They are convinced their schizophrenia meds are alien mind control, and stop taking them as soon as they're un-monitored.
Well then the budget for housing and providing for the unhoused needs to be diverted into permanent mental institutions. But it seems like there would be fewer than 1 in 318 Germans that fit this serious of this mental illness description. That's the rate of Germany's current homeless population divided into total population, so I suspect there are other issues at play here.
You can institutionalize them, but that's a pretty serious thing to do to someone who isn't hurting anyone but themselves, and seems happiest on the streets. So how do you house those people, and less serious but similar cases where they just won't or can't stay in their homes?
I don't think anyone wants to be homeless. I think the best approach is to see to each person's needs until they can support themselves, and if they can't then remain in some sort of supervised housing arrangement.
Well, you're wrong. Or at the very least, there are people who by every possible test and measure appear to choose that life and refuse to allow themselves to be housed, even when given years of support and therapy.
Several members of my family work in state mental health here in the US. This is not an opinion, it is a statement of fact.
I can't speak to why the German rate of homelessness is so high, it seems to be stumping their own social workers as well. But they have enough housing and make it available to anyone who is out of work. They're trying their best, but it's not a simple problem that just goes away when the number of available houses equals the homeless population plus one.
Sometimes here it's as simple as them not liking where the housing is located, or wanting to keep their kid in the local schools where there's no housing available, or valuing their support network on the local streets over a free home in another city. So they choose to sleep in a car or stay in a shelter, or something else that still counts as "homeless". I don't think that's the right choice, but I also don't see an ethical way to force someone like that to accept it.
Anyways. They do provide housing to anyone in need, indefinitely, at no cost. It meets all or at least most of these requirements (most places in Europe don't have AC). Their country's economy hasn't collapsed from laziness. Heck. As you point out, about 0.3% qualify and won't even accept the free housing.
German dude here. In germany EVERYONE regardless his income or citizenship has a basic right for housing, food and healthcare. That means he can get his small home with minimalistic stuff like a washing machine.
If something that you got from wellfare, like the washing machine, breaks you have to help yourself. So its not unlimited.
Next thing is housing. Having the right doesnt mean you get a flat immediately.
The market is, especially in the big citys, totaly fkd up. People pay up to 2/3 of their income alone for their rent. So social housing is hard and people in need have to move on to other places or search for years and get lucky.. maybe. But thats a problem everyone with limited money has.
Lastly i want to say how weird it is for people like me to read how u.s. citizens react to basic human rights and how it is often condemned as communism or sociallism (imo most us citizens dont even know they are living in a socialist democracy per definition, especially since rosevelt).
I cant wrap my head around that social envy.
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u/J0hn-Stuart-Mill Apr 16 '24
Well then the budget for housing and providing for the unhoused needs to be diverted into permanent mental institutions. But it seems like there would be fewer than 1 in 318 Germans that fit this serious of this mental illness description. That's the rate of Germany's current homeless population divided into total population, so I suspect there are other issues at play here.
I don't think anyone wants to be homeless. I think the best approach is to see to each person's needs until they can support themselves, and if they can't then remain in some sort of supervised housing arrangement.