Ok Mr “Knob on my shoulders” we will think about who has to pay. Heaven forbid any of our money is spent to help sick and unsheltered people; places where predators can’t act with impunity thanks to services and dignified care for our most desperate.
Clearly folks are there anyway. They are not being “encouraged to be there” this seems more like providing services where the need exists. Also it is to demonstrate the perks of alternative building which is a lesson we should all take to heart.
Not to be harsh but 1993… Oakland… There are lessons to be learned from that nightmare and while pollution’s health toll is very serious there is such urgent need for exactly this sort of solution.
Can we agree in light of experience that these people deserve better than toxic mud huts? But any hut full of food and care is better than dying on the streets?
If your going to die of thirst within the hour is a gallon of water from a lead pipe a bad idea?
I’m guessing you missed the part where it’s clearly stated that people don’t live in this ‘village’; it’s there to provide resources for those who are houseless.
If you have some viable ideas on how to permanently alleviate the housing crisis in our fair city, by all means, do tell…
So, paying poverty wages and not providing any affordable housing or even safe encampment areas with basic amenities?
Unfortunately, we all pay for that. But only the few profit from it.
And edit to clarify again, since the headline is misleading and it appears some commenters haven’t watched the video or read the entire thread: the new structures are not homes. Nobody lives in them. They already live nearby. Unhoused. This project is creating community spaces (kitchen, bathroom, free store).
And dignity.
FFS. It’s not perfect, but it’s not a bad thing.
I also didn’t miss the part where they are storing and preparing food in these beautiful and poisonous community spaces.
It’s kind of like that old start trek episode where the space hippies were headed to Eden… It was gorgeous. One bite of the fruit would kill and to walk on the grass barefoot would destroy your feet… BUT it looked great!
MY point is the story has great optics… and horrifying reality.
And yet, less horrifying than the reality these folks are living in already.
I agree, our current reality sucks for these communities, and systemic change is needed, and being worked for.
Reading this thread, I’m reminded of the old adage about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. I can’t imagine food stored in a refrigerator in a cob structure is any more dangerous than food stored in tents in the same toxic environment. The dirt used on the walls is all around them.
If the options are “do nothing” or “do this,” I’ll vote for doing what these groups did. YMMV.
It’s been utterly disheartening seeing the tent cities spread as the situation grows ever more dire, especially over the last few years; if anyone has a viable solution to help, I’d love to hear it.
So far I’ve mostly just heard complaints about why the people who are donating time, resources and energy toward helping the homeless population are doing it wrong.
Hey, we gave the USA public trillions during the pandemic…how about building homes for the homeless, appropriating existing static properties for the homeless, and renovating the homes of those who are on the brink?
Oh, or the classic complaint when bigger, housing first solutions are contemplated: “That’s just throwing more money at the problem.”
It costs money to build, or buy, housing. Period.
You never hear someone who needs new shoes complaining that going out and buying them is, “just throwing money at the problem.”
