>

I used to think that dating a poor woman would be nice, because they'd appreciate anything you did for them.
Nope.  I'm widowed, and dating again.  Poor women are the most high maintenance girlfriends you can have.  They suddenly can't get by without someone giving them a full-time income.
This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.
Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"
(For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)
Rule-breaking posts may result in bans. >

My parents brought in a lady who had accidentally burned down her apartment (fell asleep with a candle lit) when I was a kid. 
She brought her cat to live with us too, and I remember us spending a lot of time in the backyard listening to and talking about birds.
She died less than a year later from a combo of cancer and pneumonia, my parents later told me that she refused chemo treatment.
Overall, I think she was just grateful to have a safe space to spend the last little bit of her life. >

Kid you not, I was laying in bed with a candle lit on my dresser on the other side of the room. I rarely have a candle lit and have never thought of going to sleep with one until I made up my mind tonight to do just that. Figured it was safe enough as it's a tall inset Yankee candle - no animals. Well you just un-made my mind and I just got back from blowing it out. 
Tldr: may have just saved my life or apartment. >

I slept with a candle lit all night last night and my husband woke up PISSED. I guess now I see why. >

I feel uneasy going to bed while charging stuff overnight. Ain't no way I'm leaving a candle lit all night lol. >

are we not supposed to charge overnight? Like a fire risk or something? >

I think there used to be a concern for that but modern electronics should stop pulling electricity once they're at 100. I think it will damage the batteries over time though, at least in phones >

Newer phones are designed to stop charging before they get to the point where the batteries would be damaged. >

Phones have done this for a long time, since battery densities have climbed 5+ years ago.
If you look at the latest pixel phones for instance, the actual batteries in these things could run them like twice as long as what the phone shows, but to extend the life of the battery the battery management software limits how much you can charge it and drain it and the rate at which it charges. >

The amount of people who can afford a cat > the amount of people who can afford a fully grown human
Crazy huh >

I'd be very interested to see the math on this >

Cat = 10
Human = 20
20-10=10
Human is 100% more expensive. >

This made me laugh a lot harder than I think it probably should have >

I'm pleased it made you laugh; and also possibly a little insulted lol
Regardless, you can't deny the math checks out. >

r/TheyDidTheMath >

Happy cake day >

Thank you! >

You're welcome >

I actually did this once. Took in a guy, gave him a bed. Helped him get up on his feet. 
He's doing well now, has a place and got custody of his son. We're good mates. 
Homeless people are still people. >

Congrats. I’m glad it worked out. 
I helped out an old friend who was at risk of homelessness due to some (we didn’t know about) mental health issues. 
We got him in touch with social workers and a jobs program and a temporary housing program. 
Turns out he was taking the paperwork I helped him with and throwing it out in the bin out back instead of handing it in. He was convinced it was signing him up for organ harvesting or something. 
He made a huge mess, was really difficult to live with and after almost 3 months when I said he’d have to explore other options for where to stay, he called me a “little bitch” and stole $8k worth of electronics. 
Last I heard he had assaulted a social worker who tried to get him housing assistance and who had arranged mental health treatment options and was in an encampment and on some kind of drugs.
1/10 Definitely wouldn’t do again. >

Stray dogs don't have tenant's rights. >

Stray dogs also don’t steal $8K worth of electronics. >

Or call you lil bitch... cause I mean,  that was the worst part for me.  
... im Mr big bitch silly dog! >

Well, there's this one well-loved, homed dog on tiktok that does call you a bitch... >

Not against it. HOWEVER (The reason behind it not being popular could be)… strays, typically, don’t possess the mental health and drug difficulties someone adopting a homeless would probably encounter. Less potential issues to remedy. >

A lot of stray dogs do have severe mental health issues, but the ways we are allowed to handle - and get rid of - dogs are a lot more permissive. And as you say there’s less in their lives to take care of >

Yeah but a stray dog with anxiety isn’t going to take a pringle can sized heroin shit on my living room carpet >

They could still leave a pretty big shit on it. Though it won’t be quite as dangerous as handling a human one, agreed >

I took in a homeless person once. I got robbed as a thank you. Animals don't pull that shit. >

When a stray dog bites you, you don’t get mad as that’s what dogs do >

I think stray dogs biting you is exactly why most people don’t take in stray dogs >

You don’t have to let ‘em in your house 
I took in a stray and they just lived in the yard >

Probably isn’t socially acceptable to move the homeless from the street to your yard though >

What about a reinforced soundproof basement with a steel door >

I’m calling the police.. >

No no no. It was just a social experiment! >

Oh, in that case, here's your Netflix documentary. >

That’s right, because adopting a stray cat or dog is much simpler than adopting a homeless person. 
Take in a stray animal, patch it up and let it get comfortable in a happy warm house filled with food and attention if they want it and the pet will likely warm up and if not just live with you like a demanding roommate. I have some cats that were abused and or starved before I got them, some days are a struggle but I have the tools to help them out. 
Take in a homeless person and discover why they are homeless, it’s not because someone threw them out of the house because they were allergic. They probably have mental health issues and or addictions issues. A can of tuna, space and a bit of time will not help, these folks need resources for addictions recovery, trauma therapy and a feasible way to find their own housing and a stable job. They also have to want to get better. This is on top of dealing with what can be extremely disruptive and destructive behaviour of the folks on myself and my family as they sort themselves out. 
The primary support network for people who are at risk of homelessness is family, then friends and finally a very imperfect community funded social support system. If you want to help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness donate money to your local charities which are focused on this, vote for people who have feasible homeless mitigation ideas in their platform. Don’t vote for people who say there is an easy solution or that homeless people deserve it or it’s hopeless so why bother. >

The problem is that there is an "easy" solution. Finland is eradicating homelessness (and very successfully) and saving a shit ton of money doing it using aggressive social housing construction.
1 - You can build a LOT of housing with a concentrated, well planned, government directed effort.  You can also do it very cheap. Dense housing is efficient both economically and space wise and brings business to an area as well. Look at how fast China can erect cities worth of buildings. Are they depressing? Yes, but better than out on the street in a puddle of your own piss in the dead of night during winter.
2 - There is a LOT of land out there that can be bought and used for this, and as well, lots of vacant homes
3 - Permit systems and rules designed to gunk up the process of establishing new housing can be reformed as they are being in eg. BC, Canada
4 - We can save a lot of money and reduce addiction, mental illness and ultimately homelessness with drug reform (-> decriminalize possession w/ mandatory treatment), healthcare reform (-> single payer for essentials, public option for nonessentials, less limits on new doctors and medical school admissions), and mental health as part of that healthcare reform (-> your govt insurance should cover therapy and mental health evaluations). Both we (Canada) and you (US I assume?) desperately need these things.
5 - Get foreign interests and speculative investment out of real estate
These are all things that are "easy" for people to sign off on. They're logical, and they're proven to work, and countries have done them. They're only hard because people keep voting in leaders who have a vested interest in not entertaining these ideas, commissioning studies into them, and/or implementing them. >


5 - Get foreign interests and speculative investment out of real estate

The only way to eliminate speculative investment in land is either central planning or a land value tax. >

Some people will prefer not renting from the government. There's no reason we can't have both private and public housing. The same way we have private and public transportation. Governments mostly refuse to build housing and try to entice private capital to do it instead. There is zero reason governments can't just budget and build housing.  The way people focus on rent control or ending private investment instead of just holding their elected office accountable is such a distraction. >


Some people will prefer not renting from the government.

If you're referring to the LVT: no duh, people who own land would prefer to continue profiting from their land rather than sharing it equally. But that's the core of the problem.

Governments mostly refuse to build housing and try to entice private capital to do it instead.

It doesn't matter who builds the housing, the issue is land rent, not return to capital associated with construction and maintenance.
I think you should give this a read since there's a good chance we are not sharing the same terminology. >

You can't own a person and have power of attorney over them and have them obey all your commands and give you all of their love and attention while having them be absolutely loyal to you. >

THANK YOU — I was in this thread looking for someone to be like ‘… because you can’t own a grown-ass human & control their every waking moment?’ >

Let a homeless dude stay. He assaulted me in my own bed. F**ker. I am not traumatized. Just angry >

track him down and assault him back (jk) >

Adopting a stray cat won't result in your TV being sold at the nearest pawn shop >

I work in a shelter. Outside the shelter are the homeless who enjoy homelessness. I use "enjoy" lightly, but then again, they never seek actual help. Some are foster kids who are aged out of foster care. That's the saddest situation because the only care they received was from the foster system, and now they are in a place where they have no one, and it quickly leads to addiction. >

I mean, the cost is pretty different. As is the space they take up. It’s pretty reasonable. Plus, it’d be weird to have a human as a pet >

Twilight Zone. “ Stopover in a Quiet Town”.1964. Two humans captured by aliens to be pets to a colossal little girl. >

Everyone says its better to get a shelter dog. People who get shelter dogs are heros they say. But when i go to the women's shelter to find a girlfriend....
(Paraphrased kyle kinane) >

I used to think that dating a poor woman would be nice, because they'd appreciate anything you did for them.
Nope.  I'm widowed, and dating again.  Poor women are the most high maintenance girlfriends you can have.  They suddenly can't get by without someone giving them a full-time income. >

The thought of letting a stranger live in my house makes me way too anxious, homeless or not. Can't trust someone I've never met. >

They tend to object when you take them to the vet for the spay/neuter, and their leash manners are terrible.  Makes it difficult to bond. >

...I won't lie. For a roof and food for life, as well as medical care when needed, I would.get the snip and walk nicely on a leash. Seems a pretty fair trade. Plus I suck at fighting and shooting games. You will always win! Maybe I should put out an add. >

I just saw some guys on the news who were into that, as part of their kink- don't think they were snipped though. >

That's cuz it's a coin flip.
50% chance of getting a friend for life.
50% chance of getting robbed or assaulted.
I'm as empathetic as the next guy, more so even...
But I don't like those odds. >

You think it’s 50/50? That’s optimistic >

A dog doesn’t have a chance of stealing my shit, killing me, or being high/drunk off their ass. I would love to give help like that to someone, but I also understand the risks. I’m not capable of taking that risk. >

Well adopting an animal is more popular than adopting a child. >

Fundamentally, our culture has become far more sensitized to dogs and animals than humans.
If you read 2 news stories where in one, a person was murdered and in the other, a dog was killed, people will aaaw all over the latter and never think twice about the death of a person. >

This is true. I will actually check first if the dog/cat/kid character will survive in the movie as I dont feel like bawling my eyes out. >

Just like more people adopt kittens and puppies than adult animals, more people wanna raise children than bring home a homeless person. 
Besides, homeless people don't really need to be "adopted" so much as given the resources they need to actually survive. >

Stray pets won’t steal your valuables, leave needles on the floor, or assault you in a drunken rampage. >

Or make you pass out, only to awaken stripped to your underwear next to an alley. >

Dry specific >

It beats being wet and specific. >

I don't know anyone who had that happen, it's just a joke from someone I know irl. >

A minority of homeless people are violent bastards. It is a major reason why being homeless is so unpleasant. >

same is true for strays >

Stray cats are some of the most brutal animals I’ve seen
Some of the big males looking like they hit the gym daily >

Excuse me,,,,,I have had male ferals. In fact Wally is my favorite cat. He has been in a fight or two. He is also kind and gentle. Too old to neuter. There is no such thing as a brutal or bad cat.Just misunderstood. I never met a cat I didn’t love. I am the neighborhood cat lady!!! Yep the older woman surrounded by cats 24/7. >

I adopted an African-American family of 5 in transitional housing that was on the verge of homelessness during COVID. They were living in a "pay by the week" furnished hotel, overpriced but accessible to a family with a past eviction and no job. It was supposed to just be until the husband's unemployment came in, but it wound up being for like 3 months, because the unemployment system was so screwed up, and they found jobs before they could get the COVID money.  
I invested about $4000 in helping them - sometimes by sending groceries via Aldi's online ordering system - I'd take their shopping list and buy them what they needed, but mostly via direct transfers via PayPal. At the time, I was feeling very isolated, and I had some federal money coming in that I didn't feel that I really "needed", so I sought out someone who was struggling to get their COVID unemployment and shared the wealth.  
I also helped them find a rental that didn't care about their past evictions, in a nearby neighborhood that had a good school district, so that their three kids could get back into classes after the summer. And I helped the husband of the family with a pro bono lawyer, who got a judge to turn his marijuana bench warrant into a $50/month for 10 months fine. Then I followed up with them for 10 months to make sure they had enough money to pay the fine every month.   
I've lost touch with them more recently, but last I heard, both parents were working, and they were able to save some money. I haven't asked them to pay me back, because let's be real - $4000 is a tough sum to scrape together when you have 3 kids and no savings. And it wasn't really "my" money in the first place, you know? I should check in with them and let them know I have a good job (and a wife and a baby of my own), and they don't need to pay me back. It's probably a subtle psychological stress for them, because we called it a loan, and I never officially told them it's a gift... >

Apparently you are a compassionate person. Bodhisattva. >

A homeless what?
Honey, don't get mad but I found another homeless billionaire. Can we keep him, pleeease?! >

I’m sympathetic to the homeless, but taking one into your home is incredibly dangerous. The vast majority of homeless people in the US are either mentally ill or suffering addiction. It’s the government’s job to help them, not common citizens. >

The SAMHSA disagrees based on their factual findings. They found that 30% had severe mental health issues and 50% had substance abuse issues. >

Not far off from what I said. Did you read the entire findings? 
It is a risk factor, and homelessness CAUSES both, so you're confounding variables. 
It is still not a significant cause of homelessness. Places with abundant affordable housing, that have the same rates of mental health and substance abuse issues have substantially lower rates of homelessness. >

The thing is, regardless of which factor causes the other, addiction and mental health issues will not just disappear the second you give someone a home. Therefore, they will be dealing with these things while they are in your house, which can be quite dangerous, especially if you do not know the extent of them >

Doing an expensive and complicated thing isn’t as popular as a simpler cheaper thing >

When I managed a hotel a homeless woman came in on a particularly cold night. We weren’t full so I gave her a room free of charge. I gave her all the toiletries a woman would need plus. I noted for the morning shift that I’d given the lady the room and to please not give her a hard time. 
I came in the next night to the owner of the hotel waiting on me. She’d left that afternoon and housekeeping checked the room. She’d rubbed feces all over everything. Took the sheets off the bed and rubbed it all over the mattress etc. 
While I think many people would like to help homeless people, there is a lot of mental illness in the homeless community that’s beyond any help we could give. It is much easier to take care of a stray. >

Heeey, I listened to a podcast today about a woman who took in a homeless man! 
It got her killed. >

A stray isn’t gonna do meth in my kitchen and rip out the copper wires in my garage for drug money. >

But it will ruin a nice pair of slippers! >

My dad use to let random men he’d met on the street stay in our spare rooms, one of them liked to fish and somehow my cat was injured with the fish hook (hated that guy) but come to find out most of them were my dads lovers or dealer. Ah childhood. >

I think most people think of adopting a cat or dog as 'cool, a free cat/dog'. They don't see a homeless person and think 'cool, I can have a new best friend' >

we tried.  We really did.  After 6+ years of process and run around we abandoned the adoption process because an atheist and a jew who are in a committed relationship but not married don't qualify to adopt. >

Pets talk back less. Sure, they can make noise, but they're generally less articulate with their complaints. >

This is a massive red flag >

That's because the government should be responsible for taking care of homeless people. Taking care as in helping and providing resources to get them back on their feet, not using cops to beat the shit out of them because some snobby suburbanite had the displeasure of seeing them. >

Maybe religions that ramble on about helping those less fortunate should be putting their tax exempt money where their mouths are.
Some do of course. They all should though. Make them more useful >

I think most people in general talk about helping the poor more than they do it >

My dyslexia reading this made me think of a neat phrase that I think fits this situation well: “homeless, not helpless” >

A big portion of homeless people put themselves in those situations. Animals don't. >

Eventually, I’ll be able to train the stray not to shit in my living room. >

One thing that prevents this is tenant's rights laws where if you allow someone to stay in your house or even just in your driveway, they instantly legally become your tenant, and you then have to go through a lengthy eviction process if it doesn't work out and you need them gone. >

I adopted a homeless once. He's doing great now. Sometimes, all people need is a chance. >

That's awesome, unfortunately sometimes they also do stuff like shit themselves on a 10 minute car ride forcing you to wet vac your back seat for like 3 hours straight only to give up and pay hundreds for professional cleaning to get rid of most of the smell and stain >

Holy shit, literally. That sounds awful. Of course, everyone is going to have a different experience, and unfortunately, more people may have one like you did as opposed to mine. I wouldn't recommend anyone to give strangers a ride because they just might shit in your car or let them live in your house. I know of one family that tried to help a young homeless man, and the wife ran off with him. 
The kid I helped was young and living in a field in the Canadian winter. He asked me if I could buy him food at a drive thru and I couldn't get the thought of him sleeping outside in the cold out of my head so I went back, put him in an airbnb for a week and helped him find a room to rent. He still messages me periodically to let me know that he's doing well, but I would probably never do it again. >

Yeah lol, it could have been worse at least it was an old shitty car haha  she obviously had some mental issues, I dropped her at the shelter and stifled my gagging the rest of the way home.  It was a harrowing experience lol.  It's almost funny looking back on it but at the moment I was just in a frenzy of omg I gotta get this shit out of here, is my car ruined???  I eventually basically just soaked the back seat in febreeze and put one of those tough canvas dog proof seat covers on the back lol.  The car went kaput like a year later anyway.
I've had many other experiences helping people that were perfectly fine.  There's a lot of folks out there that are just in a bad way and don't have the resources and support to get properly back on their feet.  Your story is much better than any of mine, glad everything worked out for him
I just had to share that cus OPs comment about adopting a cat or dog was so braindead lol.  I've also taken in strays and it's not always some walk in the park either but you generally have an easier time knowing what your getting into.  Guarantee OP hasn't spent any time around the homeless or even semi homeless people. >

Very true. Most adults that want children and could easily and cheaply adopt through foster care choose not to, many of them spending thousands or tens of thousands on ivf and other methods. >

Most kids in foster care are not up for adoption. And even if they are, it’s not an easy process. >

Not what I've heard from people that have adopted multiple kids through foster. >

Feel like adopting people full stop isn’t as popular as adopting animals >

"A homeless"
They're homeless people. People without a home. They're not "a homeless". >

During my time in the, for lack of better words. Commune, we would regularly take homeless at risk folks. Generally lgbt kids who at 18 got kicked out by parents.  Some not even lgbt, just liked Metallica,  so therefor were the devil. They would stay in our common area till we could help them get job, money saved, and a place of their own. Also people who fell on hard times. We had couple, they saved their daughters life but the cancer debt destroyed theirs they lost their home and everything. The state took their kid. We got them back up, they got a place.. been years, they are still fighting for their kid last I heard but by now the kid near 18 I'd imagine.  Lots of people surfed our couches. There were other communes in the networks so they did the same. >

What is the Commune? >

It's where a whole bunch of people live and work together to assist each other. Communal living. Etc >

Why did you make it seem like you were using a code word? >

When you say commune people can have totally made up bullshit about what that actually means. So why if there was another word that wouldn't cause issues I would use it. But alas it is what it is. >

yes, we also care much more in movies or games bout pets or strays dying over a human dying. "oh so 300 people died in a trench while being blown up? who cares" OH MA GOD PRINCE TIBBLES GOT A PAPERCUT CALL THE MILITARY!!!! >

I know this is a sub for stupid ideas but this is really moronic and basically has no point >

I tried that once and it was awful. Both a homeless and a stray. >

Strays don’t tend to be schizophrenic junkies who will rob you at knifepoint the first chance they get >

Who says a stray animal wants to be helped anyways?
I love animals as much as the next guy, and it breaks my heart to see a feral cat on the street, but as far as they're concerned, they seem to be doing fine anyways >

They get all ungrateful when I put them in cages on my basement >

Strays are easier to potty train.  I know.  I've taken in a lot of homeless. >

When I was younger working at a  Dunkin  in New York , I took it upon myself to befriend and feed most of the homeless on forest Avenue. Needless to say, one night, while drinking a beer with a homeless duo while dressed in a security uniform (worked two jobs in the same plaza), one of the homeless guys whiped  out a crack pipe got high/paranoid and freaked out because he thought I was the fuzz. Long story short, I stopped chilling with that guy and proceeded to watch him get beat up by the Cops a week later for harassing people while semi-naked in front of Path Mark. >

Strays are rarely drug addicts with severe untreated mental illness. >

“Mommy, where’s my homeless?”
“I’m sorry Timmy, he shat on Dad’s chair so we had to put him down. We’ll go to the shelter and get you a new one this weekend!” >

I know it sounds shitty but I have more sympathy for animals because of how helplessly ignorant they are compared to your average homeless person. 
Animals just seem so innocent compared to people, even violent predators that play with their kills. They are too ignorant for me to not want them to be comfortable and safe. If they knew what humans did and still did those things I'd be upset with them for sure.
When I see a dog on the street suffering I think about how society has betrayed them. When I see a homeless person on the street suffering I still feel sympathy but I think of all the potential ways they might have deserved their suffering because of evil or stupid shit they could have done >

I understand what you're saying, but I urge you to try to change your perspective on homeless people. Coming from someone who was homeless three times due to things totally out of my control. (mainly, not having a support system of any kind, moving out at 17, my parents losing all of my identifying documents, amongst other things). I've known many homeless people who were in similar positions to me and it's important to know that a lot of the time, society failed us too, and we are suffering, and just trying to survive and get back on our feet while in a position thats nearly impossible to wiggle your way out of. >

I getcha. It's not even a thing I have with a homeless people but with people in general. Like when I see a puppy get hit because it was on the road I tend to feel worse than when I see a human get hit. If someone is kicking a person to death I feel less sad than when someone is kicking a dog to death. Idk >

how often do you see people and animals get kicked… to death ? >

You mean a homeless person? Why don’t you go ahead and do that I’ll take the cat >

Just a shower thought my guy, don’t take it too hard >

Don't be so sensitive >

lol i love a good “no, you!” response. >

Seeing from the comments here, people can't even be bothered to think about how the homeless person feels so idek if I'd trust those people with a stray cat. >

Let a homeless girl sleep in my apartment one night. Stole my wallet. Yeah fuck em >

Strays don't tend to smoke crack in your living room and steal the family heirlooms. >

Strays don't steal all your shit and rape your wife on their way out. >

Domestic animals aren’t able to take care of themselves in a city, whereas a homeless person had the opportunity  in one way or another and messed that up. Tells you what sort of person they are. You can say all you want, but someone with a strong will won’t stay homeless. >

IDK bruh I tried housing more homeless people than adopted animals in my life. >

How did it turn out? >

cackles
I'd definitely take in multiple animals or have 20 more children of my own than ever take in another homeless stranger. (I do want several more children along with my first born, she's the most amazing human ever.)
And that's not because I think all homeless people deserve to be homeless or are drug addicts or whatever... Hell I was homeless well before and years after I took in like.... 5 or 6 homeless people who treated me like shit. Not all of them are bad or selfish though, once I took in 8, one year. 11 total. All of whom I helped long before I was homeless and had absolutely NOBODY to help me. It was kind of ironic. Like. I helped all those people and then no one was there to help me when I needed them. Shit. 12 or 13 if you count the short term homeless stays of people I helped(the ones that stood with me only a week to a month), 16 if you count the ones I took in when I lived with one of my 2 ex's that would let me help other people as my form of self care.
And 0 of them were there to help when I needed help back. :)
And only 6 of them had addiction issues. :) >

IDK bruh I tried housing more homeless people than adopted animals in my life. >

“A homeless” seems like a wildly offensive way to refer to a person. >

Here many people expect rich people to help the less fortunate regardless of whether they want to or not, and their right to choose how they spend their money doesn't matter. People who own houses are rich, they possess hundreds of thousands to millions of USD worth of property and often have more space than they need. Of course some will say I haven't paid off the mortgage yet, but that's a loan you will eventually pay back and the house is already purchased and is yours. 
Compared to the guy begging on the street with nothing to his name they are filthy rich. I think if we apply the same logic to other situations why not here, the rich should help the poor and not be judgemental about them. >

There's a San Diego pastor who got 6 months house arrest for this. But he was also torturing, punishing, and stealing money from them. He would pimp them out for the money real dirt bag. Go Christians, yeah /s >

I have a friend who’s essentially homeless now…. She always had some mental health issues but she got through college, but it took her until she was 40 years old.  She lived with her parents, but eventually they died, and she sold the house and then used the money from the house to live on… she’s working part time at a grocery store and wanted a physically easier job so she wanted to study for medical billing certificate… mental and physical issues got her so she finished all but one section of that course…. She asked me if she could stay with me for 3 to 6 months while she studied for the test. I said ok. Should live with me a couple times before for various reasons. But two years later (somewhat because of Covid) she hadn’t passed the test and her health was getting worse and it’s so happened that mine was too and I just couldn’t take on medically trying to care for her so I asked her to leave.   She moved in with another friend and stayed with her for about a year and a half, but then her friend died. She has basically no source of income by SSI and is trying to get on low income housing but she asked if she could move back in with me but I told her now I just can’t take on completely caring for someone else indefinitely… I feel like I did my part to try to help her progress, but after tears in my house, she made no progress whatsoever . she may go to yet another friend And I’m trying to point her to state and county resources as much as I can. >

Children or humans are much more expensive to own so ofc adopting us less common with ppl >

My husband and I have a few times. I mean, not technically "adopt" them, but give them a safe place to live while they get their life on track. >

My neighbor adopted a homeless dude who lived in the woods behind our homes and now the guy has a real job and his own place. >

Helped my sister in law out. Car less and homeless she was supposed to save money and get apartment. Would go out three days a week partying and leave her 17 ur old daughter with us. Told her she needs to chill and she didn’t like that and said shes an adult she shouldn’t have a curfew and I’m not her dad.Lost her job and didn’t do nothing for two months and asked me for rides. 
No I didn’t charge rent, didn’t ask for money towards electricity, water, or food. I finally told her no when she kept bugging me to lend her a car. She got mad said she was gonna leave for the second time. End of month came and I wasn’t nice anymore, reminded her what she said and she hasn’t showed anything towards what she was set out to do.
Out of our house and I’m an asshole. Now she’s mooching off someone else.Also messed up my my work car and just turned in the keys and didn’t bother to check when I was working on it. Last one she blew 65k in a year with absolutely nothing to show for it. Well she has $912 in her citi retirement fund.
My other sister in law owes my wife 3k and owes me $850. My youngest sister in law is working hard, has kids, and has a good spouse. I married into a great family lol. >

Because most homeless people need mental health care that they’re not getting and strays just need a home. >

The feds spend about $18 billion a year on homelessness, and that's just the feds. That's something above $35k per individual per year not counting local expense.
I deal with homeless a lot at my job. Money and resources are important and all one needs to get help is ask (most homeless folks aren't on the streets but rather with friends or family or in a shelter, very many have jobs).  
But you can't help a grown person who doesn't want your help and isnt otherwise breaking the law or creating danger for themselves or others. >

I feel like I’m the homeless stray and just keep getting bounced between relatives >

You're not likely to be charged for trapping a cat and hauling it home screaming. >

I wouldn’t mind just taking a homeless person into my home. It would be fun >

I was homeless in my early twenties and thank goodness folks took me in. I did offer to clean or whatever in exchange. That was back around 2002 and fuck it was not fun. You do get a real sense of how people can be tho. >

Trust issues and financial issues mostly. Plus maybe we have this thinking that the homeless can work out something for themselves whereas the strays need human help to survive. Anyhow, adopting a homeless sounds is a great idea to give someone another head start if you have the means. >

That’s because locking a human in a house and walking them with a leash is not as popular as doing that with a pet 😏 >

Tis more fun though. 🤷‍♂️ >

I don’t mean any disrespect but I can’t just let someone into my home. I would have to know them to an extent. Homeless people are 100% people too though, and they should be treated better. >

A homeless person?
First of all, you don’t adopt adults in general.
Second, if you were going to adopt an adult, don’t adopt one with serious mental and pharmacological problems. >

You mean like foster homes? Or just taking home people you see on the street? >

It's only an adoption if they're an orphan. I'm pretty sure doing this to a homeless person is called "abduction". >

"Homeless" is a dangerous euphemism.  It's not like they don't have a place to live because it's too expensive.  They are not capable of managing themselves.  If the popular term for these poor souls was "drug addicted/mentally imbalanced derelicts", maybe we could begin to fix the problem. >

What are you talking about? Biden has adopted millions and turned them Into the homeless >

A stray don't use Meth, don't had schizophrenia , don't be n alcoholic. (my poodle drink beer from the can, but it is not a normal dog anyway ) and had no opositor thumbs to grab a knife .
A wagging tail helps. Try to beat this , naked monkey ! >

Normally a stray doesn’t have drug and mental health issues. And is a lot cheaper >

In all fairness a stray dog isn't likely to beat you over the head with a toaster while you sleep, a stray cat on the other hand... >

People who are saying that stray animals can be just as violent as homeless people: animals aren’t going to try to deceive you, you are going to know pretty quick what sorts of issues they have and you can prepare yourself. Homeless people are gonna try to get in you house, then they will show their violence. There’s a difference. >

My local homeless alcoholic is a very nice guy, and despite being older than me, often asks me if I can adopt him, because I'm so good with my own kids. I know it's just a joke, but it breaks my heart a little every time. >

I get why you don‘t take homeless people into your home, but at least show a little respect. They are humans and nobody becomes homeless on purpose. Makes me sick, that a stray dog life worths so much more to most people than a human being without money. >

adopting a human isnt as common as adopting an animal, who would’ve fucking guessed? how is this even a shower thoughts this is just an obvious fact. the amount of people being mindblown and awarding this post is insane >

Yeah usually because they’re less of a nuisance. Anyone who says they would rather house a mentally insane person over an animal is straight up lying. >

I mean dogs generally smoke less meth and are less likely to stab you with a piece or broken glass >

Nobody ever thought about taking in a homeless person, and they are basically a maid. 
They can keep your place clean, and you can provide for them. Win win. >

Less people want or can to take care of a human than to take care of an animal >

I have enaugh space for someone to live in my appartment and thought about giving it to someone homeless. But I dont feel save with that idea. I mean... how could I know if the person is ok. I really want to help someone, bur it isnt easy. >

It's also the resources needed to give these people a place to stay, training/care/adapt to society. I'd be happy to help but I really don't have the means to do so (+ I have aging parents to take care for)
Also adopting children is something that's already done since a long time >

If only we just saw them as another life that needed our help in their main quest. Why do we keep making it about what we want? The poor fluff balls are both unloved and you seem to care. Have you considered starting a shelter? Maybe trial fur baby foster parent could be your thing. Or maybe you can spread awareness instead of having a shower thought? 🙊 >

My brother's Christian roommate invited 3 or 4 homeless people in to stay while my brother was away as he thought it was what Jesus would do.
They pissed all over the lounge, the bed and the carpet and put cigarettes out on every surface. Just trashed the place while my brother's roommate was at work.
Not saying all are like that at all but it's a risk. Theft is also a risk though they didn't steal anything in my brother's case.
My brother was a little unhappy when he came home /s. Didn't live with that guy for long. >

When you adopt a stray, you own it. You can neuter it, vaccinate it, lock it in a cage if needed, and keep it in a leash so that it doesn't run at and harm people.
It's slightly different with a homeless person. At least now.
I think it is basically why it's an easier, and more popular option to take in a pet than a human being. You have much less responsibility for it, and wayy more control. >

Stray animals rarely have untreated mental illness and addiction.  Though they will still eat all your food,  destroy your stuff and use up all your money,  so ...ynmv >

A lot of homeless people have mental health issues and need to be in psychiatric facilities. You can’t just invite them into your home >

The trouble a homeless person can inject into your life by adopting them vs an animal is orders of magnitude higher. >

There are obvious reasons for this. Homeless people can be crazy or addicts. However it’s still more likely someone adopt a cat/dog than a child in need of a home. >

Humans are complex and sometimes unpredictable. We don't know what extent can we assume we will be safe from other person actions. Don't foster homeless people if you living alone. Always take precautions. >

A dog won’t clean your house out while you’re at work for dope… >

Strays don't come with the, presumably rare, but not unheard of threat of you and your family being stabbed in your sleep.
Don't get me wrong, would love to help out when and where I can but I have noticed since having a child that I am far more open to taking a chance on my own life and very much not open to taking a chance on his or my wife's. >

I’ve worked with the homeless for years. Absolutely would not trust any of them to live in my home or be involved in my personal life in any way. >

As someone taking care of an adult because they can’t, I’d gladly rather take care of a cat.  I love the person but speaking purely of the work involved, a cat (or whatever stray) would be way easier. >

Feel you there. My grandma spent her last days living with us. It was a rough time >

Unfortunately taking in a homeless person is a crapshoot. Taking in any stranger is a crapshoot. The worst a cat or dog will do is pee, poop or claw furniture. None of which are life threatening. >

I remember her in the UK a few years ago, a family took in a homeless person and we’re all murdered by him. >

Am I supposed to be surprised most people adopt a homeless little car rather than a full grown adult probably stocked full on heroine? >

I also don't like taking the chance of getting butchered in my sleep... >

Adopted strays tend to be very sweet by process of selection. This selection process applies to people in unfortunate circumstances. I’m in a very conservative area and there are still a few great places for homeless and other unfortunate circumstances who are looking to work together with resources and behave themselves. It is those with medical/mental issues and drug issues that most places in America are unequipped to deal with (by design). And those are the ones that statistically are chronically homeless.
Just like how the chronically unadoptable animals tend to have behavior or physical/mental issues. >

Yeah, it's almost like there's a difference between a human and a dog... >

How are you defining a stray and how are you defining a homeless >

Bruh, not even gonna comment on how fucking stupid this post is. Just gonna point out how fucking brain damaged it is to refer to homeless people as "a homeless" >

And yet here you are commenting >

When I tried they said they "weren't homeless" and  had "a recording session to get to". What kind of name is Post Malone anyway? >

People adopt the homeless all the time with foster care. A lot of adult ppl are homeless due to drug use or mental disorders or they just choose to stay that way. It is not someone else’s job to put their families in harms way for someone that needs more help then you can give. This is why there are homeless shelters and free clinics. And some still choose not to use those resources. >

My GMIL let a homeless person from her church live with her and he wrecked the place and stole a bunch of stuff from her. Ouch. >

Why are you comparing living, breathing people to literal dogs and cats? Do you see them as equal or what? >

And what makes you think that?
But being honest, if both are homeless the term applies. >

My parents had a woman come live with us for several months when I was in the 5th grade. Not much of an explanation as to why at the time, just like, “yeah she’ll be here for awhile, cool huh?!” I loved her dearly and she was family from then on. 
As an adult my mom explained to me that she was escaping a pretty serious domestic violence situation and needed a place to stay. Our home was safest for her because my mother was simply a casual work friend to this woman and he wouldn’t have thought to look for her with us. Plus as a bonus, we lived back in the woods so far that you couldn’t see the house from the road. I’m pretty proud my parents were so good to someone they barely knew. It’s probably fair to say they saved her life. She passed a couple years ago after many many years of happy freedom away and safe from her abuser >

This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.
Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"
(For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)
Rule-breaking posts may result in bans. >

My parents brought in a lady who had accidentally burned down her apartment (fell asleep with a candle lit) when I was a kid. 
She brought her cat to live with us too, and I remember us spending a lot of time in the backyard listening to and talking about birds.
She died less than a year later from a combo of cancer and pneumonia, my parents later told me that she refused chemo treatment.
Overall, I think she was just grateful to have a safe space to spend the last little bit of her life. >

Kid you not, I was laying in bed with a candle lit on my dresser on the other side of the room. I rarely have a candle lit and have never thought of going to sleep with one until I made up my mind tonight to do just that. Figured it was safe enough as it's a tall inset Yankee candle - no animals. Well you just un-made my mind and I just got back from blowing it out. 
Tldr: may have just saved my life or apartment. >

I slept with a candle lit all night last night and my husband woke up PISSED. I guess now I see why. >

I feel uneasy going to bed while charging stuff overnight. Ain't no way I'm leaving a candle lit all night lol. >

are we not supposed to charge overnight? Like a fire risk or something? >

I think there used to be a concern for that but modern electronics should stop pulling electricity once they're at 100. I think it will damage the batteries over time though, at least in phones >

Newer phones are designed to stop charging before they get to the point where the batteries would be damaged. >

Phones have done this for a long time, since battery densities have climbed 5+ years ago.
If you look at the latest pixel phones for instance, the actual batteries in these things could run them like twice as long as what the phone shows, but to extend the life of the battery the battery management software limits how much you can charge it and drain it and the rate at which it charges. >

The amount of people who can afford a cat > the amount of people who can afford a fully grown human
Crazy huh >

I'd be very interested to see the math on this >

Cat = 10
Human = 20
20-10=10
Human is 100% more expensive. >

This made me laugh a lot harder than I think it probably should have >

I'm pleased it made you laugh; and also possibly a little insulted lol
Regardless, you can't deny the math checks out. >

r/TheyDidTheMath >

Happy cake day >

Thank you! >

You're welcome >

I actually did this once. Took in a guy, gave him a bed. Helped him get up on his feet. 
He's doing well now, has a place and got custody of his son. We're good mates. 
Homeless people are still people. >

Congrats. I’m glad it worked out. 
I helped out an old friend who was at risk of homelessness due to some (we didn’t know about) mental health issues. 
We got him in touch with social workers and a jobs program and a temporary housing program. 
Turns out he was taking the paperwork I helped him with and throwing it out in the bin out back instead of handing it in. He was convinced it was signing him up for organ harvesting or something. 
He made a huge mess, was really difficult to live with and after almost 3 months when I said he’d have to explore other options for where to stay, he called me a “little bitch” and stole $8k worth of electronics. 
Last I heard he had assaulted a social worker who tried to get him housing assistance and who had arranged mental health treatment options and was in an encampment and on some kind of drugs.
1/10 Definitely wouldn’t do again. >

Stray dogs don't have tenant's rights. >

Stray dogs also don’t steal $8K worth of electronics. >

Or call you lil bitch... cause I mean,  that was the worst part for me.  
... im Mr big bitch silly dog! >

Well, there's this one well-loved, homed dog on tiktok that does call you a bitch... >

Not against it. HOWEVER (The reason behind it not being popular could be)… strays, typically, don’t possess the mental health and drug difficulties someone adopting a homeless would probably encounter. Less potential issues to remedy. >

A lot of stray dogs do have severe mental health issues, but the ways we are allowed to handle - and get rid of - dogs are a lot more permissive. And as you say there’s less in their lives to take care of >

Yeah but a stray dog with anxiety isn’t going to take a pringle can sized heroin shit on my living room carpet >

They could still leave a pretty big shit on it. Though it won’t be quite as dangerous as handling a human one, agreed >

I took in a homeless person once. I got robbed as a thank you. Animals don't pull that shit. >

When a stray dog bites you, you don’t get mad as that’s what dogs do >

I think stray dogs biting you is exactly why most people don’t take in stray dogs >

You don’t have to let ‘em in your house 
I took in a stray and they just lived in the yard >

Probably isn’t socially acceptable to move the homeless from the street to your yard though >

What about a reinforced soundproof basement with a steel door >

I’m calling the police.. >

No no no. It was just a social experiment! >

Oh, in that case, here's your Netflix documentary. >

That’s right, because adopting a stray cat or dog is much simpler than adopting a homeless person. 
Take in a stray animal, patch it up and let it get comfortable in a happy warm house filled with food and attention if they want it and the pet will likely warm up and if not just live with you like a demanding roommate. I have some cats that were abused and or starved before I got them, some days are a struggle but I have the tools to help them out. 
Take in a homeless person and discover why they are homeless, it’s not because someone threw them out of the house because they were allergic. They probably have mental health issues and or addictions issues. A can of tuna, space and a bit of time will not help, these folks need resources for addictions recovery, trauma therapy and a feasible way to find their own housing and a stable job. They also have to want to get better. This is on top of dealing with what can be extremely disruptive and destructive behaviour of the folks on myself and my family as they sort themselves out. 
The primary support network for people who are at risk of homelessness is family, then friends and finally a very imperfect community funded social support system. If you want to help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness donate money to your local charities which are focused on this, vote for people who have feasible homeless mitigation ideas in their platform. Don’t vote for people who say there is an easy solution or that homeless people deserve it or it’s hopeless so why bother. >

The problem is that there is an "easy" solution. Finland is eradicating homelessness (and very successfully) and saving a shit ton of money doing it using aggressive social housing construction.
1 - You can build a LOT of housing with a concentrated, well planned, government directed effort.  You can also do it very cheap. Dense housing is efficient both economically and space wise and brings business to an area as well. Look at how fast China can erect cities worth of buildings. Are they depressing? Yes, but better than out on the street in a puddle of your own piss in the dead of night during winter.
2 - There is a LOT of land out there that can be bought and used for this, and as well, lots of vacant homes
3 - Permit systems and rules designed to gunk up the process of establishing new housing can be reformed as they are being in eg. BC, Canada
4 - We can save a lot of money and reduce addiction, mental illness and ultimately homelessness with drug reform (-> decriminalize possession w/ mandatory treatment), healthcare reform (-> single payer for essentials, public option for nonessentials, less limits on new doctors and medical school admissions), and mental health as part of that healthcare reform (-> your govt insurance should cover therapy and mental health evaluations). Both we (Canada) and you (US I assume?) desperately need these things.
5 - Get foreign interests and speculative investment out of real estate
These are all things that are "easy" for people to sign off on. They're logical, and they're proven to work, and countries have done them. They're only hard because people keep voting in leaders who have a vested interest in not entertaining these ideas, commissioning studies into them, and/or implementing them. >


5 - Get foreign interests and speculative investment out of real estate

The only way to eliminate speculative investment in land is either central planning or a land value tax. >

Some people will prefer not renting from the government. There's no reason we can't have both private and public housing. The same way we have private and public transportation. Governments mostly refuse to build housing and try to entice private capital to do it instead. There is zero reason governments can't just budget and build housing.  The way people focus on rent control or ending private investment instead of just holding their elected office accountable is such a distraction. >


Some people will prefer not renting from the government.

If you're referring to the LVT: no duh, people who own land would prefer to continue profiting from their land rather than sharing it equally. But that's the core of the problem.

Governments mostly refuse to build housing and try to entice private capital to do it instead.

It doesn't matter who builds the housing, the issue is land rent, not return to capital associated with construction and maintenance.
I think you should give this a read since there's a good chance we are not sharing the same terminology. >

You can't own a person and have power of attorney over them and have them obey all your commands and give you all of their love and attention while having them be absolutely loyal to you. >

THANK YOU — I was in this thread looking for someone to be like ‘… because you can’t own a grown-ass human & control their every waking moment?’ >

Let a homeless dude stay. He assaulted me in my own bed. F**ker. I am not traumatized. Just angry >

track him down and assault him back (jk) >

Adopting a stray cat won't result in your TV being sold at the nearest pawn shop >

I work in a shelter. Outside the shelter are the homeless who enjoy homelessness. I use "enjoy" lightly, but then again, they never seek actual help. Some are foster kids who are aged out of foster care. That's the saddest situation because the only care they received was from the foster system, and now they are in a place where they have no one, and it quickly leads to addiction. >

I mean, the cost is pretty different. As is the space they take up. It’s pretty reasonable. Plus, it’d be weird to have a human as a pet >

Twilight Zone. “ Stopover in a Quiet Town”.1964. Two humans captured by aliens to be pets to a colossal little girl. >

Everyone says its better to get a shelter dog. People who get shelter dogs are heros they say. But when i go to the women's shelter to find a girlfriend....
(Paraphrased kyle kinane)