Hotel Stays, Especially in Inclement Weather
I hate the shelter system and have never used it. I once started the intake process at one when there was an incoming snow storm. Ultimately, we just asked for a change of clothes for each of us and a shower for me.
Then we left and went to seek a sheltered spot to camp, which we successfully found and spent the night perfectly comfortable -- far more comfortable than if we had been in the shelter, where the discomfort may have been more about social crap and other people controlling us than about physical comfort. But, I don't know. I am not convinced we would have been physically comfortable in the shelter either, with all the limitations they expected us to abide by.
However, we have had kind strangers put us up in a hotel a few times when I was ill or the weather was bad or whatever. In my experience, this is a far more civilized means to help homeless people than the shelter system.
Don't get me wrong, I don't expect the shelter system to go away any time soon. But one of the problems with current programs to help the homeless is how dehumanizing they are. Society treats homeless people in a way that actively makes it harder for them to try to behave appropriately for normal middle class society and then we wonder why people remain stuck on the street and can't figure out how to behave right.
The current shelter system very often warehouses people in conditions that would not be acceptable for any kind of paid accommodations, whether it be temporary accommodations (like a hotel) or permanent (like an apartment or house). This further degrades the self image and social abilities of the individuals subjected to these conditions.
I would like to see more programs to put homeless individuals in hotels, especially during inclement weather. It does not require the creation of some homeless shelter that will draw NIMBY reactions from the community, and with good reason.
A hotel is existing infrastructure that is expected to meet basically middle class, market based standards. So, putting a homeless person up in a hotel does not start a downward trend of making the neighborhood worse. It also does not exacerbate the trend of a homeless person not knowing how to interact with normal middle class society anymore.
Obviously, there would need to be a great many details worked out that are outside the scope of this post. I am not going to pretend this post is comprehensive in that regard.
But if you as an individual wish to act on this idea, you can do so without a program. Here are some of my thoughts on how to do this in a way that limits risks to you:
Addendum:
One of the reasons this is especially helpful in inclement weather is because taking shelter under a bridge during a storm exposes a homeless person to mold. This can worsen the health problems that landed them on the street to begin with.
Fungal infections are challenging to resolve under the best of circumstance and many homeless people have no idea they will need to address sleeping under a bridge as a fungal exposure. The health problems of homeless individuals can be a threat to general health and welfare in society. So one reason to protect the health of a homeless individual is to protect the health and welfare of society generally.
See also: What a Hotel Stay Means to Me
Then we left and went to seek a sheltered spot to camp, which we successfully found and spent the night perfectly comfortable -- far more comfortable than if we had been in the shelter, where the discomfort may have been more about social crap and other people controlling us than about physical comfort. But, I don't know. I am not convinced we would have been physically comfortable in the shelter either, with all the limitations they expected us to abide by.
However, we have had kind strangers put us up in a hotel a few times when I was ill or the weather was bad or whatever. In my experience, this is a far more civilized means to help homeless people than the shelter system.
Don't get me wrong, I don't expect the shelter system to go away any time soon. But one of the problems with current programs to help the homeless is how dehumanizing they are. Society treats homeless people in a way that actively makes it harder for them to try to behave appropriately for normal middle class society and then we wonder why people remain stuck on the street and can't figure out how to behave right.
The current shelter system very often warehouses people in conditions that would not be acceptable for any kind of paid accommodations, whether it be temporary accommodations (like a hotel) or permanent (like an apartment or house). This further degrades the self image and social abilities of the individuals subjected to these conditions.
I would like to see more programs to put homeless individuals in hotels, especially during inclement weather. It does not require the creation of some homeless shelter that will draw NIMBY reactions from the community, and with good reason.
A hotel is existing infrastructure that is expected to meet basically middle class, market based standards. So, putting a homeless person up in a hotel does not start a downward trend of making the neighborhood worse. It also does not exacerbate the trend of a homeless person not knowing how to interact with normal middle class society anymore.
Obviously, there would need to be a great many details worked out that are outside the scope of this post. I am not going to pretend this post is comprehensive in that regard.
But if you as an individual wish to act on this idea, you can do so without a program. Here are some of my thoughts on how to do this in a way that limits risks to you:
- Help a homeless person in a part of town you do not frequent or someone who is clearly just passing through. This makes it less likely they will latch onto you and expect more in the future.
- Pay in cash instead of with a credit card. The hotel will want a deposit. Tell the homeless person if the room passes inspection in the morning, they can collect the deposit from the front desk and keep it. This limits your financial liability and will also help encourage them to behave and not trash the room, thereby improving their ability to relate in a healthy way to middle class expectations instead of eroding it.
- Make sure the homeless individual is aware of check out time and any amenities, like a free breakfast, that may help add value for them.
Addendum:
One of the reasons this is especially helpful in inclement weather is because taking shelter under a bridge during a storm exposes a homeless person to mold. This can worsen the health problems that landed them on the street to begin with.
Fungal infections are challenging to resolve under the best of circumstance and many homeless people have no idea they will need to address sleeping under a bridge as a fungal exposure. The health problems of homeless individuals can be a threat to general health and welfare in society. So one reason to protect the health of a homeless individual is to protect the health and welfare of society generally.
See also: What a Hotel Stay Means to Me