Why has there been such an increase in the homeless population around here? I do not recall seeing it this bad? I walk around a lot, looking homeless myself with my bright yellow backpack — and the fact that I literally do not have an address. But, that’s another post.
I have seen: 1) the older Black woman, 2) the guy who sleeps in the doorway on Giraud, 3) the guy who is checks the garbage cans, 4) the skinny Black guy talking to himself, 5) the woman sitting on Giraud asking for change, 6) the really skinny bearded guy who screams, 7) the guy with the backpack and bags, 8) the slim guy who has a car he sits in when he is not walking about. 9) The Black shirtless rapper with the gold chain.
I am a trained journalist, I observe a lot. Mostly, I am curious. I guess as they get pushed out of one city, they migrate. Plus, there are not any police patrolling moving them along, so why would they leave this seaside home.
Mental illness and homelessness are linked.The Bay Area is home to some of the wealthiest and most expensive places to live in the world. In the shadow of this great wealth, thousands of people are homeless and many thousands more live below the poverty line on the verge of homelessness. California hosts a total of 113,952 homeless individuals. Most researchers agree that the connection between homelessness and mental illness is a complicated, two-way relationship. An individual’s mental illness may lead to cognitive and behavioral problems that make it difficult to earn a stable income or to carry out daily activities in ways that encourage stable housing. Several studies have shown, however, that individuals with mental illnesses often find themselves homeless primarily as the result of poverty and a lack of low-income housing. The combination of mental illness and homelessness also can lead to other factors such as increased levels of alcohol and drug abuse and violent victimization that reinforce the connection between health and homelessness. (Source: https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/homelessness-and-mental-illness-challenge-our-society)
I do not know what the solution is, but there needs to be one as this issue becomes more serious. I cannot imagine how each of them got here — meaning, on the streets. I am curious to their stories. Although the guy in the car told me and Debra that he was once a lawyer, then teachers got to him. He said not to trust teachers.
Talk about a cliffhanger.