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Reagan cut funding for California's mental hospitals back when he was Governor. The result was a rise in homelessness and a 'need' for more police to protect property. It worked so well that he did the same when he became President.
It costs more to keep a person in jail than it does to send them to college.
Of note, the overwhelming majority of unhoused folks don't have a psychiatric condition that would justify hospitalization. Someone with untreated schizophrenia running in the street and screaming is much more visible than the 20 other people sitting quietly out of the way suffering from PTSD or situational depression though, so I can see how you'd make that mistaken assumption.
suffering from PTSD or situational depression
Those are mental health conditions.
a psychiatric condition that would justify hospitalization
Blaming homelessness writ large on mental health conditions is false. Homelessness has many root causes, and most of them are socioeconomic.
Now you're just splitting hairs.
I also talked about how college is cheaper than jail.
We're both talking about the same thing; using expensive punishment instead of cheaper, more humane alternatives.
The streets are open-air mental hospitals. But also jails. I know several folks who have fluttered in and out of the system for as long as I have breathed air. On account of being schizophrenic. But I don't think that's the only reason why I have known folks who have been run through the system. A lot of homeless camps are riddled with folks who want better, but also don't want to be judge for their level of functionality (within society) or lifestyle choices. I myself would have lost everything to gun violence if it weren't for my amazing partner who pulled me through as my brains straight fell from my head.
But homeless folks aren't the only ones at risk, and neither are just low income folks. I wish there were more mental health outlets for individuals as a whole. The ACP helped a slew of people I knew would never have a phone (and in turn would never have any sort of internet) get connected. I am hoping people are weathering life without it now, but equally I am hoping that there will be some amazing breakthroughs in open-source LLMs which can help people through dedicated non-profits when they cannot figure out how to get any other sort of mental help. Even if these bots are acting as sound boards. Because there have been studies done and people holding things in seem to be a space that leads to trauma. Trauma leads to illness.
But all things aside, biggest thing is if you wanna help your neighbors (or fellow human) just try to go about life not being super shitty or super ignorant. Because your experience (as is mine) isn't the only one people have going through their day to day. There's all sorts of variables which change people's paths and plans. And it's so freakin' aggravating seeing people online always being so argumentative about everything. And I swear to god some combination of corporate hustle, online crunchiness, and politics got everybody acting like they've got a bunch of bees up their butt. So you know, just think of the aloha. Try to live the aloha. You got this!