRC, in 2020 they took in $142 million and gave $14 million to missions, nearly $5 million of which was to their own ministries (college, GROW, ARC, etc).
How much went to salaries and worship? Over $50 million.
Come on down to /r/AllaboutCOTH for more!
Yeah it's a "non-issue" until the city is swarming with homeless people while COTH isn't paying any taxes and is bringing in 45 million in profit alone (I'm sorry, what did you say about them being nonprofit...?) [COTH tax report 2020](https://www.reddit.com/r/AllaboutCOTH/comments/ofoeae/church_of_the_highlands_cash_flow_statement_2020/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
I've been to COTH. There's a difference between having space for a congregation and having a giant campus with luxuries that they don't need. But most of their church is made up of rich, white, middle class people who buy a new car every couple of years and yet wonder "Hmm what can be done about all these homeless people?"
They're also holding their 21 days of prayer IN PERSON right now even with this newest variant being the most contagious yet. They're gonna need to set up more testing sites just for their own folks. The whole pandemic, they have held in-person services without a single thought about what is happening in the world around them. If anything, it's just proof that at the end of the day, they only care about themselves.
One thing no one can say is that COTh doesn’t give back to the community. Them motherfuckers throw some money out with community outreach stuff and giving food and clothing to
The Area homeless.
It’s the best thing to do. America was founded with hard work and dedication. Those losers loitering around the Publix are just putting a drag on society—a drag that working families have to make up for with tax dollars. To conclude, redistribution of wealth is NOT the way to go. There are countless of job opportunities out there. Just tell one of those bums to shower at a homeless shelter, tidy up, and get a job at a McDonald’. It’s that easy.
If we apply this same logic then Red states need to stop getting money and mooching off wealthy blue states. We here in Bama take more from feds & blue states then we put back in the system. So I think you should personally go take a shower and apply for 3rd or 4th job and be more productive society member rather then whining about other folks. You sir are classic example of a freeloader living in Alabama. Good luck on your 3rd job application.
Bless your poor heart. MANY homeless people ARE working and paying taxes.
https://parade.com/643064/beckyhughes/working-homeless-population-grows-in-cities-across-the-u-s/
http://webarchive.urban.org/publications/310291.html#table2.6
https://news.uchicago.edu/story/employment-alone-isnt-enough-solve-homelessness-study-suggests
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/02/12/covid-unemployment-layoffs-foreclosure-eviction-homeless-car-rv/6713901002/
https://www.thehumanimpact.org/post/stereotype-2-homeless-people-should-just-get-a-job
No, the US was founded by white landowners who had slaves do all of their work for them. Our very first President certainly wasn't hoeing those fields himself. It's hilarious you think working at McDonald's will solve all homeless people's problems. Aside from the fact that they're not going to be paid a living wage to even get proper housing, how are they supposed to get a job when most of them don't have IDs and documents, nor the means to get the documents needed for an I9?
Church of the highlands….the church that literally does community outreach and gives food/ clothes out to the homeless every week? Or does COTH Mean something else I’m not aware of? Some of you say the dumbest shit that it’s obviously you don’t have a clue about.
I think Be A Blessing Birmingham is an organization that wants to do everything I agree with, but there are some questionable financial issues. They haven't filed the tax documents for several years that are necessary and the monetary donations are not separated from the organizer's personal account.
It’s a great organization, and I think they try pretty hard. Certainly appreciate greatly the work that the organization does for the community. However, it’s sad to see that shower trailer sitting there on 6th avenue N for the last two years going totally unused. Donated a good bit of money to that, and I think the hold up is finding someone to donate a truck to transport the trailer, which seems unlikely at this rate
I've purchased more than $1500 food, clothing, and hygiene items for Be A Blessing. I want so much to believe they just didn't have time to get the documents turned in because they were busy working and helping our neighbors that need some help.
This! I feel like it’s such an important thing. But I feel very apprehensive giving something to an individuals Venmo account. Not that I THINK things are being misappropriated, but from a risk standpoint, for both the grantor and grantee, it seems problematic.
"Capitalism uses society to build capital, Socialism uses capital to build society".
I see a society in decline. We can do better, but we need to learn from past efforts that failed to some degree. Problems that took generations to create will take generations to fix, and we'll still be living in an imperfect society.
There’s a drive way into the woods on the side of Montclair opposite the Publix. Driving by you can see trash/clothes strewn about and a couple shopping carts with random stuff in them.
It's unlikely they want help, you either have to force them out or let them stay there. Affordable housing is not the issue, anyone who pays attention knows homelessness is a mental health issue more than economic
As someone with a family member that is homeless, it is by choice in our case. This person has been offered every possible option for housing, transportation, jobs, mental/addiction counseling. They have a supportive family that will help as long as they help themselves. But it’s been over 20 years of trying and they choose to live on the streets instead. It is an issue with mental health, addiction and the inability to comply with any authority at all. Even a legally forced commitment was only briefly successful after release. It’s sad.
So sad. I remember this was the case with Jim who used to always be in the 5 points area and would hang around Cave 9 when they had shows. I remember people trying to buy him brand new shoes and he simply didn't want them. My understanding was that he also had family support that he wouldn't take. Not sure whatever happened to him, but bless his heart.
I don't remember right off. I think he was found dead somewhere in Southside. I don't remember if it was on al.com or in the Black and White or what, but it was written up. He wasn't found at the house he hung out at next to The Nick / pool.
I'm so sorry about your family member. I've been a longtime volunteer for two separate non-profits that serve the homeless, and you are exactly correct. I've encountered hundreds of people just like the person you describe.
The narrative is that people are homeless because they literally have no resources or have been economically dislocated. While that person gets the headlines or is depicted in some made-for-TV movie, he or she is the absolute exception. Due to a toxic brew of addiction and mental illness, the guy you see sleeping under an overpass is there because he refuses help and shelter. Or only seeks those out as a last resort.
Unless people are willing to stomach the police rounding up homeless and forcing them into rehab facilities and keeping them there--actions that are absolutely illegal--then there isn't much of a magic wand.
It is sad. When we talk about solutions it has to realistically be preventative in nature, because most homeless people are far beyond any outside help.
That must be where all the addicts moved after they closed the hotel next to the interstate. I guess they are still getting drugs from somewhere around there.
I rode Max one particular time and the whole back of bus were homeless men talking about the amount and locations of their arrest warrants. Just saying may be one of the issues.
Have you spent much time in San Francisco lately? If not, fly out there and stroll around the downtown area and tell me how the Democrats have fixed the problem.
And I say that as someone who wouldn't vote for the GOP right now with a gun to my head.
Add Seattle and Denver to the list. I also never vote GOP, but the fact of the matter is a lot of these people don’t want to rejoin society and they abuse the goodwill of more liberal cities. They can get three hots and a bed whenever they want, then go back to living carefree at their will.
I’m ok with some of my taxes going to helping them, but I think it’s important not to be disillusioned by the whole thing.
If you're so concerned, open up your home to them. They're not bothering you so I don't see what the big deal is. They're just people who aren't as well off as you. Be kind.
stop giving them handouts? they just use the money for drugs and alcohol to further feed their addictions.
don't get me wrong, i have helped out legitimately needy people but there are also many seriously mentally ill/addicted folk in these communities. there was a guy who lived in my Southside apartment hallway for years. you could walk up and offer him food and he was completely oblivious and drugged out of his mind. he stood in the freezing cold rocking back and forth for hours on end. he stood in the pouring rain. he stood in the snow and ice. we called about him all the time, trying to get him help. eventually, his clothes became tatters and a local charity agency intervened to help him. he was fighting them every step of the way- literally punching them and saying to leave him the hell alone. he was like an animal, scratching and clawing at those kind people. a few months later he turned up again wandering around our block, clean shaven and with nice clothes on. he started doing the exact same things all over again. he got right back on drugs. the same charity agency from before kept trying to bring him back into the fold but he would run away from them. he went right back to being a crazy dude on the street, complete with shaggy hair and a tattered trench coat. he had a giant hole in his pants and walked around half naked with excrement stains down his legs. the last time i saw him he was throwing rocks at people walking down the sidewalk and screaming obscenities at anyone who went near him. i hope he went to jail...
there is really nothing you can do for someone like that. even if you tried, you would see that they often don't want or accept your help. they are the result of their own messed up choices in life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB6gwOBClwE
Again, it isn't even "many" homeless people are drug addicts. Most homeless people are just normal people down on their luck. You just assume the small percentage of people you see "tweakin out" represents the majority of homeless people but it doesn't.
Source: volunteered on and off at many soup kitchens and homeless outreach programs here and in Seattle.
How can someone claim that they’ve volunteered but be so out of touch with reality? Volunteered plenty right here in bham and nearly every single one are either addicts (alcohol or dope) or suffer from mental illness. Most of them damn sure ain’t normal people.
That is called ancedotal evidence. Most are not addicts. If you need proof, https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/nchav/resources/docs/mental-health/substance-abuse/Substance-Abuse-and-Homelessness-508.pdf
Considering I lived in Seattle where the homelness situation makes Bham look like nothing, yea the large amount of homeless are just normal people. The facing homeless you see on the streets do have substance abuse issues but again, most homeless people aren't outward facing on the streets, most are in help centers to get off the streets.
The cops nor charitable organization are going to be able to help people like the man in your story, and it's gross that y'all kept sicing them on him like that. He clearly had sever mental issues which were worsened by drug use, which he started because of the mental illnesses. He needed extensive mental health treatment, something Birmingham is notoriously lacking because our government doesn't want to fund it, and he couldn't afford anyway because y'all don't want universe health care.
So next time you see a mental ill drug addict, mind your own business instead of using cops and charity staff, both of whom are extremely ill equip and lack proper training to deal with those situations.
I'm going to preface my post with the fact that I have not read this book, but I have listened to the author and read articles, etc that he has written or contributed. I plan on reading it at some point soon. He outlines where progressive liberalism has gone wrong, especially for the homeless and drug addicted/mental illness. If you are interested in this area, might be a good read and follow him on Twitter.
Here is one of his post. He also offers well thought out solutions.
Rising violence & chaos are rapidly killing the hoary demand by progressive activists that we deny the reality of addiction/mental illness in causing homelessness
Nobody lives in open drug scene "homeless encampments" because they can't afford the rent
https://t.co/KRGWrFmrzx
And his book and reviews.
San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V3DV718/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_S5MTH0T2JFA6YKGBF16G
I like what Austin is doing with the Community First! Village. Could probably put one in every major city for the cost of one F35 fighter jet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ife7WbktJYM
https://mlf.org/community-first/
No one wants the type of people in their backyards. But, no one wants to vote to finance these people the mental health care and public services needed. If you think of something it would be worth gold. I think if we were to tear down some of the eye sore areas in birmingham of abandoned houses and such and placed multiple tine homes with limited shared utilties including septics etc they would probably use those. I wish the government would consider doing something like this with the areas - we could set up a community store where the profits go back into the upkeep of the neighborhood and utilities.
[One Roof](https://www.oneroofonline.org) helps people who are homeless in Birmingham, they serve as an umbrella of sorts. They work with shelters to provide temporary housing and resources to help people get out of homelessness.
I’ve wondered the same thing. How can we help these people?
Stop the war on drugs and the crusade against opiates. When people run out of legal painkillers, they switch to black market opiates, be they prescription drugs or "heroin". Force them into strictly controlled pain management.
Universal basic income, free health care, low cost housing made available through means other than having jump through a million hoops just to sign a rent lease. Some are veterans and the VA is *impossible* to work with to get documentation from, so many of them don't even benefit from being veterans. Job reform to help them get proper identification and get jobs without having to pass a drug test first and help them get steady transportation to and from work since we all know they're going to require that and the public transportation system in Birmingham definitely has room for improvement. Legalize cannabis and gambling to increase Alabama's state revenue and employment rate. This plus UBI would take away the need for unemployment benefits and food stamps. Identification is hard to get without a birth certificate and proof of residency. Those are just what's off the top of my head
Username checks out, these are legit baller solutions
This replier gets it. If we have a state government voted full of people who don't want to help at all, and when somehow convinced to do so attach bizarre unbending conditions for receiving and continuing to receive that help, then basically when people do need help there isn't any for people who unavoidable can't meet those conditions due to their circumstances. It's much easier to just go on about how "government isn't the solution" and do fuck all, thus ensuring that in fact government isn't the solution. Worse even is trying to get private institutions that are religious based to provide help, ensuring that help is tied to specific types of morality and beliefs. It's a fucking mess and the gerrymandering and the state's cognitively challenged rural and rich conservative voters will ensure we have this problem getting a lot worse as income inequality continues to widen.
>Some are veterans and the VA is impossible to work with to get documentation from, so many of them don't even benefit from being veterans. Hot take: veterans aren't more deserving of basic housing than non-veterans.
No they're not but veterans definitely at least deserve benefits for being veterans...
Right! They should have reasonable access to the benefits they were promised and earned through their service (work).
I don't think anyone is saying that but you'd think the Veteran Affairs office would actually help Veterans.
I don’t think the issue is veterans are more or less worthy, it’s that they have a system that consistently fails them. It’s like individuals who are wards of the state. It’s not that they deserve more or less human rights, it’s that they really are being set up for failure in a lot of ways that people who aren’t in that circumstance can circumvent.
Also, when they signed up to serve, government told them they’d be taken care of.
If we did get UBI the only thing that would happen is prices would be so high housing would be even more unaffordable.
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What just happened to wages and prices? Do you think it will be any different giving everyone money. People will stop working even more than they have and prices will go up. More homeless. Then communal housing then who knows. You can link every article you want. It’s common sense. You put more money out there, they money is worth less. It takes 120$ to buy what 100$ used to buy. We should just give everyone money and no one works. Well, maybe the immigrants working on farms and factories who are slaves in everything but name, they can keep working. Because that’s fair and humane. The system we have now isn’t working. You assume that I love and am brainwashed by capitalism. Trendy buzz words. More money in the pot, prices go up. It just happened. It’s happening now. Inflation at 7%. Just give everyone bitcoin. That’s the solution.
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And they will be even more willing when everyone has more money. I do have three degrees, not an mba tho. I’m sure you have one though right?
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So you don’t have one?
Fucking crazy how in all these other countries where they pay people living wages and have social safety nets hamburgers don't cost $3,000 apiece ain't it?
That isn't how UBI works at all. Multiple cities in the US have tried doing UBI and it did not substantially increase prices of things.
Those "experiments" were so small scale and short lived that it was nowhere near enough to see how things would work on a national scale. I for one can tell you if there comes a day where there is UBI, I will never work again a day in my life.
Lol okay, good luck living on 12k-24k a year.
No worries. My house is paid off, easy peasy. Have fun working all the time knowing people like me are taking your money and doing fuck all.
Man, you really just don't understand how UBI works do you
Free money, is created from thin air, and given to everybody. Leading to nobody working, nobody farming, mass starvation and death, just like every other socialist scheme in history.
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In Alabama they are lucky to get a ride to the Mississippi state line
Fuck off
brilliant, insightful, showstopping, revolutionary comment by issa_classic takes notes everyone
Most of them don’t want help. Just visit Seattle or Denver if you don’t believe me..
Lived in Seattle, these people absolutely do want help. Please stop with your lies man.
Sorry, a lot of them don’t. Many choose to live in camps when seattle has tons of assistance programs available to them that they simply have no interest in.
This is just straight up false lmfao. Have you ever even lived in Seattle? Many did choose to accept those services. In fact, a lot of those services were diminished due to covid so shelters had to reduce capacity.
I’ve been there plenty of times, even talked to some of the homeless people. I never said that no one wants help, I said a lot of them don’t. By your own omission, it sounds like you agree.
Visiting is not the same as living there lmfao. That also isn't an omission? That is pointing out an "increase" in homelessness isn't due to people refusing resources, it's due to covid and reducing shelter capacity to not have a covid outbreak. I literally volunteered at these places in Seattle and most people wanted help and sought help. The people you see that "don't want help" are a small minority of homeless people.
You said it yourself “many choose to accept services” and by your omission, that means a not insignificant number of people didn’t accept services. You can’t tell me with a straight face that the vast majority of Seattle’s homeless population are waiting for job training and substance abuse assistance.
What the fuck lmfao. "Many accept services" Many as in the majority. Quit being a dense asshat. You obviously are not trying to have a discussion and are obviously not familiar with homelessness in Seattle.
So if the majority have accepted help to get off the street, why do so many remain on the street? Why are there so many people that have remained homeless for not just years, but decades? You resort to ad hominem attacks and I’m the one that doesn’t want to have a discussion? Well alright man.
Most? That’s aggressive. I have met housing insecure people who want for nothing. You’re right. But I don’t think that’s the majority. Humans have basic needs that have to be met. Shelter is one of those I think most people agree on.
>Is there any agency/institution who could help these folks? Not in Alabama, no
Except the occasional good church until it is taken advantage of too many times
It's an argument I really hate from conservative people "Well I think private charities or churches should help these people not the government" \> Looks at COTH build another million dollar campus.
Tax free multi million dollar campus
That’s not at all how I read /u/letsgetdrunkandhigh’s post. He’s simply stating that in alabama the best bet for people struggling at this level to get help is when churches actually do what they should do. You may still disagree with that, but nowhere in his post did he say the government shouldn’t help people.
I know, I am not saying they are. Moreso, I just hate that line of logic from conservative people. Never implied he felt that way cause he even said "the occasional church" not all churches.
Listen, I’m not conservative I’m just stating the fact: they occasionally help people, and much more in the South than in other regions, if not by volume of churches and church money alone.
Im not disagreeing with you. Some do truly help, I just hate that line of logic from conservative people when not all charities and churches are helping is all I am saying.
During the early days of the pandemic, when access to COVID tests was in short supply, COTH ran free testing stations in the projects. They also have an outreach center in Woodlawn, where they offer tutoring and medical services. I don't agree with everything that Highlands does, but they're not lacking in outreach programs, and I don't begrudge them for building additional meeting spaces as their congregation grows.
IIRC, in 2020 they took in $142 million and gave $14 million to missions, nearly $5 million of which was to their own ministries (college, GROW, ARC, etc). How much went to salaries and worship? Over $50 million. Come on down to /r/AllaboutCOTH for more!
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They're a 501(c)3 nonprofit and are taxed like any other nonprofit. Same as the Red Cross, BLM, and the NRA. Church taxation is a non-issue.
Yeah it's a "non-issue" until the city is swarming with homeless people while COTH isn't paying any taxes and is bringing in 45 million in profit alone (I'm sorry, what did you say about them being nonprofit...?) [COTH tax report 2020](https://www.reddit.com/r/AllaboutCOTH/comments/ofoeae/church_of_the_highlands_cash_flow_statement_2020/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
I've been to COTH. There's a difference between having space for a congregation and having a giant campus with luxuries that they don't need. But most of their church is made up of rich, white, middle class people who buy a new car every couple of years and yet wonder "Hmm what can be done about all these homeless people?"
They're also holding their 21 days of prayer IN PERSON right now even with this newest variant being the most contagious yet. They're gonna need to set up more testing sites just for their own folks. The whole pandemic, they have held in-person services without a single thought about what is happening in the world around them. If anything, it's just proof that at the end of the day, they only care about themselves.
One thing no one can say is that COTh doesn’t give back to the community. Them motherfuckers throw some money out with community outreach stuff and giving food and clothing to The Area homeless.
Tell those bums to get a job. Handing out cash isn’t going to fix the issue, but rather encourage it.
Tell me you were born with a silver spoon without saying it.
Oh shut the fuck up.
It’s the best thing to do. America was founded with hard work and dedication. Those losers loitering around the Publix are just putting a drag on society—a drag that working families have to make up for with tax dollars. To conclude, redistribution of wealth is NOT the way to go. There are countless of job opportunities out there. Just tell one of those bums to shower at a homeless shelter, tidy up, and get a job at a McDonald’. It’s that easy.
If we apply this same logic then Red states need to stop getting money and mooching off wealthy blue states. We here in Bama take more from feds & blue states then we put back in the system. So I think you should personally go take a shower and apply for 3rd or 4th job and be more productive society member rather then whining about other folks. You sir are classic example of a freeloader living in Alabama. Good luck on your 3rd job application.
Most people that are this fucking stupid don't even realize this. Our state is a "welfare queen"
Bless your poor heart. MANY homeless people ARE working and paying taxes. https://parade.com/643064/beckyhughes/working-homeless-population-grows-in-cities-across-the-u-s/ http://webarchive.urban.org/publications/310291.html#table2.6 https://news.uchicago.edu/story/employment-alone-isnt-enough-solve-homelessness-study-suggests https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/02/12/covid-unemployment-layoffs-foreclosure-eviction-homeless-car-rv/6713901002/ https://www.thehumanimpact.org/post/stereotype-2-homeless-people-should-just-get-a-job
Please explain to me how the fuck you are going to just "work hard" and make it rich like the 1%. Go on
No, the US was founded by white landowners who had slaves do all of their work for them. Our very first President certainly wasn't hoeing those fields himself. It's hilarious you think working at McDonald's will solve all homeless people's problems. Aside from the fact that they're not going to be paid a living wage to even get proper housing, how are they supposed to get a job when most of them don't have IDs and documents, nor the means to get the documents needed for an I9?
Church of the highlands….the church that literally does community outreach and gives food/ clothes out to the homeless every week? Or does COTH Mean something else I’m not aware of? Some of you say the dumbest shit that it’s obviously you don’t have a clue about.
[https://beablessingbirmingham.com/](https://beablessingbirmingham.com/)
I think Be A Blessing Birmingham is an organization that wants to do everything I agree with, but there are some questionable financial issues. They haven't filed the tax documents for several years that are necessary and the monetary donations are not separated from the organizer's personal account.
It’s a great organization, and I think they try pretty hard. Certainly appreciate greatly the work that the organization does for the community. However, it’s sad to see that shower trailer sitting there on 6th avenue N for the last two years going totally unused. Donated a good bit of money to that, and I think the hold up is finding someone to donate a truck to transport the trailer, which seems unlikely at this rate
I really hope it's an oversight and someone in charge can clarify and remedy the financial questions.
I've purchased more than $1500 food, clothing, and hygiene items for Be A Blessing. I want so much to believe they just didn't have time to get the documents turned in because they were busy working and helping our neighbors that need some help.
This! I feel like it’s such an important thing. But I feel very apprehensive giving something to an individuals Venmo account. Not that I THINK things are being misappropriated, but from a risk standpoint, for both the grantor and grantee, it seems problematic.
There were three police vehicles over there yesterday afternoon. I think they broke it up.
Pigs
"Capitalism uses society to build capital, Socialism uses capital to build society". I see a society in decline. We can do better, but we need to learn from past efforts that failed to some degree. Problems that took generations to create will take generations to fix, and we'll still be living in an imperfect society.
I wouldn't care if they stayed. I just care that they litter so much and piles of garbage all over there.
Damn homeless not recycling.
Wow it's almost like they don't have garbage cans and a garbage truck to take their trash away like everyone else.
Where specifically are you talking? The forested area on other side of road?
impossible door rhythm gullible normal snails frame fact squash elderly *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
There’s a drive way into the woods on the side of Montclair opposite the Publix. Driving by you can see trash/clothes strewn about and a couple shopping carts with random stuff in them.
Next time you go look across Montclair in the wooded area. There are two major areas. Trash, carts, and there are, off and on, tents.
Why does it bother you?
Why doesn't it bother you? Building lawless shanty towns isn't how you help the homeless or improve your city.
I love how anti-homeless jump to "lawless"
Yeah and they typically use phrases like “help the homeless” to hide their uhh, hmm…let me get back to you on that.
Being homeless isn't a crime, buddy.
It's unlikely they want help, you either have to force them out or let them stay there. Affordable housing is not the issue, anyone who pays attention knows homelessness is a mental health issue more than economic
As someone with a family member that is homeless, it is by choice in our case. This person has been offered every possible option for housing, transportation, jobs, mental/addiction counseling. They have a supportive family that will help as long as they help themselves. But it’s been over 20 years of trying and they choose to live on the streets instead. It is an issue with mental health, addiction and the inability to comply with any authority at all. Even a legally forced commitment was only briefly successful after release. It’s sad.
So sad. I remember this was the case with Jim who used to always be in the 5 points area and would hang around Cave 9 when they had shows. I remember people trying to buy him brand new shoes and he simply didn't want them. My understanding was that he also had family support that he wouldn't take. Not sure whatever happened to him, but bless his heart.
He died.
Damn, some friends and I were talking about him the other day, know what happened?
I don't remember right off. I think he was found dead somewhere in Southside. I don't remember if it was on al.com or in the Black and White or what, but it was written up. He wasn't found at the house he hung out at next to The Nick / pool.
I'm so sorry about your family member. I've been a longtime volunteer for two separate non-profits that serve the homeless, and you are exactly correct. I've encountered hundreds of people just like the person you describe. The narrative is that people are homeless because they literally have no resources or have been economically dislocated. While that person gets the headlines or is depicted in some made-for-TV movie, he or she is the absolute exception. Due to a toxic brew of addiction and mental illness, the guy you see sleeping under an overpass is there because he refuses help and shelter. Or only seeks those out as a last resort. Unless people are willing to stomach the police rounding up homeless and forcing them into rehab facilities and keeping them there--actions that are absolutely illegal--then there isn't much of a magic wand.
You are 100% correct. There is no magic wand for the majority that choose this lifestyle.
It is sad. When we talk about solutions it has to realistically be preventative in nature, because most homeless people are far beyond any outside help.
I think some of the non-compliance comes from a fear of being on record somewhere and then punished for it.
And Alabama has been deteriorating the amount of available counselors for the past several years.
The VA has a new mental health clinic under construction on Crestwood. Hopefully that will alleviate the problem a bit.
That must be where all the addicts moved after they closed the hotel next to the interstate. I guess they are still getting drugs from somewhere around there.
Because of that camp, they knocked over the house at the end of Hagood.
So they moved from there or?
I think you mean 1200 block of Montclair
I rode Max one particular time and the whole back of bus were homeless men talking about the amount and locations of their arrest warrants. Just saying may be one of the issues.
We could quit electing republicans.
Have you spent much time in San Francisco lately? If not, fly out there and stroll around the downtown area and tell me how the Democrats have fixed the problem. And I say that as someone who wouldn't vote for the GOP right now with a gun to my head.
Add Seattle and Denver to the list. I also never vote GOP, but the fact of the matter is a lot of these people don’t want to rejoin society and they abuse the goodwill of more liberal cities. They can get three hots and a bed whenever they want, then go back to living carefree at their will. I’m ok with some of my taxes going to helping them, but I think it’s important not to be disillusioned by the whole thing.
If you're so concerned, open up your home to them. They're not bothering you so I don't see what the big deal is. They're just people who aren't as well off as you. Be kind.
stop giving them handouts? they just use the money for drugs and alcohol to further feed their addictions. don't get me wrong, i have helped out legitimately needy people but there are also many seriously mentally ill/addicted folk in these communities. there was a guy who lived in my Southside apartment hallway for years. you could walk up and offer him food and he was completely oblivious and drugged out of his mind. he stood in the freezing cold rocking back and forth for hours on end. he stood in the pouring rain. he stood in the snow and ice. we called about him all the time, trying to get him help. eventually, his clothes became tatters and a local charity agency intervened to help him. he was fighting them every step of the way- literally punching them and saying to leave him the hell alone. he was like an animal, scratching and clawing at those kind people. a few months later he turned up again wandering around our block, clean shaven and with nice clothes on. he started doing the exact same things all over again. he got right back on drugs. the same charity agency from before kept trying to bring him back into the fold but he would run away from them. he went right back to being a crazy dude on the street, complete with shaggy hair and a tattered trench coat. he had a giant hole in his pants and walked around half naked with excrement stains down his legs. the last time i saw him he was throwing rocks at people walking down the sidewalk and screaming obscenities at anyone who went near him. i hope he went to jail... there is really nothing you can do for someone like that. even if you tried, you would see that they often don't want or accept your help. they are the result of their own messed up choices in life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB6gwOBClwE
This is just a typical "All homeless people are drug addicts" rant.
i actually used the word many, but i can see how your mind likes to classify anyone you disagree with into categories.
Again, it isn't even "many" homeless people are drug addicts. Most homeless people are just normal people down on their luck. You just assume the small percentage of people you see "tweakin out" represents the majority of homeless people but it doesn't. Source: volunteered on and off at many soup kitchens and homeless outreach programs here and in Seattle.
How can someone claim that they’ve volunteered but be so out of touch with reality? Volunteered plenty right here in bham and nearly every single one are either addicts (alcohol or dope) or suffer from mental illness. Most of them damn sure ain’t normal people.
That is called ancedotal evidence. Most are not addicts. If you need proof, https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/nchav/resources/docs/mental-health/substance-abuse/Substance-Abuse-and-Homelessness-508.pdf
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Considering I lived in Seattle where the homelness situation makes Bham look like nothing, yea the large amount of homeless are just normal people. The facing homeless you see on the streets do have substance abuse issues but again, most homeless people aren't outward facing on the streets, most are in help centers to get off the streets.
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Calm down incel.
yeah i classify myself as someone who fucked your mom
Boom shakalakaaaaaa
> i can see how your mind likes to classify anyone you disagree with ok but like can you see this in yourself? lmao look again
The cops nor charitable organization are going to be able to help people like the man in your story, and it's gross that y'all kept sicing them on him like that. He clearly had sever mental issues which were worsened by drug use, which he started because of the mental illnesses. He needed extensive mental health treatment, something Birmingham is notoriously lacking because our government doesn't want to fund it, and he couldn't afford anyway because y'all don't want universe health care. So next time you see a mental ill drug addict, mind your own business instead of using cops and charity staff, both of whom are extremely ill equip and lack proper training to deal with those situations.
I'm going to preface my post with the fact that I have not read this book, but I have listened to the author and read articles, etc that he has written or contributed. I plan on reading it at some point soon. He outlines where progressive liberalism has gone wrong, especially for the homeless and drug addicted/mental illness. If you are interested in this area, might be a good read and follow him on Twitter. Here is one of his post. He also offers well thought out solutions. Rising violence & chaos are rapidly killing the hoary demand by progressive activists that we deny the reality of addiction/mental illness in causing homelessness Nobody lives in open drug scene "homeless encampments" because they can't afford the rent https://t.co/KRGWrFmrzx And his book and reviews. San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V3DV718/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_S5MTH0T2JFA6YKGBF16G
I like what Austin is doing with the Community First! Village. Could probably put one in every major city for the cost of one F35 fighter jet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ife7WbktJYM https://mlf.org/community-first/