While most of us have had a fairly warm, indulgent Xmas - have we spared a thought for our homeless people in Australia.  According to  statistics back in 2001, we had reached a figure of 99,900 and when the 2006 census has been counted, this figure is expected to double.  The homeless are those who seek shelter in parks,  shop doorways and alleys - for the maxium protection from the elements of the weather or violence and those who are mentally unable to fit into mainstream life.  If they're lucky enough to find a soup kitchen, they can eat - as so many of these lost people can't claim welfare because they haven't got a permanent address.

Australia - according to our Prime Minister - is a rich country where many of us are prosperous, yet little is done to alleviate the misery of our most vulnerable mentally or physically ill people.

The results of recent research of our atttitudes to homelessness were as expected - a very high degree of community ignorance as 74 per cent of those surveyed believed that homeless people had only themselves to blame for their plight: they had poor characters and made stupid choices.

Is this what Australia has now become - a society that strives only for it's own gain and forgets those who are unfortunate and disadvantaged?

We have to change our attitude - as there is not one single reason why these neglected people should have to suffer the way they do in this affluent country.

I'm not sure if a change in attitude would help them much. It's not like people go out of their way to mistreat the homeless. What practical steps can be taken to help people who don't help themselves? As you said there is welfare available for them.

Of course the homeless aren't mistreated deliberately - although it's certainly not a safe place out in the streets.  Unfortunately too many of them have a chronic mental illness and they reach the point where they are unable to ask for help as they become too down, out and demoralised.

When we walk past an unkempt tramp - most of us try not to look and walk straight past.  It is difficult to hold out a hand to help and easier to ignore him/her.  We certainly have to give our volunteers from the soup kitchens and christian charities a lot of credit for the difficult work they do.

This is my first posting in this forum - some of you might know me from other incarnations as BRTD

The closure of mental health facilities and programs has meant that many more people are now on the street with serious mental illnesses. They are extremely vulnerable, and it's disgusting how many have been murdered over recent years.

Homelessness is not just confined to those with mental illnesses, and there are many families, particularly single parents, who have no permanent address. Homeless shelters report that they are forced to turn tens of thousands away each year because there simply aren't enough beds for them.

Many who find themselves on the street are there because they have lost a job and been unable to pay the rent, and may not have any support networks to turn to in an emergency. When you consider how many people in this country are in major debt and live from pay cheque to pay cheque, it's not surprising that homelessness is a growing problem.

If governments were serious about addressing homelessness that would be creating more public housing, not selling it off and letting it run down. The waiting lists in NSW are years long, and for many this is the only thing they have to fall back on.  :'(

Welcome to the forum. I noticed you signed up for an account, but then didn't log in. When you log in you can set it so you are always logged in on that computer, though if you share your PC that could be a problem. It also keeps a post count and that sort of thing, and doesn't display 'guest' beside your name.

Being 'homeless' was one of the best experiences I had in life.
All I had was my 1967 Dodge slant and the freedom to go where I wanted. One of my favourite spots was Cape Schank on the Mornington Peninsula.
My 'homeless' mate travelled with his dog around Tasmania with much enjoyment in his well set-up van and now lives in a nice 40ft yacht ($5,000 donated by me).

mantra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2006 at 6:39am:

Is this what Australia has now become - a society that strives only for it's own gain and forgets those who are unfortunate and disadvantaged?

There is only one thing that matters and that is REFUGEES. Australia's destitute, homeless, mentally ill, infirm, frail etc must be prepared to go without while our government wades out to Ashmore Reef handing out applications for refugee status forms. We - Australians - don't matter. We are here merely to pay the bills.

Remember the Sydney (Scam) 2000 Olympics where all the 'homeless' were swept off the streets, into basic accommodations and half-way houses, then dumped out the door once the Olympics were over.

My relatives stayed in a motel overnight on their way to Sydney for Xmas recently and were quite shocked to have learned that those sharing rooms either side of theirs in a 3 star motel were 'said' homeless people being accommodated over Xmas.

My Aunty made the mistake of giving one woman who advised she was on a methadone program a loaf of bread and $20 to see her through the night, (she said she was hungry and needed sanitary napkins ), and until 11pm these people were knocking on their door asking for my uncles cigarettes, because he had made the mistake of giving them a couple when they first arrived. Before they realised they were bludgers.

None of these people arrived in cars my uncle advised, and being so far from a railway station he wondered how on earth they even got there...or did the government pay for their cab fair too?
They didn't have any children with them,  were 6 adults in their 30's and 40's, both male and female, and were smoking drugs on the porch out the front, and although they occupied different rooms, they appeared to know each other my relatives advised.

Now, with our government accommodating homeless people in motels, why cant they put this funding towards more permanent, longer term solutions?

They said after this, they will never stay in a motel again as they hardly slept a wink all night. They were worried about these 'impoverished' people breaking into their car whilst they slept.
Mind you,  they were supposed to be in need of a bed for the evening, but spent the whole night socialising(smoking dope ) and partying on and making noise until dawn. Go figure?

Tell me, how is it that these 'said' homeless people can afford dope, but cant afford their own personal hygiene products and or even a loaf of bread?

I was so angry when I found out my aunty and uncle got sucked in.

Fair enough if they are truly in need, but to ask for food, then in the next breath have the temerity to offer my poor old great uncle, (80 years old) some pot when he went out to retrieve something from his car whilst they were smoking pot was absolutely disgusting.

This is the state of our country.

This welfare wastage has to stop!

mellie wrote on Dec 28^th, 2010 at 7:46pm:

My relatives stayed in a motel overnight on their way to Sydney for Xmas recently and were quite shocked to have learned that those sharing rooms either side of theirs in a 3 star motel were 'said' homeless people being accommodated over Xmas. My Aunty made the mistake of giving one woman who advised she was on a methadone program a loaf of bread and $20 to see her through the night, (she said she was hungry and needed sanitary napkins ), and until 11pm these people were knocking on their door asking for my uncles cigarettes, because he had made the mistake of giving them a couple when they first arrived. Before they realised they were bludgers. None of these people arrived in cars my uncle advised, and being so far from a railway station he wondered how on earth they even got there...or did the government pay for their cab fair too? They didn't have any children with them,  were 6 adults in their 30's and 40's, both male and female, and were smoking drugs on the porch out the front, and although they occupied different rooms, they appeared to know each other my relatives advised. Now, with our government accommodating homeless people in motels, why cant they put this funding towards more permanent, longer term solutions? They said after this, they will never stay in a motel again as they hardly slept a wink all night. They were worried about these 'impoverished' people breaking into their car whilst they slept. Mind you,  they were supposed to be in need of a bed for the evening, but spent the whole night socialising(smoking dope ) and partying on and making noise until dawn. Go figure? Tell me, how is it that these 'said' homeless people can afford dope, but cant afford their own personal hygiene products and or even a loaf of bread? I was so angry when I found out my aunty and uncle got sucked in. Fair enough if they are truly in need, but to ask for food, then in the next breath have the temerity to offer my poor old great uncle, (80 years old) some pot when he went out to retrieve something from his car whilst they were smoking pot was absolutely disgusting. This is the state of our country. This welfare wastage has to stop!

I'm surprised that your relatives fell for the oldest con in the "homeless" book.
For any homeless person who claims that they need money for such and such, then if you are going to help them then you don't give them money, instead you take them to the place and buy the actual item.

Miss Anne Dryst wrote on Dec 28^th, 2010 at 7:56pm:

mellie wrote on Dec 28th, 2010 at 7:46pm: My relatives stayed in a motel overnight on their way to Sydney for Xmas recently and were quite shocked to have learned that those sharing rooms either side of theirs in a 3 star motel were 'said' homeless people being accommodated over Xmas. My Aunty made the mistake of giving one woman who advised she was on a methadone program a loaf of bread and $20 to see her through the night, (she said she was hungry and needed sanitary napkins ), and until 11pm these people were knocking on their door asking for my uncles cigarettes, because he had made the mistake of giving them a couple when they first arrived. Before they realised they were bludgers. None of these people arrived in cars my uncle advised, and being so far from a railway station he wondered how on earth they even got there...or did the government pay for their cab fair too? They didn't have any children with them,  were 6 adults in their 30's and 40's, both male and female, and were smoking drugs on the porch out the front, and although they occupied different rooms, they appeared to know each other my relatives advised. Now, with our government accommodating homeless people in motels, why cant they put this funding towards more permanent, longer term solutions? They said after this, they will never stay in a motel again as they hardly slept a wink all night. They were worried about these 'impoverished' people breaking into their car whilst they slept. Mind you,  they were supposed to be in need of a bed for the evening, but spent the whole night socialising(smoking dope ) and partying on and making noise until dawn. Go figure? Tell me, how is it that these 'said' homeless people can afford dope, but cant afford their own personal hygiene products and or even a loaf of bread? I was so angry when I found out my aunty and uncle got sucked in. Fair enough if they are truly in need, but to ask for food, then in the next breath have the temerity to offer my poor old great uncle, (80 years old) some pot when he went out to retrieve something from his car whilst they were smoking pot was absolutely disgusting. This is the state of our country. This welfare wastage has to stop! I'm surprised that your relatives fell for the oldest con in the "homeless" book. For any homeless person who claims that they need money for such and such, then if you are going to give them money then you take them to the place and buy the actual item.

Lol, poor old things, give them a break, they are do-gooders, are right into charity functions from their local area, and are like allot of elderly people I think, naive to the malignant state of our nations welfare dependent and lazy.

See, back in their day, you wouldn't dream of asking a stranger for food or money, unless you really needed it, were truly starving.

And don't worry, I gave my aunt and uncle a 'kind' lecture, about it, not that there was much point, this will probably be the last time they drive to Sydney, I'm surprised my uncle got here by Xmas driving 50k the whole way in the slow lane.  lol



I think they were a little intimidated by them actually, and were worried that if they didn't help them they might break into their car over-night and help themselves. My uncle was really worried about them breaking into the car and stealing xmas presents.

Honestly, I wished they had have called us, my parents would have driven there within 5 hours, if we knew how frightened they were, we would have figured out something.

My uncle really shouldn't be driving long distances anyway, (this and my uncle is unlikely to pass his eye test early next year for his licence renewal, by his own confession).. so I dare say this will be their last stint in a motel anyway.

*fingers crossed*

::)i

;) This is why the UK will take its Union Jack off the Australian Flag soon - too many Aussie bludgers free-loading on the Commonwealth.
And when the Political Hobbits of the ACT Shire close the doors of Bag End under Capital Hill because they can only afford a 'simple life' of Political charity, rather than financial.

...afterall, they've just taken back "their" Ashes. ;) ;D

salad in wrote on Dec 28^th, 2010 at 6:58pm:

mantra wrote on Dec 27th, 2006 at 6:39am: Is this what Australia has now become - a society that strives only for it's own gain and forgets those who are unfortunate and disadvantaged? There is only one thing that matters and that is REFUGEES. Australia's destitute, homeless, mentally ill, infirm, frail etc must be prepared to go without while our government wades out to Ashmore Reef handing out applications for refugee status forms. We - Australians - don't matter. We are here merely to pay the bills.

ha.ha.. as soon as I saw this and read mantras words I thought heres someone who wants her cake and eat it as well..

when ever anyone complains about the access and treatment dished out by this govt towards asylum seekers.. we get shouted down as bigots racists. heartless.cruel you names it..we have plenty in this country lets share it with outsiders thats the mantra...

yeah right..

now we dont do enough for our own... havent we been trying to tell you that mantra.. yet you call us names for doing so..

so you will excuse me if I find this thread just a little bit over the top and quite unbelievable wont you?

rudd came in with guns blazing what he was going to do for the homeless..... well you tell us what he did and what gillard is doing you voted for them. you believed them.. so tell us what they have done... dont worry about the asylum seekers we know exactly what we are doing for them...how many defence homes in Adelaide all lying empty waiting for asylums seekers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!how many millions and growing now?

There is a new drink at the bar on Christmas Island.
Its called "asylum seekers on the rocks" guaranteed to get you smashed.

It raining datsun cogs in Sydney tonight.

I hope all the homeless have a nice dry alcove to sleep in.

It_is_the_Darkness wrote on Dec 28^th, 2010 at 4:25pm:

Being 'homeless' was one of the best experiences I had in life. All I had was my 1967 Dodge slant and the freedom to go where I wanted. One of my favourite spots was Cape Schank on the Mornington Peninsula. My 'homeless' mate travelled with his dog around Tasmania with much enjoyment in his well set-up van and now lives in a nice 40ft yacht ($5,000 donated by me).

Oh look. One of my older posts and names.  ;D I forgot about this one.  :D

Homelessness is just a label people put on people who don't live comfortably in Cities.
Were the Aboriginals, nomadic in their ways - homeless?
I don't think so.
I lived in the bush recently - it was a great 'lifestyle' and I only upgraded into a caravan because someone offered to lend me one for 'free'.

I tend to think that all the 'city' homeless would be 'better off' not making the other city people look good, if they went into the bush and got some fresh air for starters. They might find that they only 'lack' in city life, rather than country life.

Something lost, is something gained.

wrote on Jan 4^th, 2007 at 7:27pm:

This is my first posting in this forum - some of you might know me from other incarnations as BRTD The closure of mental health facilities and programs has meant that many more people are now on the street with serious mental illnesses. They are extremely vulnerable, and it's disgusting how many have been murdered over recent years. Homelessness is not just confined to those with mental illnesses, and there are many families, particularly single parents, who have no permanent address. Homeless shelters report that they are forced to turn tens of thousands away each year because there simply aren't enough beds for them. Many who find themselves on the street are there because they have lost a job and been unable to pay the rent, and may not have any support networks to turn to in an emergency. When you consider how many people in this country are in major debt and live from pay cheque to pay cheque, it's not surprising that homelessness is a growing problem. If governments were serious about addressing homelessness that would be creating more public housing, not selling it off and letting it run down. The waiting lists in NSW are years long, and for many this is the only thing they have to fall back on.  :'(

Good first post... all true.

Miss Anne Dryst wrote on Dec 28^th, 2010 at 7:56pm:

mellie wrote on Dec 28th, 2010 at 7:46pm: My relatives stayed in a motel overnight on their way to Sydney for Xmas recently and were quite shocked to have learned that those sharing rooms either side of theirs in a 3 star motel were 'said' homeless people being accommodated over Xmas. My Aunty made the mistake of giving one woman who advised she was on a methadone program a loaf of bread and $20 to see her through the night, (she said she was hungry and needed sanitary napkins ), and until 11pm these people were knocking on their door asking for my uncles cigarettes, because he had made the mistake of giving them a couple when they first arrived. Before they realised they were bludgers. None of these people arrived in cars my uncle advised, and being so far from a railway station he wondered how on earth they even got there...or did the government pay for their cab fair too? They didn't have any children with them,  were 6 adults in their 30's and 40's, both male and female, and were smoking drugs on the porch out the front, and although they occupied different rooms, they appeared to know each other my relatives advised. Now, with our government accommodating homeless people in motels, why cant they put this funding towards more permanent, longer term solutions? They said after this, they will never stay in a motel again as they hardly slept a wink all night. They were worried about these 'impoverished' people breaking into their car whilst they slept. Mind you,  they were supposed to be in need of a bed for the evening, but spent the whole night socialising(smoking dope ) and partying on and making noise until dawn. Go figure? Tell me, how is it that these 'said' homeless people can afford dope, but cant afford their own personal hygiene products and or even a loaf of bread? I was so angry when I found out my aunty and uncle got sucked in. Fair enough if they are truly in need, but to ask for food, then in the next breath have the temerity to offer my poor old great uncle, (80 years old) some pot when he went out to retrieve something from his car whilst they were smoking pot was absolutely disgusting. This is the state of our country. This welfare wastage has to stop! I'm surprised that your relatives fell for the oldest con in the "homeless" book. For any homeless person who claims that they need money for such and such, then if you are going to help them then you don't give them money, instead you take them to the place and buy the actual item.

Or do what we did in Cambra once, and offer a homeless guy our vacant caravan with annex in return for a little work on the property..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqzpQPDSr2s

Gordon wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 8:23pm:

It raining datsun cogs in Sydney tonight. I hope all the homeless have a nice dry alcove to sleep in.

Nor sleet, nor rain, nor snow, nor found,
Shall keep the homeless
From their appointed round.

Storm took out power here.... buggar....rained datsun cogs....

When we say 'Homeless' and 'Dole Recipient' - we always leave out the bit where they are 'city' homeless or country homeless or Dole Bludger or Dole Battler.

I think the Media has regressed into the USA 'stereotype' or Northern Hemisphere version and forgotten what Australia started out 'originally' under British interaction.
Where homeless in the Country was a state of FREEDOM and the Dole system worked well providing the 'Battlers' the safety net to bounce back up again from being permanently poor.

Now its city-only Homeless and Dole Bludgers only.

Jasin wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 10:13pm:

When we say 'Homeless' and 'Dole Recipient' - we always leave out the bit where they are 'city' homeless or country homeless or Dole Bludger or Dole Battler. I think the Media has regressed into the USA 'stereotype' or Northern Hemisphere version and forgotten what Australia started out 'originally' under British interaction. Where homeless in the Country was a state of FREEDOM and the Dole system worked well providing the 'Battlers' the safety net to bounce back up again from being permanently poor. Now its city-only Homeless and Dole Bludgers only.

We have homeless that choose it. Not in the way you do. They choose to be destitute. Y'all probably should know where I volunteer by now and I have seen people put into housing and walk away from it a week later because their "friends" are not there. They then end up on the river bank again by choice. One guy was offered housing for $150 a week, I guess utilities on top of than but he refused, "do you know how much piss that can buy?".

Not all homeless are poor unfortunates, many choose it to stay drug addicted, piss heads. I volunteer with an ex homeless person, she was not cut from the same cloth. She did not see that as her life, she's no longer homeless. I can't comprehend what keeps some people doing what they do. We have a couple of homeless guys that come from local families that are well off and can return if they obey some rules like stop stealing our poo, stop the drugs. They do not go to them. Their homelessness is their choice.

Maybe send them to Central America where they can fit in with all the other Zombies who just don't give a stuff unless its substance abuse and destitution?

Afterall... the British sent such 'here', to fit right in  ;)

Jasin wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 10:26pm:

Maybe send them to Central America where they can fit in with all the other Zombies who just don't give a stuff unless its substance abuse and destitution? Afterall... the British sent such 'here', to fit right in  ;)

I think you'll find that is wrong Jasin. Most Irish sent here would these days be classed as political prisoners and the poms were hanging 12yo girls for theft. Some had their sentences converted to life here. It was a very brutal time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtzEaWc36lw

You might find that much of Australia's early 'Euro' history was full of lies and propaganda.

The sympathy of being sent here for stealing a loaf of bread was that there were many paedophiles, murderers, rapists, etc - who were also sent here.

I don't buy into the Irish V English dramatics - its pedantic and has about as much importance as Serbs v Croats  ::)
Irish or English - they are 'both' over there on the 'West' of Europe... together.  :P One played rich, while the other cried poor for sleeping with the rich man's wife... blah, blah  ::)

Jasin wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 10:41pm:

You might find that much of Australia's early 'Euro' history was full of lies and propaganda. The sympathy of being sent here for stealing a loaf of bread was that there were many paedophiles, murderers, rapists, etc - who were also sent here. I don't buy into the Irish V English dramatics - its pedantic and has about as much importance as Serbs v Croats  ::) Irish or English - they are 'both' over there on the 'West' of Europe... together.  :P One played rich, while the other cried poor for sleeping with the rich man's wife... blah, blah  ::)

;D I have a stabby Croat mate that would love to educate you about Coat/Serb relations.

You can buy what you like. The fact is people were hung, as young as 12, for theft in England. Any Irishman that didn't like how the English treated them was not going to end up in a good place. It was not the world we inhabit. They were over there, then they were over here, against their will.

Jasin wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 10:41pm:

You might find that much of Australia's early 'Euro' history was full of lies and propaganda. The sympathy of being sent here for stealing a loaf of bread was that there were many paedophiles, murderers, rapists, etc - who were also sent here. I don't buy into the Irish V English dramatics - its pedantic and has about as much importance as Serbs v Croats  ::) Irish or English - they are 'both' over there on the 'West' of Europe... together.  :P One played rich, while the other cried poor for sleeping with the rich man's wife... blah, blah  ::)

No, their crimes were well documented. Most were sent to Australia for petty theft and fraud.

It's amazing how many people 'here' (in the future) - still hold onto 'old' Old-World existences  ::)
...then go off at Moslems for still acting like as if they were in the Middle-East, and not Australia.  :P

Jasin wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 11:14pm:

It's amazing how many people 'here' (in the future) - still hold onto 'old' Old-World existences  ::) ...then go off at Moslems for still acting like as if they were in the Middle-East, and not Australia.  :P

And?

Have you seen me holding historical animosity? Acknowledging the past is not making excuses for it, then or now. Understanding it is the key to understanding where we are now. If there is nowhere to set out from how can you expect a destination?

Oh - I thought the early settlers, of whatever kind, created a pretty good country until recent times when the flood of dimwits came along.... and decided they could change it according to some formula..

Anyway - when I was thrust into homelessness (after owning two homes, a Jaguar and a Daimler etc),  I approached it from the point of view of that journalist in America who went 'Black' and traveled the South to see first hand what Negroes had to put up with...

It was an eye-opener.... and definitely worthy of a book... but the most revealing part of it was seeing first hand the true nature of the society in which we live....... governed by thieves, liars, cheats, bullies and cowards....

You'll be right when you grow up more, Jas.... and get some real experience in life....

Homeless people are one of the primary reasons I hate the grubberment and the scum within.

Disgusting parasitic worthless grubs, them all.

In this day and age, there should not be homeless people.
We pay upward of 30% of our income every week to this black hole of a grubberment.
A grubberment who waste the money on frivolous shite, sending billions to worthless shitehole countries and lining their own pockets with graft, corruption and bribes.

We should be helping the people IN OUR OWN COUNTRY FIRST, not wasting it on people who are nothing to us.

The grubberment should be building affordable housing, providing shelter for the less fortunate in Australia, helping the mentally ill and fighting the corporate and multinational greed that is destroying our society.

I woukd have no problem paying the ridiculous amount of tax I pay, if it were used as intended.
But our grubberment prefer to waste it, send it to shitehole countries and give themselves far far too much.

We need a revolution.........now.

rhino wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 11:07pm:

Jasin wrote on Dec 20th, 2018 at 10:41pm: You might find that much of Australia's early 'Euro' history was full of lies and propaganda. The sympathy of being sent here for stealing a loaf of bread was that there were many paedophiles, murderers, rapists, etc - who were also sent here. I don't buy into the Irish V English dramatics - its pedantic and has about as much importance as Serbs v Croats  ::) Irish or English - they are 'both' over there on the 'West' of Europe... together.  :P One played rich, while the other cried poor for sleeping with the rich man's wife... blah, blah  ::) No, their crimes were well documented. Most were sent to Australia for petty theft and fraud.

dont forget   what we call PETTY     wasnt so PETTY 200 years ago...

no one lives in this day and age like they did 200 years ago....NO ONE....read a book and you can only guess.. ::) you cannot experience the reality of it...

today calling stealing a loaf of bread a crime,seems bizarre   but would it be if someone stole a loaf of bread from you that you had saved a whole year to buy???....

so easy to judge  when you really havent a clue.

i think i read a survey where in 1970 the majority of people stated that they had 5 close friends who they knew they could count on in a crisis.
by 2010 , in the USA the majority of  people had one or none.

homelessness ( if we leave out the mentally ill) reflects bad choices as you climbed (or failed to climb) the narrow road to success (which is a narrow road).

if you didnt learn emotional control and the power of giving before you recieve, then you may have a dysfunctional family who will not be there for you

if you spent your time on social media stirring up hate or in the basement watching porn  instead of volunteering at the local RSPCA or bush fire service or SES or landcare, then you are likely an isolated individual with no contacts.

if you were on the dole and chose to stay home and watch netflix and "take" rather the go volunteer and build social contacts and "contribute", then you leave yourself vulnerable in a crisis.


homelessness is 'extreme scarcity".

its like you look at a homeless person and they are SO MUCH STUCK in "i need to grab, clench and take" that they look terrified someone might steal their cardboard box.

yet again (yawn) the answer is just so obvious.

you have to give before you recieve.

you give to your parents and siblings and children
you give tons of good emotions and you never take.

you give to your community and you dont take.

this is why welfare is SO TOXIC,  it teaches that taking is ok.

if you are an infant, if you are an 85 yo, if you have a serious disease, then you should take.

if you do not fit into any of those cohorts and you think you get ahead by taking, you are out of your freaking mind

seriously aqua you always blame the victims. Some homeless may be there because of poor choices but nobody can predict the future and it doesn't mean they deserve it.

Spot

i dont think its blaming the victims

when i see people who weigh 150 kg chowing down on a pizza, i think they have made a bad decision and there will be consequences.
when they develop diabetes , its not like they are some random victim of misfortune.
its very much their actions that caused it.

when i see people who make zero effort to develop social capital, who dont think they need to put in and establish good social networks, i think they have made a bad decision and there will be consequences.
if i went home and by misfortune my house had burnt down , would i find myself in the street?

no.

i have taken out the insurance policy of putting in the hard yards to develop strong bonds with multiple people in my social network.
would it have been easier to sit in my room , not support my wife, not develop a bond with my kids, not help out a neighbour, not socialise with family even when one is busy.
yes , it is always easier to do the wrong thing.

and that has consequences.

and those consequences are that you become a toxic person who people do not want around.

take in a homeless person as an experiment
they may be brimming with joy and passion and positivity.
it may be a great experience.
but i feel it is much more likley they are "sad, complain a lot and will suck the energy out of your household".

people want fun happy passionate people around.
i get thats its hard to be fun passionate and happy if you are homeless.
but thats the path forward.

every day, always, work on contributing fun, passion and a positive vibe and you will not believe the doors that will open for you

aquascoot wrote on Dec 21^st, 2018 at 7:04am:

i dont think its blaming the victims when i see people who weigh 150 kg chowing down on a pizza, i think they have made a bad decision and there will be consequences. when they develop diabetes , its not like they are some random victim of misfortune. its very much their actions that caused it. when i see people who make zero effort to develop social capital, who dont think they need to put in and establish good social networks, i think they have made a bad decision and there will be consequences. if i went home and by misfortune my house had burnt down , would i find myself in the street? no. i have taken out the insurance policy of putting in the hard yards to develop strong bonds with multiple people in my social network. would it have been easier to sit in my room , not support my wife, not develop a bond with my kids, not help out a neighbour, not socialise with family even when one is busy. yes , it is always easier to do the wrong thing. and that has consequences. and those consequences are that you become a toxic person who people do not want around. take in a homeless person as an experiment they may be brimming with joy and passion and positivity. it may be a great experience. but i feel it is much more likley they are "sad, complain a lot and will suck the energy out of your household". people want fun happy passionate people around. i get thats its hard to be fun passionate and happy if you are homeless. but thats the path forward. every day, always, work on contributing fun, passion and a positive vibe and you will not believe the doors that will open for you

Actually if my house burned down i would be on the street - because most of my friends and family are DEAD

I have taken in homeless ppl multiple times over the years. 1 good example was an aboriginal man in Darwin who had an abcess in his arm. He slept on my kitchen floor and came to work with me and unloaded fishing boats with 1 arm all day in the heat. Of course he is an extreme example and i wouldnt expect anyone to do that. He just really wanted to - perhaps that fellow was you? Thats the kind of attitude you seem to think everyone should have. I know his story too and how he got where he was - not pretty. Not his fault at all either. Not everyone can do that though.

Spot

cods wrote on Dec 21^st, 2018 at 5:50am:

rhino wrote on Dec 20th, 2018 at 11:07pm: Jasin wrote on Dec 20th, 2018 at 10:41pm: You might find that much of Australia's early 'Euro' history was full of lies and propaganda. The sympathy of being sent here for stealing a loaf of bread was that there were many paedophiles, murderers, rapists, etc - who were also sent here. I don't buy into the Irish V English dramatics - its pedantic and has about as much importance as Serbs v Croats  ::) Irish or English - they are 'both' over there on the 'West' of Europe... together.  :P One played rich, while the other cried poor for sleeping with the rich man's wife... blah, blah  ::) No, their crimes were well documented. Most were sent to Australia for petty theft and fraud. dont forget   what we call PETTY     wasnt so PETTY 200 years ago... no one lives in this day and age like they did 200 years ago....NO ONE....read a book and you can only guess.. ::) you cannot experience the reality of it... today calling stealing a loaf of bread a crime,seems bizarre   but would it be if someone stole a loaf of bread from you that you had saved a whole year to buy???.... so easy to judge  when you really havent a clue.

You need to back off there a little Judge Judy, I was describing the crimes not making personal judgements on them.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Dec 21^st, 2018 at 7:30am:

aquascoot wrote on Dec 21st, 2018 at 7:04am: i dont think its blaming the victims when i see people who weigh 150 kg chowing down on a pizza, i think they have made a bad decision and there will be consequences. when they develop diabetes , its not like they are some random victim of misfortune. its very much their actions that caused it. when i see people who make zero effort to develop social capital, who dont think they need to put in and establish good social networks, i think they have made a bad decision and there will be consequences. if i went home and by misfortune my house had burnt down , would i find myself in the street? no. i have taken out the insurance policy of putting in the hard yards to develop strong bonds with multiple people in my social network. would it have been easier to sit in my room , not support my wife, not develop a bond with my kids, not help out a neighbour, not socialise with family even when one is busy. yes , it is always easier to do the wrong thing. and that has consequences. and those consequences are that you become a toxic person who people do not want around. take in a homeless person as an experiment they may be brimming with joy and passion and positivity. it may be a great experience. but i feel it is much more likley they are "sad, complain a lot and will suck the energy out of your household". people want fun happy passionate people around. i get thats its hard to be fun passionate and happy if you are homeless. but thats the path forward. every day, always, work on contributing fun, passion and a positive vibe and you will not believe the doors that will open for you Actually if my house burned down i would be on the street - because most of my friends and family are DEAD I have taken in homeless ppl multiple times over the years. 1 good example was an aboriginal man in Darwin who had an abcess in his arm. He slept on my kitchen floor and came to work with me and unloaded fishing boats with 1 arm all day in the heat. Of course he is an extreme example and i wouldnt expect anyone to do that. He just really wanted to - perhaps that fellow was you? Thats the kind of attitude you seem to think everyone should have. I know his story too and how he got where he was - not pretty. Not his fault at all either. Not everyone can do that though. Spot

a good insurance policy would be to work on establishing a social network.
a bit of volunteer work, anything that gets you mixing with worthwhile people.
quality people abound everywhere, not in nightclubs or hotel pokie rooms but in all the volunteer places.
and if you are a positive person people will always want you around.
if your house burns down, who wouldnt want to help out a colleague by offering them a room.
but if you are socially isolated , this is not possible.
its why , even work for the dole brings people together and has spin off benefits

Cu Chulainn wrote on Dec 20^th, 2018 at 11:20pm:

Jasin wrote on Dec 20th, 2018 at 11:14pm: It's amazing how many people 'here' (in the future) - still hold onto 'old' Old-World existences  ::) ...then go off at Moslems for still acting like as if they were in the Middle-East, and not Australia.  :P And? Have you seen me holding historical animosity? Acknowledging the past is not making excuses for it, then or now. Understanding it is the key to understanding where we are now. If there is nowhere to set out from how can you expect a destination?

Musselonians in the ME are still arguing 1297 and thereabouts when the Crusaders did a dozen or so small scale attacks at a time when the Musselonians were seeking to invade all of Europe and there were hundreds of battles to keep them out.

You simply cannot deal with people so narrow-minded and pig-headed, and it is clear that Musselonians are happy to throw away the rule book, meaning they thus forfeit any rights to civilised response.

Load the Boats!!  Musselonia for the Musselonians!

mantra wrote on Dec 27^th, 2006 at 6:39am:

While most of us have had a fairly warm, indulgent Xmas - have we spared a thought for our homeless people in Australia.  According to  statistics back in 2001, we had reached a figure of 99,900 and when the 2006 census has been counted, this figure is expected to double.  The homeless are those who seek shelter in parks,  shop doorways and alleys - for the maxium protection from the elements of the weather or violence and those who are mentally unable to fit into mainstream life.  If they're lucky enough to find a soup kitchen, they can eat - as so many of these lost people can't claim welfare because they haven't got a permanent address. Australia - according to our Prime Minister - is a rich country where many of us are prosperous, yet little is done to alleviate the misery of our most vulnerable mentally or physically ill people. The results of recent research of our atttitudes to homelessness were as expected - a very high degree of community ignorance as 74 per cent of those surveyed believed that homeless people had only themselves to blame for their plight: they had poor characters and made stupid choices. Is this what Australia has now become - a society that strives only for it's own gain and forgets those who are unfortunate and disadvantaged? We have to change our attitude - as there is not one single reason why these neglected people should have to suffer the way they do in this affluent country.

Your 99,900 figure includes people staying with friends, in refuges or couch-surfing, Mantra. The number of street homeless people is much smaller.

The ones on the streets tend to have mental health problems, which makes this more of a mental health issue than a housing one.

I know a few homeless people who've been given housing and just can't sustain it without a lot of help. One guy I know is back in hospital. He doesn't want to return to his Housing Commission flat because he finds it lonely.

We've tried supported accomodation through mental health services and a house run by Catholic nuns. The only place he seems to stay in is a large, short-term crisis refuge. He can't - or won't - stop using ice.

If solving homelessness was as simple as providing housing, we could do it. But dealing with madness is much more complicated. Some people just don't fit in.

It's interesting that some people find crisis refuges like Matthew Talbots depressing. This place has an overflow. People actually queue to get in - not because that's all there is, but because it's what they know.

I lived in a van for 3 months once. Had a great time. Does that mean I was homeless?