Wanna hear from the peanut gallery here, not necessarily agreeing with article or promoting its advice.
Is being able to support oneself a privilege? I suppose it is. I don't know. I find the "privilege" and "unpacking my feelings of discomfort" places most problematic in this article. Oh, and the advice to give as well. Thoughts?
Mental Illness & Substance Use
Data from research conducted in the past five years indicates that:
• About 30% of people who are chronically homeless have mental health conditions.
• About 50% have co-occurring substance use problems.
According to analyses of data from the 1996 NSHAPC:
• Over 60% of people who are chronically homelessness have experienced lifetime mental health problems
• Over 80% have experienced lifetime alcohol and/or drug problems
http://homeless.samhsa.gov/ResourceFiles/hrc_factsheet.pdf
There are a few homeless dudes (60%, statistically; 85% are single) in the same neighborhood as my wife's business. If you make eye contact with them they shout WHATAREYOULOOKINGATFUCKHEAD!WANNASTARTSOMETHINGCUNT! and lunge at you.
As you drive past them. I've had 'em jump out at me on my bicycle.
I had my house broken into by ave rats (the privileged homeless). They stole about $4k worth of shit. And my toilet paper. And my diet coke. 'cuz they don't like shopping.
Note - I helped count homeless one night. I put a social worker through grad school. And every Friday, for four years, I had dinner with a pair of psychiatrists that treated the homeless 50-60 hrs a week. For five years I worked nights in nightclubs in downtown Seattle, where I was surrounded by crack-addicted homeless going in and coming out. I'm not some college student seeing homeless people for the first time and feeling guilty about it.
Sure - if it makes you feel better, be nice. If it makes you feel better, volunteer or shit, just give money. Union Gospel Mission has gotten a couple hundred bucks off me. But don't for a minute think that being nice and volunteering and shit will keep some meth-addicted schizophrenic from deciding you're smiling at him because the voices told you he masturbates to Bette Midler and you want to steal his fillings.
U GO GRRL