Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Homeless or Houseless

After Bob died I felt the need to give myself a break from the news and politics. I only meant it to be a break but it's been so nice I'm inclined to make it permanent. I always have a bee in my bonnet so I turned to the issue of the homeless or houseless to relieve my boredom.

I have no idea why this subject caught my attention but possibly because it is real, it is happening in my city. I see it when I go out.

There appears to be a variety of variations of it. One variation is homeless people who find their way into abandoned RVs and attempt to live there. Sometimes on neighborhood streets, vacant lots, and other locations. These are easy to spot because the vehicles are in bad shape, and getting worse.

Then there's the very young living out of their cars or vans to save money. It probably works for them for a few years but not long term.

The ones that bother me the most are the retired people who have come to retirement and find themselves without enough income to provide a roof over their head. I think it probably happens more often to women than men. They take the last of their meager funds, find a used car, van, truck, or RV, turn it into a living space and try to convince people they're excited and happy to be living such a lifestyle.

It's amazing what can be done to a car or van to make it livable. Remove the back seat and passenger seat and you have space to make a bed, set up a tiny kitchen and call it home. Taking care of bodily functions can be done but it's not easy nor effortless.

What's going to happen if these people become ill? What happens when they're too old to live like that? Isn't this just kicking the can down the road on this problem?


I read the book Nomadland, which seemed to be a good place to begin. From there I've continued to explore.
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More on the subject of retirement with no money, my sister-in-law has been hospitalized with malnutrition. That sounds horrible but it happens frequently among old people who live alone and become depressed. I've known two other ladies that recently moved into assisted living facilities for that very problem. My sister-in-law has no funds for assisted living. Are there older 'nursing homes' that will take people for their social security?
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I wasn't blogging when the buzzards/vultures came to live at my daughter's home. Their habitat was being destroyed so they decided to come live on her porch. It was a pair so the lady laid an egg, then they ate it. Then she laid another egg. They were a nervous pair and projectile vomited on the window and patio door when anything upset them. The wildlife people were called out. They shook their heads and said they could relocate the egg but not the birds. Federal law against that, they're protected. They took the egg away but warned they would likely be back.

This morning they were setting on the wall of her back porch. They're back.

11 comments:

  1. You describe a terrible situation. How can we set up a system that treats the elderly in such a despicable manner. We don't want to pay tax and then we cut things to bail the old government out which is us.

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  2. Please don't get me started on this subject. It makes me so angry.we can build a 30 billion dollar wall but feed the old or very young ..... No way

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  3. A lot of middle aged and older people without health insurance end up losing everything they've got after a major medical crisis and they can't work anymore. I saw a lot of that in the stroke community.

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  4. The very young and the very old are treated very poorly in this country. We are not a kind people, just interested in our own comforts, not caring enough for others around us.

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  5. Homelessness is ugly here in Seattle, with tent and cardboard campers everywhere they can get away with. Garbage and human waste pile up. Yes, I feel bad for homeless people, but I don't understand the filth inflicted on the city. I do contribute monthly to Union Gospel Mission to help provide services to homeless people.

    In this state an elderly person can be declared a ward of the state and nursing home services are provided. All personal resources must be exhausted or cashed in to qualify.

    Your daughter's "tenants" remind me of some of our homeless campers.

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  6. It's becoming more of a crisis as the population aged. Particularly for women . I've written about it in the past. It breaks my heart. No one should feel like garbage waiting to die.

    Those buzzards are also displaced. We're clear cutting every habitat.

    XO
    WWW

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  7. This is really a tough one. We don't have much in the way of homeless here in tiny town but in Florida--mainly do the the climate, it was rampant especially in winter. Surely we can do better. I don't mind my dollars going to help.

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  8. Yes, nursing homes take you and your Social Security to house you.
    Probably what will happen to me because that's all I have to live on as it is.
    Women who stayed home to be wives and mother's, now divorced, get nothing for their "service"--we have no pension, no investments, no annuities. It is a hard life, but at least I don't have to live in my car---at least not yet.

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  9. I’ve never heard of vultures coming that close to humans much less actually laying eggs there — that must be rare.

    Given the many Boomers we’re told there will be a significant increase in the number of needy people. There’s an increasing shortage of home health care providers, partially due to low wages. More people are choosing to remain living in place. Perhaps those Boomers who are able could be paired with the latter group to receive a place to live in exchange for providing some care — ‘til both are decrepit, then what happens? The current govt officials won’t offer solutions lest it be considered socialistic, but the problem is only going to get worst.

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