In 1970 the us population was 203 million. We had 475,000 psychiatric hospital beds. In the year 2020 the population was 330 million. We now have 175,000 psychiatric hospital beds. Many of the people you see on the streets today would have been in a hospital 50 years ago.
The downfall started when President Nixon signed a bill in 1973 that allowed hospitals,doctors and insurance to be for profit entities. I remember back in the 1960s hospitals were usually owned by the city they were in.
Watch any documentary on places like Pennhurst. The Asylums were nightmare factories they needed to be shutdown. But sadly we didn't replace them with anything of substance. When those places were closed most of the patients had never lived outside of them. It was literally cradle to grave many families would be advised to admit their toddlers to those places. These people had no social skills so they ended up on the streets. Today it's a continuous cycle of putting them in the hospital give them meds release them and they stop taking the meds and repeat. Fact is I live in Pittsburgh and the homelessness is the worse I've ever seen in my lifetime. He mentioned how bad Philly is both are Democratic Cities you can't get elected to anything if a Republican inside the city limits of Pittsburgh. So this isn't a Democrat or Republican issue both parties have failed. We need to reevaluate the healthcare system when in association of long-term mental health issues and addiction are involved. We also need to be more willing to help as a society. Just try to open a group home or homeless center in a neighborhood and see the backlash you'll get.
3 of my family members were employed at the Camarillo state hospital in the 1970s. That hospital was shut down and everyone turned onto the streets. It was horrible for the community as well as the people who needed the care. You are absolutely right about the psych hospitals. Even when there is a psychiatric emergency there is no place to take anyone who needs help. Re opening the mental hospitals would be a big help to everyone
Homelessness has increased significantly with the increased cost of housing. People who retired in the 90s and 2000’s with a middle income salary cannot afford the current costs of housing on their social security. It is not just sad, it is shameful.
And lack of education! More education and job skills equals more money and less likely you're going to be homeless! Thoughts and prayers don't pay the bills! 🤷
as someone who was facing homelessness once and only dodged that bullet because life dealt a lucky card...this just hits different. keep up the good work, really like your channel
I'm homeless because I'm priced out of rentals.. and finding a room for a single middle aged straight man is kind of difficult. I bounce between arizona, California and Nevada.. I've never done any drugs and don't have any mental problems..
It's not just housing costs, it's also a lack of blue-collar jobs, tons of cheap drugs floating around, and the government funded breakup of the Nuclear Family.
Thanks Briggs for bringing important issues to light. Were talking about 500 to 700,000 homeless people. How can you get an accurate number of homeless especially those that are off the grid!
I ❤ your question! The U.S. Census Bureau has misreported the data about people experiencing homelessness for at least 2 consecutive decades! I recall the same data used more than 2 decades ago despite an obvious growing overall population size. The numbers reported to the public are still the same ... ???
Here in Portland every homeless person qualifies for a food card 300 a month and a free phone. This is one of the main ways the keep count. They also go around to homeless camps and talk to people. Homeless trust these people doing the counting because the counters usually bring information about free services they may or may not take advantage of.
@@MrJamesVanEngen I wouldn’t believe anything reported by any Government being Federal, State, County or city. I wouldn’t believe any politician media outlet after they’ve been lying about EVERYTHING FOR CENTURIES! Who knows whats true about our history! The news has been lying since as long as Ive been around!
Interesting that Nevada didn't make the list? When I lived there in 2015 several news agencies and charities estimated that there were over 20,000 homeless people living underground in the washes. When the monsoons came there were several people who died in the flash floods. When it started raining you would see a much larger population of homeless on the streets. Very sad situation
I'd love to see you do the stats on what states have the least and most amount of landowners versus the overall population of each state. That'd probably be pretty eye opening for many people.
Salt Lake City doesn't compare to other places. My experiences there is that you usually have to go looking for homeless and whatnot in order to find it (hint; by the train tracks). Or Sugarloaf-- yeah, been there precisely once with goods locked up behind glass and eateries locked and thought I took a wrong turn and somehow ended up in Federal Way. Of course I live in Utah Valley and you don't really see it here. Saw a tweaker migrating through Orem a couple months ago and a vagrant in the park every once in a while. Not saying it don't exist only that it's better in Utah than in other States I have lived.
AZ is not all desert and hot. Northern AZ has 4 seasons and lots of shade and trees. Cities in Northern AZ include Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona. Homeless people come to PHX and Tucson for the nice Winters and don’t give much thought to the hot summers.
Philly has already dumped millions of dollars into fixing the Kensington problem. It has not helped at all. The only people it helped were the council members on those boards who made a bunch of money off of it.
Florida is definitely trying to COVER UP their numbers to keep the realtors happy, and the developers in business. My wife is a realtor and she had 4 buyers back out after seeing my recent uploads showing the REAL situation out here.
Florida hates poor people. I thought it was a joke until I saw how they run their unemployment insurance, Medicaid and food stamps. All things that is supposed to help people get it together is danged near impossible to get on or heal.
❤ That's why it's so important to spend some time to get to know the neighborhoods that you are interested in before you buy and to spend time talking to the residents.
Arizona is interesting because some of the homeless move. I worked for a company that had sites in Tuscon and Flagstaff, and we owned a large piece of undeveloped land in Flagstaff. In the winter, many of the homeless would live in Tuscon or Phoenix, but in the summer, we would have a huge number camping on our property under the Pinion trees. Flagstaff is fairly comfortable in the summertime, and if you take the ski lift to the top of the Snowbowl, it is downright cold.
They don't just move intrastate, there is a definite seasonal influx of people to Arizona other than the RVers and other people who can support themselves without public aid.
I currently live in a community where many people live in their vehicles. Not only is housing scarce and unaffordable. If taxpayer funded shelter is available, these people are required to give up pretty much all of their possessions to get inside. Many of them are already very wary of any authority figures. I do see some substance addiction with the ones in their vehicles. But mainly it seems to be mental illness
Most statistics prove your assumption wrong. Briggs was right on the stats for drugs and homelessness. I have read that it's between 60% and 80%, so 75% seems good. I also have to say that i don't believe that cost of living has any bearing on homelessness. in general when the cost of living gets too high, people move. Can't afford Portland or Seattle, move to Mississippi. No. the homeless choose big affluent cities because there IS more money there. if you offered the homeless housing out in the boonies they wouldn't take it, no one to panhandle or rob, no stores to shoplift.
@@committeelectc6686 those statistics are for all homeless people in general. Due to the very large population of homeless people near my area I have noticed that there is a Very big difference between the homeless who live in their vehicles and the ones who live on the streets. I personally know of at least 3 of them who have moved into an apartment after years on the streets. A room for rent, if you can find one, is usually about $1800. I'm sure that plays a part in the homeless issue, at least in this area
Not from my perspective. The number one thing is ending income inequality And paying workers a livable wage. A lot of the stuff starts off economics problems and then turned into addiction because of depression to do with bad economic conditions. Also somehow legally making people actually take there medicine for mental illness would be a big help too.
@@nathanlocation Actually I would like to see a lot more starter houses being built across the nation. But the government’s gonna have to step in in order to get builders to build those because they’re just not as profitable as for McMansions.
@@nathanlocation It won't matter how affordable the house is, people who are addicted to drugs won't be able to sustain themselves or the house and will end up on the streets again anyways
Having worked with many homeless people when I lived in the PNW I have to say that at least half chose the life. I also feel like the homeless take it for granted that they can hang wherever they want which isn’t right. Then there are those who have chosen to live in their van or car. Can’t blame them. Property taxes and insurance is ridiculous.
@@Noname-v2w5wThe word “choice” always throws people. Yes, no one would choose to sleep in a tent (well, perhaps one or two percent of homeless) when they could live in a warm apartment. The CHOICE part comes into play when people choose not to do the right things to keep a roof over their head. The right things such as 40 hours a week at a 15.50 (Portland minimum wage) to be someone’s roommate, not spending your money on drugs and use it for living expenses. That is the choice part. Choosing to spend your days in a tent and possibly shooting up instead of working like the rest of us is the choice. Comprendé?
@@Noname-v2w5w As someone who grew up in a housing project, so poor that my parents had a chain around the refrigerator so food would last until the next payday, and who went to foster care when my family had to flee the housing project due to violence, I have little tolerance for people who don’t make the right choices in the first place. If a 7 year old me could understand the only thing between keeping a roof over your head verses a tarp is green money, any adult should be able to understand that as well. Those who do the right things yet fall through the cracks need and deserve all the help from society to get their life back. The mentally ill and disabled especially deserve that help as well. The 70% who repeatedly choose the easy way or immediate gratification or just a life of poor choices are the reason the mentally ill and disabled don’t get the help they need. The truly needy are lost in the sea of needy by choice. Comprendé?
Great stuff Briggs! Big pharmacy could maybe be made to help with some of the addiction issues that it contributes to…Sadly a lot of those homeless people are too far gone mentally
One thing I think is misunderstood is that homelessness is not a new phenomenon. I worked in downtown Columbus, Ohio for over 40 years, and there was a large homeless encampment in a wooded area just west of downtown when I started my career in the late 1970's. Many of those folks suffer from addiction or serious mental illness, but plenty more survive relatively well, and simply never accepted "regular" life with all its rules and responsibilities. The growth of the homeless population really shouldn't be a surprise. The population of the country today is half again larger than it was when I began my career. I'm not sure how much the growth of homeless numbers have exceeded general population growth, versus how much is simply increased visibility.
From the time this video was released the homeless population has exploded. It will take a few generations to fix it. That will take improved literacy campaigns, drug addiction, and mental illness programs that work plus keeping the dollars needed out of the hands of corrupt politicians. Last and very important. FIX THE F'ing BORDER.
Well, since they don’t have rent and house payments in North Korea they don’t have homeless camps. For the mentally I’ll they have work camps like China. Russia has a shit ton of homeless. Most live in the woods.
@@WorldAccordingToBriggs North Koreans flee DPRK to become homeless in China (and hopefully make it to ROK via Thailand). China has homeless, although the police will send them back to where their hukou is if they are caught, so they are very under the radar. The residency (hukou) system means you can't go to another city and be legally homeless, like say in the USA someone from Pocatello Idaho couldn't move to Seattle or Portland and be visibly homeless. Most poor people in China come from very poor rural areas, and...ya, you will have a home there, but making enough to live is hard, so they go to rich urban areas and try to make ends meet (even if they don't have a place to live, they can at least make enough to eat). China doesn't have substance abuse/drug addicted homeless because they would simply die, there is no charity that will make that lifestyle viable (mental illness is much more likely to get charity from society/government).
@LinguaJoscha everything he uses in these videos are publicly available statistics. He states so all the time. He's not just guessing st any of this. That's how he can be so sure.
SF resident here - that 162K for California's homeless population is definitely understated....... overall, I'd say we've got half a million homeless folks here easy, they're just not registered nor accounted for because the state wants to keep that number low.
Living in Texas I honestly believe a big part of this is the flow of people across the border. They are technically homeless and you go near any migrant center and you will see large groups living on the streets. The government and non-profit groups try to find places to house them and add the existing homeless population and it makes things insane.
Seattle is not the entire State of Washington, Mr. Briggs. No mention of other Washington cities?. Spokane has a notably bad homeless problem. Tacoma has a huge homeless problem. The list goes on.
Oahu is a mess, especially Wakiki. The rest of the islands aren't as bad, but they're definitely getting worse. I can see the difference on Maui in the last 5 years.
I never understood why people just set up their tents or sleep right out in the open. I've have personally experienced homelessness in the past and I always tried to stay out of the public view.
NYC - housing has gotten insane. My mother bought her end-of-row rowhouse in Jamaica, Queens in 1978 for $46,700. My sister & I sold it for $810,000 in 2022. It's a nothing-special 3-bedroom house on the north side of the Grand Central Parkway. I left NYS and am in northern Virginia where prices are again going to drive us out. Situation Pends.
I owned a house in North Hollywood Calif - bought in 1997 for $125k. A small 880 square foot home built in 1952. That same house is worth $820k. CRAZY.
Hello Mr.Briggs. I enjoy watching your videos that are packed with very useful information and stats. I was wondering if you have made a video about the most Red and Blue states. Cheers!
The homeless population in NY has increased quite a bit in the Upstate portion over the last 4 to 5 years. Even in places like Watertown way, way Upstate it's becoming a serious issue.
I was in Portland in 2015 and there was a HUGE tent camp somewhere near the OMSI. I couldn't even begin to estimate how many people were there and scattered around.
For all the ppl blaming drugs and mental illness as the root problem of homelessness, why is homelessness not a significant issue in Appalachian states like Kentucky and West Virginia? After all, sadly opioids we’re pushed hard by big pharma there. Answer: cost of living and affordable housing is not as expensive there. The root cause of homelessness is AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
All are less the 1% of the population, and for different reasons. If we treat homeless values objectively, here's a more representative description of the list: Oregon 0.69 - Cold wet winters Washington 0.59 - Cold wet winters Massachusetts 0.53 - Freezing winters New York 0.46 - Freezing winters CALIFORNIA 0.41 - Mild weather all year Arizona 0.30 - Crazy hot summers Florida 0.14 - Mild weather all year Pennsylvania 0.10 - Freezing winters Texas 0.10 - Crazy hot summers Ohio 0.09 - Freezing winters
Being homeless today is actually much easier than in previous decades. With electonic banking, cell phones, direct deposit, and check cards, you are not tied to a residence. Especially if you own a vehicle, you can use it as your base. Social security checks and paychecks can be deposited directly into your bank account. A debit card has pretty much replaced cash. Soup lines are no longer a necessity. In the future, i can see homelessness spreading out into more rural areas.
Lots of people are living van life these days, although they really don't count as homeless (they have a home to go to, they are working, live relatively comfortable/clean lives).
That’s a Good point you made…it actually makes it easier for People to be Homeless/Transient by choice….Never having a permanent address…by choice….I See it alot especially with Men…they choose a Transient life…over Stability.
MA has a large homeless population but we also provide a lot of services- in part because the climate is so cold. That’s why we don’t have the reputation other states have; it’s not super visible outside of Mass and Cass.
I would think Hawaii would be on the list. When I would go out for coffee in the morning in Honolulu homeless were everywhere. That's where i would go if I was homeless.
Speaking as a Pittsburgh resident who owns a second house outside of Hilo on the Big Island, I was surprised Hawaii is not on the list as well. There isn’t many good jobs, stuff costs more, and they do have a meth thing going on there. Pittsburgh has a few sporadic homeless people in urban areas….we see them in south side along bike trails, downtown by the river and along the parkway begging during the rush hour….but Hilo…..for a small quaint town……there are a f@ckton!….both in town AND in the rural areas squatting…..as a side note(I have a job near the WV and Ohio borders…and I work with many folks from Ohio and WV panhandle….a-lot of them just ain’t right
It's a lot easier for people to get to California, and that's why so many come here. Also, some states (like Texas) will give one way bus tickets to L.A. to their homeless people. This makes it a national problem, and it should be treated as such.
I have a couple apartment buildings. I never raise the rent unless someone moves. Then I'm still 20% under market. If I raised my rents to market half my people would be homeless. Or have to move in with someone. It's sad if I put a apartment for rent I get 35-40 People apply. Sad.
Homeless people on the streets is one number. It doesn’t include people who live in cars and float from one person’s driveway to another or couch surf. I ended up without a place to live (briefly, thank goodness) in my early 60’s after being injured and unable to work and things went downhill from there. People I didn’t even know all that well took me in while I got back on my feet. I’m sure my situation wasn’t unique.
When you do the videos on places to retire, live, buy land and build, can you start mentioning how much the property taxes are for those towns and possibly homeowners insurance rate? That makes a difference in the decisions too since that will also be part of the costs of living.
Rent control is draconian and produces slum lords. If I own an apartment building and costs me more to own and maintain (mortgage, taxes, upkeep, etc) it than the government will let me charge, why would you expect me to go into debt to fix things? I would be LOSING money at that point. Rent control should be outlawed. It is in most sane places.
The city I live in in Southern California did a similar snapshot homeless count and in a city of roughly 300,000, we had almost 6,000 homeless people. Ugh.
Any breakdown of how many of those homeless people are seniors? It seems like I am seeing more and more seniors out there, though I realize living homeless may make you look older than you really are.
This video 📹 was good and some people are becoming homeless after the natural disaster when they are not allowed 🚫 to rebuild their homes or after the arson.
Real talk! People in HI, CA and FL and many other places had fires, hurricanes and earthquakes. Sometimes insurance covers it. Oftentimes nope. This is another major reason that people tend to overlook.
The research I've done says only 1/3 are addicted to drugs and alcohol. I've seen one that says it's only around 25%. People who have been homeless say most were homeless because of loss of a job and many did have a very good paying job. With someone reporting 75% it's no wonder so many don't care about them and/or are scared of them
I live in Los Angeles without a political agenda and i would argue that there is at least 250,000 just in Los Angeles county alone which would technically only be 2.5% of the population
I used to work for the California Army National Guard and every winter we would open up the armories (after a certain date and temperature was reached) to the homeless. A lot of the homeless would not come in because of the "rules"... The Rules: Don't be aggressive. (we all have to get along) Don't do drugs or alcohol. (you can possess it, just don't use it inside) Obey the staff. (They are in charge) Clean yourself up. (Sink, Shower, Wash clothes) Don't steal. (Other people ain't got much, but they need it) etc. Not hard to do when it's below freezing outside.
You mention being in Dallas while uploading this segment and seeing homeless in DT Dallas. Yes they are there and in DT Ft Worth. Lived 50 yrs in SF/Bay Area and unlike the DFW area once out of the DT areas you have to hunt to find them. In the Bay Area I lived in the East Bay , Martinez/Pleasant Hill area, a good haul from SF and even Oakland. I had homeless going thru my garbage every week. Leave your garage open or car unlocked over night and odds are you find stuff missing. I have family in several areas throughout NorCal and all have stories, the homeless are everywhere… Unfortunately it only seems to be getting worse and most in my experience are beyond help or aren’t open to changing their path. Just my experience …
There are many homeless in New York that are not in NYC. I see many. The abandoned subway system in my city is full of homeless people. Even in the suburbs I know of pockets of homeless.
Oregon has a horrible homeless problem, but not on the coast because the weather gets so miserable. Storms off the coast will keep homeless camps out of the area. Very expensive to live there though, even with all the storms.
I LOVE California. I love being a California girl and I'm a second generation native on my Dad's side. But if they don't start fixing this gorgeous state soon -all that will be left is the very wealthy and the very poor. And sadly, I will not die in my beloved state.
California is and always will be 5-10 years head of the rest of the US. Whether it is technology, people, culture, you name it. In this case, it is providing a glimpse into the future for the rest of the US if wealth inequality continues to grow.
Having come from homelessness in California, due to being priced out of our apartment. We couldn't find anything we could afford both searching for a place in San Diego and the surrounding area prior to becoming homeless and for seven months after becoming homeless. As stated, we were in San Diego. They worst parts are up in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I could easily believe several hundred thousand and that million mark is not beyond the realm of possibility for me have seen it first-hand 5 years ago, I'm sure it's only gotten worse.
@@jonathanburnett6508 #1 in the USA would be Texas (but Texas is the second biggest state, and has the most people moving into and from California...which shouldn't be surprising).
I live in Ohio. I didn’t know this. I would walk around people on the sidewalks in Cincinnati. I live outside of Columbus but now I see homeless sleeping on benches. It’s 23 degrees today 😔
One reason the homeless numbers are all wonky is because different states/cities use different definitions of homeless. LA and Chicago for example, if you stayed overnight in a shelter, jail, or hospital in the last 30 days when the coutners come through, you're not homeless. Chicago was doing 90 days since seeking warmth in winter, cooling in summer would knock off a huge chunk to hide the problem. NY state relaxed their definition years ago to increase the numbers, to increase tge budget. The governor's family being in the shelter racket was mere coincidence. Louis Rossman had a video on that scam, was interesting.
I’m in So Cal where we have a lot of Unhoused. I thought they were all here because of our weather; I had no idea Unhoused could live where there are cold snowy winters. 🥶
I am very close to being homeless myself and I am not an addict. I am disabled. To explain some of the responsible folks ending up homeless let me say that in Arizona for instance, you make $914 a month. Not enough for a roof and utilities but enough to feed a drug addiction and buy a good tent. It is a no win situation really when there are so many judgements out there. The solution is for the wealthy to do something. I have a bunch of ideas...
@@guide2befree not all people can afford cell phones. The government helps with cell phones for those living in poverty so they are not cut off from the world and can function in society. A lot of elderly and disabled people are on that program.
@@GramsMusick158 If you can acquire a cell phone from my tax dollars, and have the time to text from your location. It would seem to me, you could do a little research and find some support that would help in becoming more self reliant, and productive. I'm all for charity when it's needed. That's part of being civil. But I think happiness comes from contribution and productivity. I happen to be a supervisor to help educate people in the penal system. I am sensitive to the homeless situation.
I was homeless for a only a couple months, stayed in a shelter. Just give a smile, if you don't have anything to spare. You will make someone's day....the population of homeless is at least double these numbers. They just hid from census takers, and the world....
I hate to say it, but the way this country is going soon everyone will be homeless. People are barely making it out here and just one paycheck away from being on the streets. Everything is becoming extremely expensive for people to survive. It's ridiculous. I blame these politicians for their years of poor decision making. Great video!👍🏾
Love your videos, but as one of the homeless people in California, who doesn't drink or do drugs, and who is also one of the most prolific bloggers in the world (seriously, 2,800+ posts since 2008), I'd like to clarify a couple of things. A quick Google search told me that 13.2% of American adults have taken antidepressants in the last 30 days. Another search told me there are 258.3 million adults in the U.S.. Put those together and we get about 34 million Americans with some level of mental illness requiring medication. There's an estimated 585,000 homeless people in the U.S.. My point here is that MOST people with some level of mental illness have homes. MOST people with some form of addiction (including alcohol), have homes. Yes, a very high percentage of homeless struggle with these issues. But that doesn't mean addiction and mental illness CAUSED the homelessness. We've lost tens of millions of good paying jobs in the last 40 years, the cost of living and housing has soared, compared to wages. In my experience, lack of a strong personal family or social network is the main initial cause of homelessness for a huge percentage of people. Loss of job, bad divorce, severe medical issue/bills, and other personal tragedies usually start the chain of events. The lack of a strong familial or social network to help people after an initial personal tragedy, such as a place to stay, a loan, help getting a broken car repaired, etc., at that point, is often what separates a down and out period from falling into extended homelessness. Once on the streets, at whatever level, living homeless leads to more intense mental health issues, more addiction, and a downward spiral. Lack of low/mid skilled living wage jobs, and high housing costs are a HUGE part of the picture. I think this is a structural, long term societal issue, personally. Anyone who reads this can Google my name and "blog" to find my work, a little of which is on homelessness, if interested. Again, love the videos, keep 'em coming.
Briggs said a right wing news station put Californias homeless population at One Million and states they overestimated by about 800,000. I seriously doubt it's that low, 200,000? I'm more likely to believe its somewhere in the middle. Probably 4 to 6 hundred thousand? Briggs admitted it's hard to count people who are living under the radar. The population of California is just under 40 million. So One Million is a more logical expectation than a Meer Two Hundred Thousand. Perhaps he should rent a car and explore Los Angeles and San Francisco?
Figured Texas would be higher because you can be in smaller cities than the major cities and while pumping gas you are approached by people begging for money. This happens outside of Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Don't think going to the smaller cities you will not encounter homeless.
I say just give them houses. Along with all the other programs like help with employment, addiction, and mental health. It's actually less expensive to just house them.
I would think Oregon would have been higher on the list, too. Wow. They move them from one area to another all the time. And there are government funds to give them brand new tents when they are relocated.
The problem of homelessness, in "my" opinion stems from a lack of education preparation readiness for employment. Most go to higher education to learn what they like and colleges around the country open accordingly rather than be realistic preparing the students to learn in anticipation of the jobs market changing and it has been changed rapidly with technologies. When they found out there was no job waiting for them, depression set in and was further exacerbated by drinking or taking drugs to numb the disappointment. The deeper the hole they dug themselves into hopelessness. It would be nice if we calculate as a percentage to see what state has the highest.
In 1970 the us population was 203 million. We had 475,000 psychiatric hospital beds. In the year 2020 the population was 330 million. We now have 175,000 psychiatric hospital beds. Many of the people you see on the streets today would have been in a hospital 50 years ago.
They closed alot of them down 😢 jails took up alot of mass I'll. Rest loose on the streets sickness
Most of the long term Psych hospitals in my state have closed.
The downfall started when President Nixon signed a bill in 1973 that allowed hospitals,doctors and insurance to be for profit entities. I remember back in the 1960s hospitals were usually owned by the city they were in.
Watch any documentary on places like Pennhurst. The Asylums were nightmare factories they needed to be shutdown.
But sadly we didn't replace them with anything of substance.
When those places were closed most of the patients had never lived outside of them. It was literally cradle to grave many families would be advised to admit their toddlers to those places. These people had no social skills so they ended up on the streets.
Today it's a continuous cycle of putting them in the hospital give them meds release them and they stop taking the meds and repeat.
Fact is I live in Pittsburgh and the homelessness is the worse I've ever seen in my lifetime. He mentioned how bad Philly is both are Democratic Cities you can't get elected to anything if a Republican inside the city limits of Pittsburgh. So this isn't a Democrat or Republican issue both parties have failed.
We need to reevaluate the healthcare system when in association of long-term mental health issues and addiction are involved. We also need to be more willing to help as a society. Just try to open a group home or homeless center in a neighborhood and see the backlash you'll get.
3 of my family members were employed at the Camarillo state hospital in the 1970s. That hospital was shut down and everyone turned onto the streets. It was horrible for the community as well as the people who needed the care. You are absolutely right about the psych hospitals. Even when there is a psychiatric emergency there is no place to take anyone who needs help. Re opening the mental hospitals would be a big help to everyone
Homelessness has increased significantly with the increased cost of housing. People who retired in the 90s and 2000’s with a middle income salary cannot afford the current costs of housing on their social security. It is not just sad, it is shameful.
Housing costs, mental illness and addiction are the top 3 issues with the homeless.
And lack of education! More education and job skills equals more money and less likely you're going to be homeless! Thoughts and prayers don't pay the bills! 🤷
agreed
Democrat policies too
Absolutely!!
You can always move to cheaper places. It’s DRUGS!
as someone who was facing homelessness once and only dodged that bullet because life dealt a lucky card...this just hits different.
keep up the good work, really like your channel
Blessings to you.
I took the bullet.
I have a temporary band aid now. It's a deep wound. ✌️❤️
~ 🦋
Me too!
I'm homeless because I'm priced out of rentals.. and finding a room for a single middle aged straight man is kind of difficult.
I bounce between arizona, California and Nevada..
I've never done any drugs and don't have any mental problems..
Move to Midwest or south. Can get off street
Jobs everywhere in Minnesota.
Everyone has mental problems
Don't move to the South. Whoever told you that haven't ever been there to know the south
I make decent money in logistics.. I just can't justify paying $1500 a month for a one bedroom
So sad. Our country is suffering
Yes, let’s add more people before we care for the ones already here 😔
It's not just housing costs, it's also a lack of blue-collar jobs, tons of cheap drugs floating around, and the government funded breakup of the Nuclear Family.
Thanks Briggs for bringing important issues to light. Were talking about 500 to 700,000 homeless people. How can you get an accurate number of homeless especially those that are off the grid!
I ❤ your question! The U.S. Census Bureau has misreported the data about people experiencing homelessness for at least 2 consecutive decades! I recall the same data used more than 2 decades ago despite an obvious growing overall population size. The numbers reported to the public are still the same ... ???
Here in Portland every homeless person qualifies for a food card 300 a month and a free phone. This is one of the main ways the keep count. They also go around to homeless camps and talk to people. Homeless trust these people doing the counting because the counters usually bring information about free services they may or may not take advantage of.
@@MrJamesVanEngen I wouldn’t believe anything reported by any Government being Federal, State, County or city. I wouldn’t believe any politician media outlet after they’ve been lying about EVERYTHING FOR CENTURIES! Who knows whats true about our history! The news has been lying since as long as Ive been around!
Interesting that Nevada didn't make the list? When I lived there in 2015 several news agencies and charities estimated that there were over 20,000 homeless people living underground in the washes. When the monsoons came there were several people who died in the flash floods. When it started raining you would see a much larger population of homeless on the streets. Very sad situation
It all depends on when the point-in-time survey is taken and how visible homeless are.
I'd love to see you do the stats on what states have the least and most amount of landowners versus the overall population of each state. That'd probably be pretty eye opening for many people.
Pretty hard to get an actual figure as most farmers and homeowners don’t own their property They have loans on them that they’re paying
Nevada has the least amount of privately owned land , government owns the majority of land there.
Went to SLC Utah many years ago, homeless population was through the roof! Never seen so many during short visit there.
I live in Utah,the homeless here is nothing compared to downtown Los Angeles
Salt Lake City doesn't compare to other places. My experiences there is that you usually have to go looking for homeless and whatnot in order to find it (hint; by the train tracks). Or Sugarloaf-- yeah, been there precisely once with goods locked up behind glass and eateries locked and thought I took a wrong turn and somehow ended up in Federal Way. Of course I live in Utah Valley and you don't really see it here. Saw a tweaker migrating through Orem a couple months ago and a vagrant in the park every once in a while. Not saying it don't exist only that it's better in Utah than in other States I have lived.
AZ is not all desert and hot. Northern AZ has 4 seasons and lots of shade and trees. Cities in Northern AZ include Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona. Homeless people come to PHX and Tucson for the nice Winters and don’t give much thought to the hot summers.
They keep forgetting the white people are melting here well honey I'm in Florida everybody equally is melting here
Northern Arizona is basically Southern Colorado.
Southern Colorado is just northern New Mexico
Philly has already dumped millions of dollars into fixing the Kensington problem. It has not helped at all. The only people it helped were the council members on those boards who made a bunch of money off of it.
Florida is definitely trying to COVER UP their numbers to keep the realtors happy, and the developers in business. My wife is a realtor and she had 4 buyers back out after seeing my recent uploads showing the REAL situation out here.
Florida hates poor people.
I thought it was a joke until I saw how they run their unemployment insurance, Medicaid and food stamps. All things that is supposed to help people get it together is danged near impossible to get on or heal.
❤ That's why it's so important to spend some time to get to know the neighborhoods that you are interested in before you buy and to spend time talking to the residents.
Arizona is interesting because some of the homeless move. I worked for a company that had sites in Tuscon and Flagstaff, and we owned a large piece of undeveloped land in Flagstaff. In the winter, many of the homeless would live in Tuscon or Phoenix, but in the summer, we would have a huge number camping on our property under the Pinion trees. Flagstaff is fairly comfortable in the summertime, and if you take the ski lift to the top of the Snowbowl, it is downright cold.
Homeless Snowbird's, makes sense, it bakes in the Metro area.
i was a homeless in Tucson 2 years ago that went to flagstaff in summer. its very common youre right
They don't just move intrastate, there is a definite seasonal influx of people to Arizona other than the RVers and other people who can support themselves without public aid.
I currently live in a community where many people live in their vehicles. Not only is housing scarce and unaffordable. If taxpayer funded shelter is available, these people are required to give up pretty much all of their possessions to get inside. Many of them are already very wary of any authority figures. I do see some substance addiction with the ones in their vehicles. But mainly it seems to be mental illness
Most statistics prove your assumption wrong. Briggs was right on the stats for drugs and homelessness. I have read that it's between 60% and 80%, so 75% seems good.
I also have to say that i don't believe that cost of living has any bearing on homelessness. in general when the cost of living gets too high, people move. Can't afford Portland or Seattle, move to Mississippi.
No. the homeless choose big affluent cities because there IS more money there. if you offered the homeless housing out in the boonies they wouldn't take it, no one to panhandle or rob, no stores to shoplift.
@@committeelectc6686 those statistics are for all homeless people in general. Due to the very large population of homeless people near my area I have noticed that there is a Very big difference between the homeless who live in their vehicles and the ones who live on the streets. I personally know of at least 3 of them who have moved into an apartment after years on the streets. A room for rent, if you can find one, is usually about $1800. I'm sure that plays a part in the homeless issue, at least in this area
Plus landlords want everybody to fill an application
Damn right!!! I'm not going to rent to someone who trashed their last place!!! @@sitdowndogbreath
Fixing the drug crisis is going to be the most effective step towards fixing the homeless situation
that and affordable housing
Not from my perspective.
The number one thing is ending income inequality And paying workers a livable wage. A lot of the stuff starts off economics problems and then turned into addiction because of depression to do with bad economic conditions.
Also somehow legally making people actually take there medicine for mental illness would be a big help too.
@@nathanlocation
Actually I would like to see a lot more starter houses being built across the nation. But the government’s gonna have to step in in order to get builders to build those because they’re just not as profitable as for McMansions.
Fixing ones soul will be the most effective way to end this situation
@@nathanlocation It won't matter how affordable the house is, people who are addicted to drugs won't be able to sustain themselves or the house and will end up on the streets again anyways
Having worked with many homeless people when I lived in the PNW I have to say that at least half chose the life. I also feel like the homeless take it for granted that they can hang wherever they want which isn’t right. Then there are those who have chosen to live in their van or car. Can’t blame them. Property taxes and insurance is ridiculous.
Gotta say, being a native Oregonian near Portland, I agree, being a street kid for a stint in my 20s that was my experience.
@@Noname-v2w5wThe word “choice” always throws people. Yes, no one would choose to sleep in a tent (well, perhaps one or two percent of homeless) when they could live in a warm apartment. The CHOICE part comes into play when people choose not to do the right things to keep a roof over their head. The right things such as 40 hours a week at a 15.50 (Portland minimum wage) to be someone’s roommate, not spending your money on drugs and use it for living expenses. That is the choice part. Choosing to spend your days in a tent and possibly shooting up instead of working like the rest of us is the choice. Comprendé?
@@Noname-v2w5w As someone who grew up in a housing project, so poor that my parents had a chain around the refrigerator so food would last until the next payday, and who went to foster care when my family had to flee the housing project due to violence, I have little tolerance for people who don’t make the right choices in the first place. If a 7 year old me could understand the only thing between keeping a roof over your head verses a tarp is green money, any adult should be able to understand that as well. Those who do the right things yet fall through the cracks need and deserve all the help from society to get their life back. The mentally ill and disabled especially deserve that help as well. The 70% who repeatedly choose the easy way or immediate gratification or just a life of poor choices are the reason the mentally ill and disabled don’t get the help they need. The truly needy are lost in the sea of needy by choice. Comprendé?
@@Noname-v2w5w i know 3 my self that choose too. 1 even had hud housing and food stamps and he still chose to be homeless
Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington state, Texas, Florida, New York state, California
Great stuff Briggs! Big pharmacy could maybe be made to help with some of the addiction issues that it contributes to…Sadly a lot of those homeless people are too far gone mentally
Oh boy youre a clueless one arent ya
@@BatmanBeyondBelief and how is that....batman boy?
One thing I think is misunderstood is that homelessness is not a new phenomenon. I worked in downtown Columbus, Ohio for over 40 years, and there was a large homeless encampment in a wooded area just west of downtown when I started my career in the late 1970's. Many of those folks suffer from addiction or serious mental illness, but plenty more survive relatively well, and simply never accepted "regular" life with all its rules and responsibilities. The growth of the homeless population really shouldn't be a surprise. The population of the country today is half again larger than it was when I began my career. I'm not sure how much the growth of homeless numbers have exceeded general population growth, versus how much is simply increased visibility.
I know that area you're talking about. Those actual river rats too yikes.
From the time this video was released the homeless population has exploded. It will take a few generations to fix it. That will take improved literacy campaigns, drug addiction, and mental illness programs that work plus keeping the dollars needed out of the hands of corrupt politicians. Last and very important. FIX THE F'ing BORDER.
Well, since they don’t have rent and house payments in North Korea they don’t have homeless camps. For the mentally I’ll they have work camps like China. Russia has a shit ton of homeless. Most live in the woods.
@@WorldAccordingToBriggs North Koreans flee DPRK to become homeless in China (and hopefully make it to ROK via Thailand). China has homeless, although the police will send them back to where their hukou is if they are caught, so they are very under the radar. The residency (hukou) system means you can't go to another city and be legally homeless, like say in the USA someone from Pocatello Idaho couldn't move to Seattle or Portland and be visibly homeless. Most poor people in China come from very poor rural areas, and...ya, you will have a home there, but making enough to live is hard, so they go to rich urban areas and try to make ends meet (even if they don't have a place to live, they can at least make enough to eat). China doesn't have substance abuse/drug addicted homeless because they would simply die, there is no charity that will make that lifestyle viable (mental illness is much more likely to get charity from society/government).
@LinguaJoscha everything he uses in these videos are publicly available statistics. He states so all the time. He's not just guessing st any of this. That's how he can be so sure.
SF resident here - that 162K for California's homeless population is definitely understated.......
overall, I'd say we've got half a million homeless folks here easy, they're just not registered nor accounted for because the state wants to keep that number low.
Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington, Texas, Florida, New York State, California Vermont.
Living in Texas I honestly believe a big part of this is the flow of people across the border. They are technically homeless and you go near any migrant center and you will see large groups living on the streets. The government and non-profit groups try to find places to house them and add the existing homeless population and it makes things insane.
Seattle is not the entire State of Washington, Mr. Briggs. No mention of other Washington cities?. Spokane has a notably bad homeless problem. Tacoma has a huge homeless problem. The list goes on.
Aberdeen
washington is a liberal cesspool
Yakima?
Remember this channel is called "According to Briggs" 😂
Thank you for the topic and Stats!! Great Program Topic!!
How did Hawaii not make this list? I was stationed there, and it seemed there was more homeless than locals
Oahu is a mess, especially Wakiki. The rest of the islands aren't as bad, but they're definitely getting worse.
I can see the difference on Maui in the last 5 years.
NYC and California have city populations on the street and in shelters. Amazing
Homelessness is a national issue and needs to be treated as such. You cannot have some states shipping their problems to other states.
States aren't doing that anymore. That stopped about twenty years ago
I never understood why people just set up their tents or sleep right out in the open. I've have personally experienced homelessness in the past and I always tried to stay out of the public view.
NYC - housing has gotten insane. My mother bought her end-of-row rowhouse in Jamaica, Queens in 1978 for $46,700. My sister & I sold it for $810,000 in 2022. It's a nothing-special 3-bedroom house on the north side of the Grand Central Parkway. I left NYS and am in northern Virginia where prices are again going to drive us out. Situation Pends.
I owned a house in North Hollywood Calif - bought in 1997 for $125k. A small 880 square foot home built in 1952. That same house is worth $820k. CRAZY.
Hello Mr.Briggs. I enjoy watching your videos that are packed with very useful information and stats. I was wondering if you have made a video about the most Red and Blue states. Cheers!
The homeless population in NY has increased quite a bit in the Upstate portion over the last 4 to 5 years. Even in places like Watertown way, way Upstate it's becoming a serious issue.
In orange county there used to be one or two guys 20 years ago. Pretty much everybody knew them. Now there’s a new person all the time.
Thank you for the video and your insights. Appreciated.
I was in Portland in 2015 and there was a HUGE tent camp somewhere near the OMSI. I couldn't even begin to estimate how many people were there and scattered around.
That's the main problem less affordable rent and high rent for dumps from non US folks
For all the ppl blaming drugs and mental illness as the root problem of homelessness, why is homelessness not a significant issue in Appalachian states like Kentucky and West Virginia? After all, sadly opioids we’re pushed hard by big pharma there. Answer: cost of living and affordable housing is not as expensive there. The root cause of homelessness is AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
No the root cause is not preparing for life when they were young. Some are mentally or physically handicapped, but most are self inflicted.
@@howellwong11It's affordable housing
Those red states aren't heavily regulated like blue state California. Democrats love love love regulations
Because you can't live unhoused in Kentucky and West Virginia, you either die or get onto a bus to a state where you can survive.
Source please?
All are less the 1% of the population, and for different reasons.
If we treat homeless values objectively, here's a more representative description of the list:
Oregon 0.69 - Cold wet winters
Washington 0.59 - Cold wet winters
Massachusetts 0.53 - Freezing winters
New York 0.46 - Freezing winters
CALIFORNIA 0.41 - Mild weather all year
Arizona 0.30 - Crazy hot summers
Florida 0.14 - Mild weather all year
Pennsylvania 0.10 - Freezing winters
Texas 0.10 - Crazy hot summers
Ohio 0.09 - Freezing winters
They lived in group homes until they changed the law put them on the streets.
Nice weather = good camping 🏕️
@@LinguaJoscha ducks on the Dole
Being homeless today is actually much easier than in previous decades. With electonic banking, cell phones, direct deposit, and check cards, you are not tied to a residence. Especially if you own a vehicle, you can use it as your base. Social security checks and paychecks can be deposited directly into your bank account. A debit card has pretty much replaced cash. Soup lines are no longer a necessity. In the future, i can see homelessness spreading out into more rural areas.
Lots of people are living van life these days, although they really don't count as homeless (they have a home to go to, they are working, live relatively comfortable/clean lives).
That’s a Good point you made…it actually makes it easier for People to be Homeless/Transient by choice….Never having a permanent address…by choice….I See it alot especially with Men…they choose a Transient life…over Stability.
MA has a large homeless population but we also provide a lot of services- in part because the climate is so cold. That’s why we don’t have the reputation other states have; it’s not super visible outside of Mass and Cass.
I would think Hawaii would be on the list. When I would go out for coffee in the morning in Honolulu homeless were everywhere. That's where i would go if I was homeless.
Speaking as a Pittsburgh resident who owns a second house outside of Hilo on the Big Island, I was surprised Hawaii is not on the list as well. There isn’t many good jobs, stuff costs more, and they do have a meth thing going on there. Pittsburgh has a few sporadic homeless people in urban areas….we see them in south side along bike trails, downtown by the river and along the parkway begging during the rush hour….but Hilo…..for a small quaint town……there are a f@ckton!….both in town AND in the rural areas squatting…..as a side note(I have a job near the WV and Ohio borders…and I work with many folks from Ohio and WV panhandle….a-lot of them just ain’t right
It's a lot easier for people to get to California, and that's why so many come here. Also, some states (like Texas) will give one way bus tickets to L.A. to their homeless people. This makes it a national problem, and it should be treated as such.
I’m really sorry to hear about your situation and and I truly hope that life offers you an opportunity to get out of being homeless. Good luck.
The drugs and mental illness are a big part of it but the cost of housing is making everything worse.
It's making good people end up in the asylum. This is so disgusting because there are plenty of solutions. The government is profiting from it.
They are mental cause they use drugs rot your brain and teeth
I have a couple apartment buildings. I never raise the rent unless someone moves. Then I'm still 20% under market. If I raised my rents to market half my people would be homeless. Or have to move in with someone. It's sad if I put a apartment for rent I get 35-40 People apply. Sad.
Briggs, you could do a follow up Homeless Ten Cities?
Homeless people on the streets is one number. It doesn’t include people who live in cars and float from one person’s driveway to another or couch surf. I ended up without a place to live (briefly, thank goodness) in my early 60’s after being injured and unable to work and things went downhill from there. People I didn’t even know all that well took me in while I got back on my feet. I’m sure my situation wasn’t unique.
If you understand human behavior I feel that the U.S. homelessness makes a lot of sense.
When you do the videos on places to retire, live, buy land and build, can you start mentioning how much the property taxes are for those towns and possibly homeowners insurance rate? That makes a difference in the decisions too since that will also be part of the costs of living.
I know a Guy in Florida who is homeless and he is both Slow and has bad luck… wish I could help him but, I can’t help myself
As a free country with a capitalist economy, the US will never eradicate illegal drugs.
It will in the future
The American way.
Americans love getting HIGH! 👉
Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc! 👉
Supply and Demand!
All these numbers are almost pointless without the per capita percentages .
Cities and towns were paying for 1 way bus tickets and sending their homeless to CA.
ya ll want them there so ur welcome
It’s the Republican way.
Every city complains that every other city is buying 1 way tickets to send the latter city's homeless to the former city.
@ljacobs357 Good. Get them away from our good cities. Y'all democrats can have your drugs and crime
Good evening Briggs! Have a great weekend brother! 🎚️🇺🇸🪖👮♂️
Rent control is draconian and produces slum lords. If I own an apartment building and costs me more to own and maintain (mortgage, taxes, upkeep, etc) it than the government will let me charge, why would you expect me to go into debt to fix things? I would be LOSING money at that point. Rent control should be outlawed. It is in most sane places.
The city I live in in Southern California did a similar snapshot homeless count and in a city of roughly 300,000, we had almost 6,000 homeless people. Ugh.
Any breakdown of how many of those homeless people are seniors? It seems like I am seeing more and more seniors out there, though I realize living homeless may make you look older than you really are.
This video 📹 was good and some people are becoming homeless after the natural disaster when they are not allowed 🚫 to rebuild their homes or after the arson.
Real talk!
People in HI, CA and FL and many other places had fires, hurricanes and earthquakes. Sometimes insurance covers it. Oftentimes nope.
This is another major reason that people tend to overlook.
The research I've done says only 1/3 are addicted to drugs and alcohol. I've seen one that says it's only around 25%. People who have been homeless say most were homeless because of loss of a job and many did have a very good paying job. With someone reporting 75% it's no wonder so many don't care about them and/or are scared of them
Source please? When we did a paper on in in college it was estimated to be around 80-90% with addiction issues.
I live in Los Angeles without a political agenda and i would argue that there is at least 250,000 just in Los Angeles county alone which would technically only be 2.5% of the population
The thing that suprised me most about this list, was the jump in homeless populartion between Florida and New York.
"They wanna be zombies, and they're really good at it!"
Thanks Bro, was sipping a beer when you said that.. yup, up my nose when laughing
I used to work for the California Army National Guard and every winter we would open up the armories (after a certain date and temperature was reached) to the homeless. A lot of the homeless would not come in because of the "rules"...
The Rules:
Don't be aggressive. (we all have to get along)
Don't do drugs or alcohol. (you can possess it, just don't use it inside)
Obey the staff. (They are in charge)
Clean yourself up. (Sink, Shower, Wash clothes)
Don't steal. (Other people ain't got much, but they need it)
etc.
Not hard to do when it's below freezing outside.
You mention being in Dallas while uploading this segment and seeing homeless in DT Dallas. Yes they are there and in DT Ft Worth. Lived 50 yrs in SF/Bay Area and unlike the DFW area once out of the DT areas you have to hunt to find them. In the Bay Area I lived in the East Bay , Martinez/Pleasant Hill area, a good haul from SF and even Oakland. I had homeless going thru my garbage every week. Leave your garage open or car unlocked over night and odds are you find stuff missing. I have family in several areas throughout NorCal and all have stories, the homeless are everywhere… Unfortunately it only seems to be getting worse and most in my experience are beyond help or aren’t open to changing their path. Just my experience …
There are many homeless in New York that are not in NYC. I see many. The abandoned subway system in my city is full of homeless people. Even in the suburbs I know of pockets of homeless.
I'm surprised Illinois isn't on here Chicago has a pretty sizeable homeless population
yes all of Lake S. Drive is now tent cities..I have no idea how they survive the bitter cold
This is sad, I wish we had a better society and a more responsive government
Oregon has a horrible homeless problem, but not on the coast because the weather gets so miserable. Storms off the coast will keep homeless camps out of the area. Very expensive to live there though, even with all the storms.
So true!
Welcome to the Big D! You even brought your own weather with you lol! 🥶
Never heard anyone speak about the topic of homelessness so enthusiastically
I LOVE California. I love being a California girl and I'm a second generation native on my Dad's side. But if they don't start fixing this gorgeous state soon -all that will be left is the very wealthy and the very poor. And sadly, I will not die in my beloved state.
If you can't be rich, you can always join the homeless and stay in California.
California is and always will be 5-10 years head of the rest of the US. Whether it is technology, people, culture, you name it. In this case, it is providing a glimpse into the future for the rest of the US if wealth inequality continues to grow.
when u move dont try and change ur new state into commiefonia
@@JJM_PNW Wealth inequality and focusing on nonsense issues when we have important matters that need the attention and money.
@@howellwong11better idea: eradicate capitalism
If you were broke 2morrow, would there be no friend, neighbor, family to live with? Some people are too risky, burned everyone out.
If i ever end up homeless, for sure ill move to a state that has nice weather year round.
California
Good job Briggs.
Just count the tents under the overpass in New Orleans
Having come from homelessness in California, due to being priced out of our apartment. We couldn't find anything we could afford both searching for a place in San Diego and the surrounding area prior to becoming homeless and for seven months after becoming homeless. As stated, we were in San Diego. They worst parts are up in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I could easily believe several hundred thousand and that million mark is not beyond the realm of possibility for me have seen it first-hand 5 years ago, I'm sure it's only gotten worse.
Can we get a video of the top ten states homeless are moving to California.
Mexico there I answered it for you.
@@jonathanburnett6508 #1 in the USA would be Texas (but Texas is the second biggest state, and has the most people moving into and from California...which shouldn't be surprising).
I live in Ohio. I didn’t know this. I would walk around people on the sidewalks in Cincinnati. I live outside of Columbus but now I see homeless sleeping on benches. It’s 23 degrees today 😔
Here is a controversial idea… if you’re living on the street because housing costs are high … move! It’s not as if you have a great job.
The problem with that is that moving isn't free.
@@jk47500People have 2 legs and a thumb... And if push comes to shove a mouth and a positive attitude
One reason the homeless numbers are all wonky is because different states/cities use different definitions of homeless. LA and Chicago for example, if you stayed overnight in a shelter, jail, or hospital in the last 30 days when the coutners come through, you're not homeless. Chicago was doing 90 days since seeking warmth in winter, cooling in summer would knock off a huge chunk to hide the problem. NY state relaxed their definition years ago to increase the numbers, to increase tge budget. The governor's family being in the shelter racket was mere coincidence. Louis Rossman had a video on that scam, was interesting.
GREETINGS FROM THE PPRC VERY INTERESTING VIDEO THANKS.🇺🇸🍺🍺
I’m in So Cal where we have a lot of Unhoused. I thought they were all here because of our weather; I had no idea Unhoused could live where there are cold snowy winters. 🥶
Nobody wants to live in Cleveland..either on or off the streets...period. (Former NE Ohio Buckeye)
I am very close to being homeless myself and I am not an addict. I am disabled. To explain some of the responsible folks ending up homeless let me say that in Arizona for instance, you make $914 a month. Not enough for a roof and utilities but enough to feed a drug addiction and buy a good tent. It is a no win situation really when there are so many judgements out there. The solution is for the wealthy to do something. I have a bunch of ideas...
I can see you're not illiterate and can afford a cell phone. Get back into a school program. Fix it.
@@guide2befree not all people can afford cell phones. The government helps with cell phones for those living in poverty so they are not cut off from the world and can function in society. A lot of elderly and disabled people are on that program.
What are your ideas? You are closer to the issue. I'm betting that they are good ideas
3
@@GramsMusick158 If you can acquire a cell phone from my tax dollars, and have the time to text from your location. It would seem to me, you could do a little research and find some support that would help in becoming more self reliant, and productive. I'm all for charity when it's needed. That's part of being civil. But I think happiness comes from contribution and productivity. I happen to be a supervisor to help educate people in the penal system. I am sensitive to the homeless situation.
I was homeless for a only a couple months, stayed in a shelter. Just give a smile, if you don't have anything to spare. You will make someone's day....the population of homeless is at least double these numbers. They just hid from census takers, and the world....
I hate to say it, but the way this country is going soon everyone will be homeless. People are barely making it out here and just one paycheck away from being on the streets. Everything is becoming extremely expensive for people to survive. It's ridiculous. I blame these politicians for their years of poor decision making. Great video!👍🏾
I blame individuals on the streets for their years of poor decision making, not politicians
I blame both
I had the thought my home state could be on the list, and sure enough it was. Never really makes me happy to see it making more lists like this one.
Thanks!
At this point you're just beating a dead horse.
Love your videos, but as one of the homeless people in California, who doesn't drink or do drugs, and who is also one of the most prolific bloggers in the world (seriously, 2,800+ posts since 2008), I'd like to clarify a couple of things. A quick Google search told me that 13.2% of American adults have taken antidepressants in the last 30 days. Another search told me there are 258.3 million adults in the U.S.. Put those together and we get about 34 million Americans with some level of mental illness requiring medication. There's an estimated 585,000 homeless people in the U.S.. My point here is that MOST people with some level of mental illness have homes. MOST people with some form of addiction (including alcohol), have homes. Yes, a very high percentage of homeless struggle with these issues. But that doesn't mean addiction and mental illness CAUSED the homelessness. We've lost tens of millions of good paying jobs in the last 40 years, the cost of living and housing has soared, compared to wages. In my experience, lack of a strong personal family or social network is the main initial cause of homelessness for a huge percentage of people. Loss of job, bad divorce, severe medical issue/bills, and other personal tragedies usually start the chain of events. The lack of a strong familial or social network to help people after an initial personal tragedy, such as a place to stay, a loan, help getting a broken car repaired, etc., at that point, is often what separates a down and out period from falling into extended homelessness. Once on the streets, at whatever level, living homeless leads to more intense mental health issues, more addiction, and a downward spiral. Lack of low/mid skilled living wage jobs, and high housing costs are a HUGE part of the picture. I think this is a structural, long term societal issue, personally. Anyone who reads this can Google my name and "blog" to find my work, a little of which is on homelessness, if interested. Again, love the videos, keep 'em coming.
Briggs said a right wing news station put Californias homeless population at One Million and states they overestimated by about 800,000.
I seriously doubt it's that low, 200,000?
I'm more likely to believe its somewhere in the middle. Probably 4 to 6 hundred thousand?
Briggs admitted it's hard to count people who are living under the radar.
The population of California is just under 40 million. So One Million is a more logical expectation than a Meer Two Hundred Thousand.
Perhaps he should rent a car and explore Los Angeles and San Francisco?
Figured Texas would be higher because you can be in smaller cities than the major cities and while pumping gas you are approached by people begging for money. This happens outside of Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Don't think going to the smaller cities you will not encounter homeless.
I say just give them houses. Along with all the other programs like help with employment, addiction, and mental health. It's actually less expensive to just house them.
I would think Oregon would have been higher on the list, too. Wow. They move them from one area to another all the time. And there are government funds to give them brand new tents when they are relocated.
The problem of homelessness, in "my" opinion stems from a lack of education preparation readiness for employment. Most go to higher education to learn what they like and colleges around the country open accordingly rather than be realistic preparing the students to learn in anticipation of the jobs market changing and it has been changed rapidly with technologies. When they found out there was no job waiting for them, depression set in and was further exacerbated by drinking or taking drugs to numb the disappointment. The deeper the hole they dug themselves into hopelessness.
It would be nice if we calculate as a percentage to see what state has the highest.
They have alot of Homeless folks in San Diego too.
Get your facts right. Houston has done a good job dealing with homelessness.
Only the ones who can't swim...
I call Portland and Seattle are tent cities. I visited last year and very surprised that there were so many tents in the cities.
I’m surprised HI wasn’t on the list.
Have you checked San Antonio, Tx ?
or Austin. Just go downtown by the river. Lots of homeless bathing in it.