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By J. Patrick Coolican (contact) 
Friday, Jan. 25, 2013 | 2 a.m.
It’s 3 a.m. Thursday, we’re searching for and counting the homeless, and Neil Jurgensen is our guide. Jurgensen, 49, spent 20 years living as an alcoholic on the ragged edge of the community, alternating among overfilled shelters, weekly motels, and the sidewalks of Owens and Sahara. Now sober two years and living at Salvation Army Safe Haven, Jurgensen volunteered as a guide on the valley’s every-other-year homeless census, in which nonprofit groups and government agencies, including police, come together to count the homeless. It’s a mandate of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, and it could help us ...
This was well done, Coolican. You kept your lefty orthodoxy to yourself, played it straight and shed light on a worthy topic. I kept waiting for you to blame the mean, old Republicans for putting all of these people on the street, and you surprised me. Good going.
I helped one year, counting the homeless. All the homeless people said the same thing. They wanted Affordable housing, help getting their I.D. Cards. And if they are not breaking the law to be left alone.
Another excellent article. The attempt to telephone Dad says a lot. No wonder the man has chronic depression.... JPC, do ya see or agree that I recognize the NEED for dormitory housing solutions for many? Transition from homeless AND for others such as semi-disabled, semi-handicapped, semi-mainstream? We need to finally recognize that it's not all black or white. Not all American Dream family with house or completely shiftless. I would think that dormitory living would be the goal, not the transition for many people. And in either case, we need to FOCUS DHHS into thinking of ways to provide ESSENTIAL SERVICES to Americans. Let's stop requiring giving birth to qualify for assistance and deal with the issues people face alone.
"His day was a triangle: breakfast at Catholic Charities, lunch at Salvation Army, dinner at the Rescue Mission."
Which is why many of them are able to not even bother trying to sober up or to get a job. Too many places that will provide their basic needs, no strings attached. Then they can use the disability check, food stamp money, whatever, to continue using drugs and alcohol.
It's the drug and alcohol addiction that eventually brings them to this. They become non functioning adults and unemployable. Every time I see a panhandler on a street corner the first thing that I can see in their eyes is drunk or stoned out of their mind.
There's no doubt other factors such as financial hardship but they will never right themselves if they continue to use drugs and alcohol.
Even if you have skills not having an address or phone really affects you getting a job.
Interesting story about a very real and expensive issue. I recommend a drive through the area-get a real sense of what is reported here.
Great article again, J. Patrick Coolican!!!
PART ONE
After service in the Marine Corps, I had decided it was time to go to college on my GI Bill. I was offered an opportunity to work at the Vietnam Veterans Center as a volunteer with the homeless in downtown Las Vegas.
The first thing I discovered, quickly, was that there were many more homeless Vietnam Veterans than had been previously calculated. What was even more stunning was that in some areas, where homeless veterans massed, in a community of sorts, there were a few aged remnants of Korea and World War II veterans that were scattered around the compound. They seemed to be the overseers and most influential. These few survivors certainly were the storytellers when intruders, such as I, appeared in their territory.
There is a lot more as to why people become homeless than what mainstream society generally perceives. Bringing the homeless, out from the harsh environment of homelessness is not as simple as many writers and their readers believe. Surely it is true that a lack of job and social skills trap a fair proportion of people in homelessness. In many of these cases, for the newly arrived homeless, the accelerated downward spiral goes mostly uninterrupted.
But this one category of rootlessness took me aback here in Las Vegas when I learned about the huge amount of chronically destitute teens that were either runaway's and or were discarded by their parents. To even possibly bring these youths out from homelessness, this is a very much difficult, time-consuming and expensive organized process to an uncertain conclusion. In other words, with the exception of family reunifications, which are few, by themselves, the chances at a planned and or controlled achievement with these youngsters at this stage are truly far-flung.
PART TWO
Another huge variable to even making a dent in the homeless problem is the addictions that a significant portion of the dispossessed have. While many of the homeless on the face of it walk into this status with an already serious addiction problem, I've learned that another significant portion of others turn to illicit drugs and alcohol abuse just due to the mental and emotional stress of the homelessness itself. It's like the continuation of such could well be a form of unhurried madness and or even suicide. Most in this category are not ever truly employable, and even after treatment, few ever reach an even temporary employment status. Mr. Jurgensen is an extreme exception to the rule.
Here is the bottom line that I've learned for our American society to consider; homelessness both exacerbates and or creates a much larger mentally ill population. Just know that, many homeless people do start out mentally sound. However, they develop mental illnesses as a result of physical assaults, sexual assaults, sleep deprivation, and exposure to many other traumatic scenarios.
We could, America, avoid many of our citizens falling into this trap. Sure, I understand the bad economy. I also clearly understand the huge consequences for a society that ignores people going into homelessness.
Bradley, many develop mental illnesses as you say. But many have those illnesses perhaps starting with self esteem issues--when they are born to parents with varying ideas of what parental responsibilities are. What does a kid do when Mom and Dad don't care about anything? Maybe they see that the kids are fed, yelled at, told to shut up, no school clothes provided, no toys, only television as a babysitter? What does a kid do when s/he sees class mates with real parents? When other kids' parents are actually interested in the kids and what the kids think? THIS is a large part of why I am decidedly AGAINST WELFARE. I accept the right to chose abortion (up to 20 weeks) but I don't advocate it. Almost anyone can produce a child--but the child should NOT be used as a means to a livelihood NOR as treated as a burden. We have barren people who go out-of-country for adoption. Stop this. TAKE the kids out of frightful home situations and sever parental rights. Give these kids a chance. Further, this would cut the birth rate markedly--the birth rate (by use of contraception) of those who refuse to parent their kids and those who refuse to financially support their kids.
As we move deeper into the Obama Economy, I have to wonder what these people who seem to think Homelessness is caused by being drunk or on drugs, what they will do when they lose everything and struggle to survive. Will they panhandle for money to buy a can of Pepsi?? Or a bottle of booze?
TomD: is the alcohol/drugs the chicken or the egg? Granted many homeless consume. What would you be doing if you lived out there? If a small bottle of wine would help you stay warm sleeping on cardboard? I still advocate dorms. Social Services / the shelters could charge something, provide the address / phone number, have locking individual rooms with common kitchens to help homeless folks transition--those people who are willing to work for their keep. We've all seen those who are trying IF we've checked out the thrift stores, food banks, shelters run by Sally Ann, Catholic Community.... It is past time for Nevada DHHS to DO SOMETHING for homeless, single adults and teens instead of dumping endless funding to pregnant young mothers--and yes, many many of them are illegal moms. Do something for our Vets and displaced workers.
The Director of Urban Housing now has a personal, face to face view of the homeless. This night should bring about some serious thinking on how to help and prevent persons from being homeless. No person wants to be homeless or ignored by those persons who were at somewhere in their life considered as VIPs. Some fate, not found in genetic make-up, caused these persons to become homeless; especially the women. Some may be mentally impaired; some may be just given the shaft by society and their families. This scene is worse than the lack of integration of casinos.
As with everything in life, your lot is mostly controlled by a combination of genetics, environment, and luck, with a few personal choices thrown in the mix.
Some people use drugs / alcohol to excess and are well off and successful. Others are doomed from their first drink / or use.
That's why the bible says "there will always be the poor"...because life, genetics and environment, if you will, is one big crap shoot.
The problem is no worse now than it has ever been, except there are soooo many more people in a world that, geographically, is the same size, so it seems like the problems are growing.
The real question is how much do we want to help / support / enable our fellow man, even if the efforts will often be futile?
stopthebs: Not to be argumentative, but.... Perhaps the real question is:
Does the cost of emergency room "health care" for one homeless person exceed the cost to GIVE him/her a dorm room? Or the cost to our safety on the streets? These people already (usually) qualify for EBT food stamps, Medicaid, and sporadic programs that don't require custody of a child. I'm NOT for much in the social welfare world but THESE people are in need with limited options. We can "blame" it on K-12 or the parents or everybody but the facts of life are simply that children WITHOUT CARE and nurturing don't ever grow up into functioning adults. Some can fake a semblance IF they get some guidance along the way by observing "normal" behavior, by reading (if they can read), from social workers, from non-profit intervention, from "life skills" training forced upon them by the government. Our SOP of paying non-self-reliant girls to chuck out babies, pay them to "raise" the kids and leave them to the fates is just not working well. We have another $10 million for Syrian refugees but nothing more for hungry American seniors and street people. OK, some homeless came from "good" homes but as someone else mentioned above, they were "discarded" by family.
Perhaps the problem is no worse than it's always been. But from time immemorial we have been beneficent -- although we dump much of our wealth outside the country. I'm suggesting TARGETED assistance to those who can again become PRODUCTIVE taxpayers and perhaps to those we can encourage to the point of LESS DEPENDENCY on substances and on society.
I recall a program out of New York where social workers GAVE housing to homeless--it was cost effective. Much less expense to Medicaid and ER's because those with say epilepsy weren't seizing out in public but able to have a small efficiency apartment, food stamps, regular "free clinic" check ups.
Count the empty beer cans on any given weekend and divide by 6. There's your number.
Plus, you can recycle the cans and Save The Planet from certain Death and Destruction from Man Made Global Warming/Climate Change, or whatever the left wants to call it today.
Win/Win
Oh ya, and welcome to the Obama Economy that you folks at the Sun lust over so dearly.
We could all be homeless soon.
The best thing to do is first hate rich people.
Obama's Recession.
This homeless society is terrible. Here some prefer european policies not leaving humans outside the roof, provide houses to share, live for and secure the basic needs as element of life. As there is no free land to call it yours, shouting "timber" many times to build your own house.
Obama's Recession? Well ja. Remember all the hype about doing for our Veterans. Well many of them are out there on the streets. What's O. doing? Trying to con us into amnesty for illegals. What's he doing for homeless Veterans? Same thing that he's doing for discarded teens--NOTHING. I mean, they're AMERICANS and are left without services.
It is a well-known, sociological fact that THE MORE WE CARE FOR THE HOMELESS, THE MORE HOMELESS THERE'LL BE. According the Marx's dictum, "From each according to his ability to each according to his need," means that the end result is the socialistic collapse of society.
That is where we are headed, folks.
So let's not "care" for the homeless especially illegals and mothers-as-career-instead-of supporting self. Let's CONSIDER those who are trying, really trying, to be self sufficient but have had negligible support from shiftless parents and extended family, who "grew up" on their own and DON'T KNOW HOW to make a considered decision. I'm not suggesting intensive 24/7 hospital care or full blown housing/food/health care without productive work. How about 6-12 months in dormitory housing while the individual sorts things out? Provide up to once a week or once a month "counseling" where an individual could discuss it with a PRACTICAL adult who has some real ideas on what it's like for the clients. They can use their food stamps or go to the soup kitchens. They've been getting by without health care, without clothing support, without so the cost to do the same for them is pretty minimal.