Becoming homeless - How an event creates a downward slide

[4channel]

A man loses his wife and the impact of that and the attempt to cope with the lost causes him to be evicted from his home.

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VENICE BEACH

Evicted After Wife Died, Now Homeless in Venice Beach

59,727 views

•Dec 2, 2020

Invisible People

834K subscribers

Simba (street name) met his wife fishing. I love that. Sadly, Simba's wife was very sick from complications with diabetes. She needed a kidney transplant. Simba's wife was on the transplant list at USC Medical Center, but while she was waiting for a donor, her health got worse. The emotional stress of being her caregiver was hard enough; when his wife died, Simba became severely depressed. He started to self medicate with marijuana to help him sleep. This was four years ago, and people's views of marijuana were much different then. Today, it probably would not even be an issue, but Simba's landlord used his cannabis use to evict him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLkRvfIQ90c

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This was beyond his control and because of an unfair reason he is now on the streets at age 65.

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[icyfroth]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

What has being African American go to do with anything?

I think it has to do with ppl typecasting him and less willing to give him a hand.

Are you suggesting that an African American is somehow weaker willed than any other race or should received special attention?

Why would you assume that?

I can assure you that my 82 year old father was devastated when he lost Mum after nearly 60 years together but he got through it and lasted another 10 years.

Very sorry for your loss. Your Dad obviously got through it with support from his family and friends.

Did Simba have similar?

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[not_for_sale2025]

You are making assumptions and asking a question that nobody here can answer, and you know that. Maybe you can follow up on Simba and feedback to us?

[springyzone]

Just a general reply here, not to not for sale in particular.

As an aside, during covid here in Melbourne, most of the homeless were taken off the streets and placed in hotels or rooms of some sort.

Now I don't know the details of exactly how it worked or where they went but I am assuming a lot of hotels were doing it tough as of course there was virtually no movement of people allowed so the hotels would have been empty. This would at least have brought in some income for them.

But now that restrictions are easing, the homeless are losing that accommodation.

I don't believe there is ever any one reason for homelessness and each case is different. There are even some who prefer to be outdoors or alone, although I suppose that could be related in a lot of cases to mental health conditions.

But if we could deal with the homeless almost 100% during covid, it is a shame more services can't be in place during non covid.

I was reading that population growth has been well down this year. The government of course don't like that but to me, I think it is good. We need catch up time for the problems and stretched services we already have.

[*kazumi*]

Absolutely anybody could become homeless in the right circumstances; just as anybody can develop mental issues, or break their leg.

Many years ago near where we lived there was is family of a successful businessman; they were prominent citizens of the town.  I met them socially, they were friends of a frind,  and our kids sometimes played together .  Beautiful house, 2 late models expensive imported cars replaced every other year.  They were always immaculately dressed in expensive designer clothing.  Then they disappeared; the house was sold; somebody mentioned they divorced.  Couple of years later, I was in trendy inner city suburb looking for parking spot, when I saw him sitting  on a garden bench at a bus stop, I made a U-turn,  parked almost directly opposite, and started to walk across the road to say hello, when he reached into the bin next to the bench, pulled out half eaten hamburger, and very eagerly bit into it.  By then I was close enough to him to see that his beautifully tailored Italian suit looked like he slept in gutter for a while.  Luckily he was too absorbed by eating to notice me, and I just changed my direction slightly. 

Later on I wondered if avoiding him was the right thing to do.  But what do you say to somebody in this situation?  Oh, hi, long time not see, how are you?  I suppose I could have bought him a coffee in nearby trendy cafe, if they let him in...

[icyfroth]

@ not-for-sale.

We're all making assumptions because of course we don't know the answers to "Simba"'s situation.

What's the point of making comparisons to one's own experiences and holding them up as a solution?

"Walk a mile in someone else's shoes" before you make judgement.

[not_for_sale2025]

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@icyfroth wrote:
@ not-for-sale.

We're all making assumptions because of course we don't know the answers to "Simba"'s situation.

What's the point of making comparisons to one's own experiences and holding them up as a solution?

"Walk a mile in someone else's shoes" before you make judgement.

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Well that's your opinion. Some people make comment because they can relate to the experience. It happens here all the time. They are not necessarily offering a solution, and the OP wasn't asking for a solution, or a judgement. Some other people just zoom in on a comment and pick it to pieces looking for anything to criticize. But that's exactly why they visit the boards. 

"As you think, so you become.....Our busy minds are forever jumping to conclusions, manufacturing and interpreting signs that aren't there".

Epictetus

[4channel]

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@icyfroth wrote:
@ not-for-sale.

We're all making assumptions because of course we don't know the answers to "Simba"'s situation.

What's the point of making comparisons to one's own experiences and holding them up as a solution?

"Walk a mile in someone else's shoes" before you make judgement.

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OK, well icyfroth, I have to say   .. .. .. .. it is refreshing when someone such as yourself, a "non tunnel thinker" , a person without a hidden no-so-good agenda to bring a discussion back to earth.

Kudos to you for that!

BTW: Could two Joe South songs be enough to start someone on a journey to  liberate themselves from cognitive dissonance? Probably would take more but maybe enough to get a person to look in the mirror.

[4channel]

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@*kazumi* wrote:

Absolutely anybody could become homeless in the right circumstances; just as anybody can develop mental issues, or break their leg.

Many years ago near where we lived there was is family of a successful businessman; they were prominent citizens of the town.  I met them socially, they were friends of a frind,  and our kids sometimes played together .  Beautiful house, 2 late models expensive imported cars replaced every other year.  They were always immaculately dressed in expensive designer clothing.  Then they disappeared; the house was sold; somebody mentioned they divorced.  Couple of years later, I was in trendy inner city suburb looking for parking spot, when I saw him sitting  on a garden bench at a bus stop, I made a U-turn,  parked almost directly opposite, and started to walk across the road to say hello, when he reached into the bin next to the bench, pulled out half eaten hamburger, and very eagerly bit into it.  By then I was close enough to him to see that his beautifully tailored Italian suit looked like he slept in gutter for a while.  Luckily he was too absorbed by eating to notice me, and I just changed my direction slightly. 

Later on I wondered if avoiding him was the right thing to do.  But what do you say to somebody in this situation?  Oh, hi, long time not see, how are you?  I suppose I could have bought him a coffee in nearby trendy cafe, if they let him in...

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Sad that he went downhill like that kazumi. Perhaps something that led to the divorce could be the instigator of his downward slide. The human mind can be a most resilient thing but in some other situations as fragile as thin glass. I understand your dilemma and I may have done the same too out of regard for his feelings.

I know that the infidelity of a partner can destroy some people for life. I've personally known men who had jobs families and homes and due to their lady being unfaithful they have ended up as alcoholics in dingy and rough rooming houses. I dare say the female equivalent while maintaining a better appearance and place of residence can become a recluse.

[rogespeed]

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@springyzone wrote:

Just a general reply here, not to not for sale in particular.

As an aside, during covid here in Melbourne, most of the homeless were taken off the streets and placed in hotels or rooms of some sort.

Now I don't know the details of exactly how it worked or where they went but I am assuming a lot of hotels were doing it tough as of course there was virtually no movement of people allowed so the hotels would have been empty. This would at least have brought in some income for them.

But now that restrictions are easing, the homeless are losing that accommodation.

I don't believe there is ever any one reason for homelessness and each case is different. There are even some who prefer to be outdoors or alone, although I suppose that could be related in a lot of cases to mental health conditions.

But if we could deal with the homeless almost 100% during covid, it is a shame more services can't be in place during non covid.

I was reading that population growth has been well down this year. The government of course don't like that but to me, I think it is good. We need catch up time for the problems and stretched services we already have.

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Australia can afford to enable everyone that finds themselves cast adrift to live with dignity -  with a clear process of steps to return functional living, however that would require default value of worthiness and respect