[borgopants]

As a software engineer, this problem has been prevalent in my mind lately. My main question is this: how can we, as members of the technology industry, use our skills to help solve the homelessness problem?

I've seen a lot of people suggesting that learning to code is a solution, which feels like a very disconnected kind of response. If you're trying to stay warm and survive from day to day, buying a computer is surely the lowest priority. Another solution is raising awareness via the web. In the social media era though, this has the negative of making people feel like they've done something by sharing a link or upvoting a story without actually making an actual difference, so I don't feel like this, by itself, is a great solution.

The disparity between people in the technology industry and the homeless is so huge, and noticeable, in areas like San Francisco that I feel it is our responsibility to give back and try and make a difference somehow. What are some ways that this could be achieved?

[EliRivers]

Hassle your political representatives, educate the public as to why so many of them are in effect turkeys voting for Christmas, go digging and expose the ways the small citizen is relentlessly screwed over by the rich and powerful (and then publicise it, in a way Joe Shmoe can get on board with), volunteer with local homeless charities, turn up at regional council meetings and loudly ask them again and again and again what they're doing to help these people rather than just move then on, interrupt when you hear people being dismissive or stating glibly "they should just learn to code".

[SDGT]

If a homeless individual can approach me in an honest, respectful manner, I'd be more inclined to help.

This has not yet been the case. I prefer to reward civility with civility.

[moocowduckquack]

I bet it has but you had no idea they were homeless.

Crazy antisocial people often become homeless and are the visible side of it, but the vast majority of homeless people are not antisocial or crazy.

[aaronem]

The Golden Rule? My goodness, Citizen, how positively regressionist of you!

[DerpDerpDerp]

How, exactly, would you want them to approach you?

[ars_technician]

Without their genitalia exposed would be a start and preferably without spitting.

[moocowduckquack]

No, that was some members of the Oxford Union on an international fact-finding mission.

[potatolicious]

Go volunteer, that's step one.

There are likely many, many ways we can leverage our abilities and talents to contribute to a solution, but many are non-obvious until you're on the inside and start ascertaining the size, scope, and nature of the problems.

Go find local shelters, soup kitchens, and other humanitarian services. Take the most rank and file (but front-facing) opportunity you can get. Work. Talk to people - the hopelessly homeless, the temporarily homeless, the people who work with them. Learn about these problems up close instead of speculating from the comfort of an armchair like most of the world.

Don't expect to be welcomed with open arms. Expect some measure of hostility. The homeless are all too familiar with being paraded around like animals in a zoo. Many of the people you will be volunteering with are presumptuous people with savior complexes, who will be patronizing to the people they're trying to help. Many people you work with will initially assume you're one of them also.

You're not going to write a world-changing piece of code having never written code before. You're definitely not going to turn homelessness upside down with no inside experience.

[droopyEyelids]

What if a part of it isn't really a problem? What if certain people will never be motivated enough to comply with all the requirements imposed on us by society, and will always prefer to make trouble and get drunk and sleep outside?

This isn't true for every bum or homeless person you see, of course. But it is true for some of them. And then, the problem becomes yours (or mine).. I want everyone to have to make the same sacrifices and play by the same rules I do. I had to spend my youth studying, I had to impress someone with the power to give me a job, and work to keep them happy, etc.

I believe thats the fundamental conflict we face and why homelessness will never be solved.

[busterarm]

The solution is to provide a strong network of support for people who are on the fringes of being homeless. Make sure people can access this while maintaining their dignity. Remove as many hardships/obstacles from their lives as possible. Find a way to allow them to take risks and fail without losing everything.

Move the political will in a direction that strives to provide affordable places to live, reduce commute times, access to child care, etc. This seems to be totally the opposite of the voting will in SF these days. Everyone is concerned with their real estate value and preventing adequate property development and criminalizing peoples' innovative (and dignified) solutions to community problems (I'm talking about people living in RVs/campers).

[Segmentation]

I would like say guaranteed income law (similar to basic income of Alaska) would solve homelessness, but only in cities and towns that are affordable to rent and live in. Even with a guaranteed income the homeless of San Francisco would not be able to afford rent.

[tehwalrus]

You can start by following homeless people on social media, for example twitter's @HomelessDating[1], to better understand their side of the problem (I'm not calling you ignorant; we are all always learning...)

[1] hmm, since I last checked this account has become less active. https://twitter.com/homelessdating

[johnpowell]

Buy groceries at Safeway. Drop them off at a soup kitchen or a battered woman's shelter. I donate my old cell phones and any I come across to the local battered woman's shelter shelter. They might not work but they can still call 911 and this is a tremendous help.

[mathattack]

My sense is the issue has a lot to do with mental health and/or substance abuse. When people have severe issues, it no longer becomes an issue of laziness. The heartbreaking thing is in many cases efforts to help out makes things worse.