We were having lunch the other day at the wonderful Thai Uptown restaurant and came outside to see someone setting up camp in this doorway. This particular doorway is of one of the several long-vacant CTA Wilson L station properties right across the street on Broadway. Hard to believe this is the same Broadway that just a couple blocks away has Borders, the Riv, Marigold, Annoyance Theatre, Crew, Green Mill, etc., etc., etc.Too bad there are no shelters or social service agencies near Broadway and Wilson to help people escape the harsh life on the street and gain a roof over their heads.
Oh.
Never mind.
The guy in the photo lives there. Every morning on my way to the el he's combing his hair and you can smell(and see) his morning bathroom break right there on the sidewalk. This has been going on for months, so I think its safe to say that this guy has no intention of leaving.
ReplyDeleteGosh, would have thought Uptown United would have tried to address this problem? They do want to promote retail, right?
ReplyDeleteHoley Moley, SOMEONE should have noticed this and dealt with it. What about the hundreds of social services agencies whose missions are to prevent situations like this? What about the CTA, whose property is being used?
ReplyDeleteAll it takes is this one photo at a major retail intersection to prove that Uptown's experiment of clumping as many shelters and agencies as possible into one square mile has failed completely.
I saw them tonight coming home. Yes, they are always there.
ReplyDeleteTygerkub, I agree wholeheartedly, but I know the answer that many of the social services have around here would be a band aide that wouldn't change anything. Needless to say, a lot of social services belong to Uptown United. That must explain why they don't address it either.
ReplyDeletePepole like this have to want to get off the street for any social servive to work. Some people just don't want the responsibility/rules that goes with staying in a shelter or a subsidized apartment. This is one of the main reasons it will aways be a problem.
ReplyDeleteJust because we have shelters doesn't mean we have enough of them. REST and Cornerstone are both filled, and with Singer House at EZRA closing a couple years back and the Salvation Army on Sunnyside shutting theirs down too last fall, it's really not that easy. You go do it. Not to mention that if you walk a little closer, this man CLEARLY has SEVERE mental health issues, like most homeless people in Uptown. His are worse than most. There's no way he has the presence of mind to know how to get a DHS referral and get in to a shelter. And if he did, then what? They're not meant to be permanent, so in a few months he'd just be right back on the streets without the intensive mental health care he needs.
ReplyDeleteNSP: Let's call the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless to do an event in Uptown. Demand that more shelters and transitional rooming houses be built citywide. I'll bet I wouldn't be the only local resident who would show up and bring a check to this event too. We all know where the services are concentrated. It's time for this issue to get back on the region's political radar.
ReplyDeleteNSP
ReplyDeleteExcellent post.
"Hard to believe this is the same Broadway that just a couple blocks away has Borders, the Riv, Marigold, Annoyance Theatre, Crew, Green Mill, etc., etc., etc."
ReplyDeleteInteresting how the bulk of these businesses are north of Lawrence, which is not Shiller's ward. Coincidence...I think not ! I fear that until we get new ward leadership that does not gather the less fortunate in the ward to provide a support base (ie vote = free lunch), we'll be seeing more of the same.
NSP: I find it difficult to believe that there are no shelter beds for this man, should he want one. Even during the coldest nights of winter, there are a hundred or so shelter beds that go empty.
ReplyDeleteCould it be that this man is in Uptown because he can live on a busy street, get free food, needles, and medical care, and never once have to go into a shelter?
The new plan for homelessness in Chicago is to obtain permanent housing for the homeless, not shelter beds. We all see the results of shelters that provide only overnight housing and make the people leave in the morning. Bad situtation, both for the homeless and for the neighborhood.
I don't have a solution for homelessness, but I do know it's not healthy for anyone to have people living, sleeping, pooping, peeting, etc. in doorways on our main streets. Again, not healthy for the person, the neighborhood or the safety of others.
Sadly, in Uptown's current political situation, that makes me elitist, racist, entitled, ad nauseum.
I'm not saying they should be citywide. The reality is, transportation is a HUGE expense for these people. For example, there's an amazing transitional program in Lincoln Park, but we can't send people there because they can't get there. So until the city starts a program to help low-income people with transportation (I'm thinking a Chicago Plus Card attached to food stamp benefits couldn't be that difficult), the programs need to be where the populations are. Sorry guys. I think that Uptown needs change, but a lot of that should come from having good, well-funded social services to get these people into more secure situations, not just shipping them out of the area.
ReplyDeleteSorry, forgot to say that last post was in response to Saskia earlier.
ReplyDeleteTrumanSquareNabr: We need both shelters & transitional programs to solve the problems, as well as more subsidized housing. Why? Because all effective transitional programs have waiting lists, so you can't get this guy off the streets without them. The trick is having them well run w/case management in concordance with the shelters to get them into these programs--REST does this really well.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with you that situations like this are bad for everyone involved. I was just pointing out that the solution is nowhere near as simple as the post seemed to make it.
And I don't know where you heard that shelter beds are going empty, because working a social service agency that refers people to emergency shelter daily, I can tell you that's definitely not the case, especially here in Uptown.
The reality is, transportation is a HUGE expense for these people. For example, there's an amazing transitional program in Lincoln Park, but we can't send people there because they can't get there.
ReplyDeleteOk, so what you're telling me, is there is this amazing program TWO MILES AWAY and thats causing the problem? Seriously? Thats not making your case very well. If you're homeless because you're too lazy to walk two miles to get the help you need then there isn't anything I can do for you as you're beyond help.
Yeah, but then think about how many homeless people are disabled. Also, sure you can walk this time of year, but who can walk two miles in February in Chicago? And yes, that was one example, but the other best program is on Roosevelt--how do you suggest they get there?
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying all this to argue or because I have all the answers. I'm just saying, don't underestimate the obstacles these people face every day, even the ones in Uptown.
I'm not saying they should be citywide.
ReplyDeleteThat is one hefty statement coming from someone who should know that homelessness is encountered by people all over the region. There are some neighborhoods that have no shelters...neighborhoods that only have one (sporadicly open) food pantry. If you are facing homelessness in this city, very often you will find your way downtown or to the parks over time. Then, you may be brought to one of the shelters or warming centers in Uptown. Of course given that pattern of movement one neighborhood cannot possibly keep up and produce the extensive services that are needed to help the various types of people who find their way here.
Your comments about transportation issues are interesting. I suppose if it were "pitched" the right way, a number of donors might be willing to help start a transportation fund for people trying to work their way out of homelessness. On the other hand, if Uptown is having difficulty providing services to our homeless/transitional population why not use the $10 million in TIF money that we are spending on a parking lot next to an EL stop to create more work rehabilitation + housing programs? Why in all of the wards in Chicago should not enough quality services be an issue? Why should people need to go to Roosevelt or Lincoln Park?
Saskia:
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Sorry, I misworded that. I mean, I'm not saying they should be anywhere randomly to "distribute" the homeless out of Uptown, which is the impression I get from some people on here. I meant that we need the services where the populations exist. You're right, they definitely exist everywhere, but they're more concentrated in certain places.
And you are right that R.E.S.T. does a very good job and that transitional homes and affordable housing are part of the equation as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone seriously is advocating a redistribution of people as much as they want either an influx of resources to improve the situation of those who are here and/or a renewed commitment from some other areas in the city to offer more space and programs.
http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=142&ArticleID=5329&TM=64692
ReplyDeleteThe many homeless in the area are not all from Uptown; many of them come here. Certainly services are needed, but there needs to be some objective criteria to determine when one neighborhood has enough shelters.
ReplyDeleteA number of cities license their homeless shelters (Chicago licenses animal shelters) and many cities also take steps to avoid concentrating shelters too close together. (Chicago does this with hair & nail salons as well as with liquor establishments.)
As a social worker, I am all for providing a compassionate approach to address the needs of the homeless. It needs to be supported in the use of best practices found throughout the U.S. While licensing shelters is not the entire answer, it would help us move in that direction.
As far as assessing the quality of care provided at the homeless shelters in Uptown, my experience is that some are run really well, and some are not.
ReplyDeleteThe ones with residents leaving at 7am to buy booze, who spend much of their time sitting on bus benches or sifting through dumpsters are from the shelters that are not run well. If you are around Uptown long enough, you are quickly able to discern which shelters are run well and which are not.
I think this new trend on Uptown Update of posting pictures of people less fortunate than those of us who are able to post here is really tacky. Some folks here are discussing it like they aren't real people with real problems who need help and maybe some compassion or a hand from a neighbor.
ReplyDeleteWhat you're seeing is what happens when too many social services are crammed in one area. People need to see the damage that is caused by Helen's solutions to homelessness in Uptown.
ReplyDeleteTarget officials and government officials. Are you reading this? You can place pressure on Helen to stop all of this nonsense.
'I think this new trend on Uptown Update of posting pictures of people less fortunate than those of us who are able to post here is really tacky'
ReplyDeleteALEXANDER... The pictures that are being posted are examples of what we see everyday in our community. It's not as though you have to go far beyond your front door to capture these images. These images can be captured 24/7. I'm personally sick of the lack of response on the city's behalf to get our neighborhoods cleaned up and making them safe for tax payers.
In response to Alexander, the mere fact that people that can post ARE talking about this is a good thing. These are human beings. While we will and do care about our fellow human beings, we can't begin to care for them until they begin to care for themselves.
ReplyDeleteThere are real costs through the expense of time and money trying to assist humans that do not see the forest from the trees. That cost is an opportunity cost where another human being, one that does see the forest from the trees, understands when their fellow humans are trying to assist them to return to self sustenance.
Alexander, I can assure you that UU isn't trying to turn these folks into "objects." We have at least two social workers who work with the poor posting in this thread, and the discussion is how to cope with homelessness (and how NOT to), rather than mocking the individuals.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words:
For years, it was known that the homeless slept in the 24 ATM drive-through at the bank across from Shiller's office. It was dangerous for them, and dangerous for anyone who might try to actually take out money in the middle of the night.
The situation wasn't addressed until UU posted photos of several people stretched out in sleeping bags at 3 a.m. at the ATM. It may just have been coincidental timing, but shortly after that, no one slept in the drive-through anymore. I've checked periodically, and I've never seen it since.
UU is highlighting the bad situations that happen ROUTINELY with the indigent in Uptown. Stumbling in and out of traffic, living in doorways... not good for anyone... dangerous, in fact.
And certainly not indications of a functioning, healthy, vital neighborhood.
We've got a broken system here, and these unfortunate folks are both the symptoms of it and are paying the price for it.
Sadly, sometimes it takes a photo or two to get the point across. We at UU are hoping it helps effect a change or two.
But maybe UU could endeavor to avoid full-on single headshots? This one isn't but the one about Wayne Storey was and I felt a little uncomfortable with the banter before the WBEZ audio was posted. (Of course that audio couldn't have been posted if people weren't able to identify Storey.) I guess what I am saying is to try to be sensitive to the fact that someone might go for a job interview someday and not want the employer to know they were once homeless or what have you. There are many ways to take a picture of Uptown's street life in a way that gets the story across but allows the participants a bit more anonymity. (IMO, this picture meets that criteria.)
ReplyDeleteSleeping on private property can only be stopped of the property owner. The police can not arrest someone for being on private property without a agent for the property signing a complaint and going to court. When someone other than the owner calls, all the police can do is request that they leave. The "sleeper" does not have to comply. Most of the time they do comply. The pressure needs to be put on the property owners.
ReplyDeleteI'm more concerned about the language surrounding the post. "Creating a nest" is pretty degrading, as is the sarcasm at the end that assumes that just because the social services exist he's capable of accessing them. Sure, we need to do something for this man--he obviously needs help. But it should be done w/the mindset of helping a fellow human being, not ridding our neighborhood of rifraf--an attitude I've seen many times from people commenting on this site.
ReplyDeleteOther neighborhoods do something about this all the time. The point is that the Chamber, CTA, and the Alderman could all do more, AND THEY ARE NOT.
ReplyDeleteI was very liberal when I moved to Uptown. I am still very liberal but it should be expected that residents would get pretty tired of what they see day in and day out. Our attempts to address these matters are blocked rather than assisted by those who have more authority to help out. What's more, we labeled bigoted when we speak up.
Keep posting this. It is our best way of changing Uptown because God only knows the best way to address something is to embarrass its leaders. God forbid they would actually listen to us.
Our attempts to address these matters are blocked rather than assisted by those who have more authority [and money, connections, expertise] to help out. What's more, we are labeled bigoted when we speak up.
ReplyDeleteThis can't be said enough about the average citizens' experience in Uptown.
The situation wasn't addressed until UU posted photos of several people stretched out in sleeping bags at 3 a.m. at the ATM. It may just have been coincidental timing, but shortly after that, no one slept in the drive-through anymore. I've checked periodically, and I've never seen it since.
ReplyDeleteWell, this is some backhanded "compassion". Are you assuming that since the photos were posted the people aren't at the ATM anymore because they were helped or were they merely rousted and told to beat it so as not to inconvenience users of the ATM? You say "the situation was addressed" by posting the photos... which situation? Helping the folks sleeping in bags there or just clearing them out of the way?
It is NOT SAFE for people to sleep on the street or at ATMs.
ReplyDeleteNot for the people, not for the public.
I myself was coming home at 3 a.m. from work a few years ago, turned off the ramp at Wilson and LSD (before there was a stop sign there), and came within feet of running over a homeless man who was passed out on the median between the lanes under the bridge.
I still shudder to think what would have happened to both of us if I hadn't been as alert as I was, or if lights had been burned out and I hadn't seen him, or if I'd glanced away for a moment and didn't see him in time.
Less than a year ago, a man was shot to death in front of Wilson Care, sleeping on a bench in the middle of the night.
JUST THIS MONTH, a woman was sleeping in Clarendon Park, and was raped.
Many people who sleep outside are paranoid schizophrenic and can be dangerous. Remember the homeless woman in Lakeview who set a house on fire and killed several residents because she was trying to light a dollar bill to stay warm?
Uptown Update isn't in the business of saving the homeless. That's for the many, many, MANY social services agencies in Uptown.
What they can do is highlight the horrible circumstances that exist every day in Uptown. "Clearing them out of the way" and getting the homeless into the social services system is the most compassionate thing we can do for them -- not tolerate them sleeping on private property, not giving them handouts that perpetuate the cycle of poverty, hopelessness and homelessness.
Tell me, MotS, if you had a daughter, how would you feel about her driving through an ATM with people sleeping in it, who are possibly mentally ill? If one of those homeless people were your parent, would you want them on the street or in care?
I don't think anyone's arguing that they need care. I think the problem here is that by calling the police, there's no way to know just how the situation was addressed. There's a chance they got picked up and put into some kind of treatment facility, sure, and I think that's what we're all hoping for. Unfortunately, and I think we've all seen this in our experiences with CPD & Uptown, it's more likely that the easiest route was taken and they were simply told to leave and go elsewhere, and no one really knows where that is.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the solution to that one is a lot bigger than us as everyday citizens making a phone call or two to 311. It's important that they're getting connected to resources they need. I'm not sure how to go about that. We can't exactly expect the police force to be social workers, but these people need actual help--we all agree on that I think.
Truman...
ReplyDeleteIt is NOT SAFE for people to sleep on the street or at ATMs.
I wasn't asking about the safety aspect. The original poster was mentioned a "situation" and I asked what "situation" they were talking about.
"Clearing them out of the way" and getting the homeless into the social services system ... --
Those are two different things. I just wanted to know which one was going on in this situation. Doesn't matter to me what the intent was. Just was curious. Did anyone make sure that the people sleeping in the ATM lane were "cleared out of the way" AND "into social service system"? Or was it one or the other?
Tell me, MotS, if you had a daughter, how would you feel about her driving through an ATM with people sleeping in it, who are possibly mentally ill? If one of those homeless people were your parent, would you want them on the street or in care?
If it were my daughter, I would hope I'd have taught her to have enough sense not to enter a possibly dangerous situation. As for my parent, I'm pretty sure between me and my four other siblings they wouldn't be homeless, no matter what the mental or physical condition.
NSP's post after yours probably says it better than I can. Calling the cops and getting them to roust the guys out of there and saying you hope they get the help they need are two different things. One does not automatically lead to the other. I'm not questioning anyone's sincerity or committment to mankind. Just wish some people would say it: if you just want them gone, just say so. I have guys living in the alley behind my house. It started off with one guy a few years ago who came around every summer. Now it can be about seven or eight at one time, playing the radio, sleeping, yelling and fighting, using the alley as bathroom. I use the rear exit of my building a lot since it's closer to the el station and it's starting to bug me that I can't walk five feet out of my building without being hit up for change. Have I called the cops to clear them out? No, because part of me sees these guys (all seem able-bodied) are pretty harmless (so far) and if they're willing to sleep in the alley with the rats... But as their hanging out turns into living there (they've set up matresses, etc.) and the urine smell increases I'm thinking about it. And not because I want the cops to get them the help they need. Because I want them gone. So this "getting them into the social services" by calling the cops is.. well, anyway. Just if people want them gone, just say so. Saying calling the cops will help them out is either naive or an excuse.
"Nadmenny Millicent says:
ReplyDeleteJuly 22, 2008 9:52 AM"
Thank you for this comment. Your information is very helpful.
Life is tough...
ReplyDeleteFor those who choose this path. I see this daily and I come and go from my home. I addressed the problem to the police and they said they are not doing anything wrong and its not thier problem. I addressed this to the alderwomen and she said they cannot force them if they want no help. Well I think it looks so bad and when frineds come and visit me they cannot believe thier eyes. I have seen this problem grow worse by the year and something needs to be done to solve this problem. It is unhealthy and unsafe and the alderlady should do something as thats what we pay her for out of our taxes. If not we should remember her at the time we vote and vote her out and a new one in.....
"For those who choose this path"???? Really? Sorry, but I can't believe anyone honestly thinks homelessness is a choice.
ReplyDeletensp, the problem is a lot bigger than we are. That's why I call the police. I want to send a clear message that it's not okay for anyone to sleep in the streets in this neighborhood. They may not be able to help it if they have a mental illness, but it is still not appropriate to sleep in the streets or crap outside. Not in this neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteSure, some of the shelters are lousy and don't connect people with needed services, but I don't have the power to fix that. Helen does and she won't.
Holey moley...
ReplyDeletethanks for being honest.
I'm late to the party here, but after reading this thread, I couldn't not write.
ReplyDeleteI want to send a clear message that it's not okay for anyone to sleep in the streets in this neighborhood. They may not be able to help it if they have a mental illness, but it is still not appropriate to sleep in the streets or crap outside. Not in this neighborhood.
Who is actually the recipient of this message? Do we really believe that the problem with the homeless folks in Uptown who aren't mentally ill is that they simply don't understand that it's not appropriate to sleep in the streets? That if they could just get the message, they might "choose" a different way of living. Homelessness is about so many complex factors, many of which are out of the control of those who experience it.
We can go six rounds about shelters and whether there are too many in Uptown or not enough, whether they're run well or not, whether transportation and access can be improved or not, but at a basic human level, here's the thing: People aren't meant to live in shelters.
Look, many of us - particularly those of us who have the time and resources to post here on this blog - move through the world with certain kinds of privilege, be it our skin, our sexuality, our economic status, our mental health status. I have to believe that we could work toward solving some of the problems we spend so much time dissecting here if those of us with privilege felt responsible at the human to human level for addressing the inequity present for those who move through the world with more barriers than we have.
And it concerns me when I see photos of people, yes homeless people, but human beings here on the blog accompanied by language that's degrading - clever, sure, but at what expense and to what end? It concerns me because I read through the comments and posts on this blog and for all the constructive dialogue that's happening here, more often than not, I read things that indicate that we've lost a very basic sense of compassion, a very basic ability to put ourselves in the position of someone who has less than we do.
Trust me, I'm no fan of Helen Schiller. By any means. I want Uptown to thrive. I want our streets to be safe. I want a diverse community I can be proud to live in. I just don't think we can accomplish that without things like compassion and empathy. A little less cleverly worded alderman bashing and a little more constructive, compassionate action.
lola,
ReplyDeleteTolerating the idea of people sleeping in the streets is not compassion and understanding. That's called enabling. Everyone deserves compassion. No one deserves enabling. My sister has a mental illness so I have learned something about it through the years.
Another group deserving of some compassion is the children in the neighborhood and they should not be witnessing adults crapping outside, sleeping on bus benches, drinking alcohol, begging for their lunch money, and giving blow jobs. Comprende?
Too many people who are homeless are also battling mental illness with no professional or community assistance. The Thresholds Mobile Assessment Unit (TMAU) was established in 1989 to provide assertive outreach, psychiatric care, and resource referral to homeless persons with serious mental illness. TMAU employs the skills of licensed clinical social workers on the streets, in the shelters, and any other location where people who are homeless may be found. We are Chicago's only city-wide mental health outreach program, and our primary goal is simple: to get people with mental illness off the street and help them regain control of their lives.
ReplyDeleteWe believe it's not enough to simply be available to the people who need our services – we need to bring our services to them. Everyday, TMAU workers can be found traveling in a van in search of people who may need our services, or dashing through the park system on bikes in response to radio-dispatched crisis calls. After initial contact, the TMAU team can hospitalize people in need, help provide temporary shelter, or connect them to long-term support programs. Each year TMAU works with 800 - 1,400 people on the streets throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan area.
The Thresholds Mobile Assessment Unit is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with additional weekend hours on a limited basis. If you know someone on the streets who needs our help, please call 877-725-0572 (North Side)
Try calling THAT next time instead of the police,and you might actually accomplish something.
Okay, NSP, I will do that. There's a lady in our neighborhood who, though homeless, is a packrat. She is found all over Truman Square (maybe other neighborhoods as well) with three or four buggies, all packed high like the Clampetts' truck, sitting on different corners.
ReplyDeleteI know many of us have tried to help her. She has been brought up several times at CAPS meetings. Yet tonight I saw her sitting outside a home, her buggies taking up much of the sidewalk.
Next time I see her, I'll call the number you suggested. I hope you can help her, because she's gonna die out there if no one succeeds. Many have tried. I'd like to see her get off the street and into the care system.
Holey, thanks for your reply, and I hear what you're saying. I just think you missed my point. You and I agree that people sleeping on the streets is a situation that shouldn't be tolerated, we just seem a bit further apart on who should take responsibility for trying to solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteI'm saying that we all have responsibility, to one another, as human beings, to try to improve the situation for those who have less than us. To say "I don't have the power to fix that" isn't quite accurate. We each have the power to do things - very small things - every day that contribute to a solution. Look, our alderman is a mess and yes, we should work for change at that level. But even a fantastic alderman isn't the be all, end all, of a solution.
We each have the power, and I think the responsibility, to take compassionate action...as NSP suggests above, we should call Threshholds who will offer assistance rather than the police who really are empowered to do nothing other than move people along. We should get to know the folks at REST who we can all agree are doing amazing work in the community and find out what support they need. And we shouldn't participate in the dehumanizing business of posting photos and crass comments about homeless people in our community here on this blog.
We should take a moment to think of them as people who have fewer choices and a whole hell of a lot more barriers than most of us. We should take a moment to talk with them. Maybe we'd learn that Dwayne, the man who sings under the el tracks whose photo appeared on UU under the sarcastic heading: "Uptown Entertainment District?" is a college graduate, that he went to Oberlin? That what separates him from you and me and the rest of the folks here who graduated from college were some bad turns and lost opportunities?
Holey, you said something really lovely in the comments to that thread about Dwayne about needing to see more hope on the streets of Uptown.
I'd like to believe that we'd experience that more often if we all took a moment to own our responsibility to one another and to think about what a community response is to the challenges facing all of the folks who are part of our Uptown community.
A community response that addresses mismanagement by an alderman is only one part of that response.
When we have huge numbers of mentally ill people coming into Uptown, you can fully expect for residents to be just a little bit frustrated about what they see around here and how it's encouraged to continue.
ReplyDeleteI have called Threshholds for one woman who had all her belongings in a grocery cart (stolen) and she was sleeping on the sidewalk. I met and spoke with some Threshold staff and they told me the reason why so many of them sleep on the streets is because of all the enabling behavior that goes on that people do because they feel sorry for them. They said it doesn't help.
I think the REST shelters and the Tom Seay Center, along with the Night Ministry, are the primary organizations that do nothing but enable the mentally ill to stay stuck in their situation.
By the way, Threshhold could do nothing for this woman because she refused service. I then called the police and it worked.
Holey, I'm curious, by "it worked" do you mean the police came and that woman got the mental health services she required and got access to housing and is no longer living on the streets? Or, does "it worked" mean you no longer see her outside your house?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your address so I can send 'em to your house? Today I cleaned up multiple wads of toilet paper with crap and piss on them around my dumpster. I also swooped up all the empty liquor bottles too.
ReplyDeleteThe swoon of mentally ill in this neighborhood are because of the cluster of many social services around here who are filled with enabling do gooders. Get them built in your neighborhood because I have enough in mine. We're not talking NIMBY because they are already in my backyard, literally.
The other day, someone at work found out I live in Uptown and he asked me if people still have to drive slowly through the traffic lights to avoid hitting all the zoned out mentally ill walking against the lights. I get it that I live in the city and there will be mentally ill people on the streets occasionally. But I'm not talking occasionally and this needs to stop.
No Lola, give me your address so that I can send them over to your house.