Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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HomelessHotel

Everyone Should Be Minimally Taken Care Of
  (+8, -1)
(+8, -1)
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In the same way there are public restroom, there should be a place to crash for the homeless. Physically, it would be a building the size of a one car garage, but twice as deep. There would be someone (homeless) running the place. As people come in, they would get a token and have their picture taken. You could use the token to enter any free room.

The "room" would be easily long enough for a tall person to lay down in. It would be easily wide enough to handle an obese person. It would be tall enough for the tall man to sit up and read. There would be two floors, two levels per floor, twelve rows per level (48 "bunks").

When the person left, the person running the place would replace the used wall-to-wall mat with a fresh one and ensure the walls were clean, etc.

"Gruel" would be dispnesed in a water cooler arrangement (paper cups, all you can eat [yuck]).

One person per "room". Always free. No smoking. Always the same warm temperature. People who abuse the place or people are refused re-admission.

It isn't pretty, but it is safe, clean, healthy, and affordable.

just4kinks, May 27 2004

(?) Huts for the homeless http://www.madhousers.org/index.shtml
site has a faq, blueprints and other cool stuff [xclamp, Oct 17 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

(???) See this idea too http://www.halfbake...or_20the_20homeless
related [xclamp, Oct 17 2004]

Cleaning the homeless http://www.halfbake...ng_20the_20homeless
[James Newton, Oct 17 2004]

Queer Eye for the Homeless Guy http://www.halfbake...he_20Homeless_20Guy
[James Newton, Oct 17 2004]

[link]






       Wrong in so many ways. But "everyone should be minimally taken care of" - why? We are not a Communist state, and in any case, they didn't do so well.   

       There is a role for charity in taking care of the homeless, but homelessness is a symptom, not the disease: giving a homeless person a free home doesn't help them in any way whatsoever.
DrCurry, May 27 2004
  

       Fine. Your garage; your rules.
dpsyplc, May 27 2004
  

       [DrC] //giving a homeless person a free home doesn't help them in any way whatsoever.// - now.. I'm not that bright, but it'd def. be better than not having shelter.
neilp, May 27 2004
  

       Giving them a home to work from is perfect. How can a homeless person get a job if they have no place to rest and stay. A place for them to live and not have to worry about until they get back on their feet. +
swimr, May 27 2004
  

       socio-political concerns aside, there's a not-for-profit in atlanta doing something similar. (links).
xclamp, May 27 2004
  

       I just love it that American plans for the homeless must accomodate the obese...
Guncrazy, May 29 2004
  

       //giving a homeless person a free home doesn't help them in any way whatsoever// I vote this one as the most half-baked annotation here. And not in a good way either.   

       I guess that avoiding serious, life-threatening illness (i.e. pneumonia or worse) by staying warm and dry for a night (or several) doesn't constitute help in any way whatsoever. Hmmm.   

       By the way, this is pretty baked in a number of cities... the Seattle City Shelter is basically this idea.   

       Croissant anyway.   

       Homelessness is just that. It's homelessness. It's a problem. Shame on anyone who was lucky enough to be born into a family that could provide them with the necessary education to get through the world OK and avoid this fate who doesn't give thanks for his good fortune.   

       No. Homeless people do not "want" to be homeless.   

       That's just a sad urban myth.
zigness, May 29 2004
  

       One could argue in favor of [DrC]s annotation. It is cold and heartless, but may be true. On the one hand, free homes allow disfunctional peoples to survive and perhaps to breed (brutal huh?) and other the other hand, forceing someone to live in the cold or heat and possible die is the height of brutality.   

       BUT: On the gripping hand, if you add a requirement for each resident to complete lesson plans appropriate to thier level, then you are providing a public service to "the rest of us" by improving the chances that some homeless person will rise to the point of "productive citizen."   

       Some lesson plans could be MMPI's or other mental health assesments, which could be used to perscribe and / or treat those diseases which have effective and / or low cost assistance available.   

       I had thought of a version of this some time ago, but not had the chance to write it up. Thank you [just2kinks]. An alternative to the mats on the floors could be a slightly slopeing floor and a drain grate at one end. A regular spray down with soap, water, clorine or like that would keep down infections and cost the public less?   

       Another idea is to recycle VERY old computers as educational workstations. Placed at the far end of each "room" behind a good, strong sheet of lexan, they should allow for automated testing, lessons, and evaluation. How you keep the keyboards from getting destroyed is beyond me. Maybe you "type" by breaking a matrix of light beams that form a large "keyboard" on the wall. Speed is no issue, the homeless have time.   

       At some point, residents might be able to start earning some spending money by doing work, earn the right to further education and entertainment through web access (yes, porno could be an issue) and eventually be given computer upgrades, peripherals, and other perks.   

       In house AA, NA and other twelve step meetings would offer support for those of us who are willing to admit we can not face life alone.   

       Nothing feels better than TRULY helping a person. Not just giving money or food or shelter, but seeing a person grow, succeed, become happy and productive due, in part, to your advice, example, and the opportunities you have made available.
James Newton, Jul 17 2004
  

       Communism is one thing.   

       Improved quality of life due to better technology and infrastructure is something entirely different.   

       I'm cheap and watch broadcast TV for free instead of buying cable; this is how capitalism works. Pay more for luxury.   

       Imagine shelters being saturated, and anyone who is cheap living in one. Would 5% of the population opt for a shelter?   

       Finally- minimal care. Yes. If not by working on a plantation, if we cannot muster low pay jobs that at least offer housing due to labor laws, then some other method like this.
Bcrosby, Aug 23 2008
  

       Not safe. Bun anyway.
Voice, Sep 22 2008
  

       isn't this what we like to call a 'backpackers'?   

       sounds much like some of scarier ones I have seen. the main problem is - getting money to finance it. good luck. if the money was there this would be happening.
williamsmatt, Sep 22 2008
  

       Years ago it was thought entire cities would be built under giant domes. Would that not sort of answer the homeless issue in the sense that the homeless would have shelter, leaving only issues of privacy and personal security, health, etc. . . .
Moonguy, Sep 23 2008
  

       It would never work...you could not get insurance for it...far too risky. Besides, no wine dispenser...no cardboard box repository, no dank urine smell.
Blisterbob, Sep 23 2008
  
      
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