
Thousands of people are experiencing housing instability in Seattle - brudgers
https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/4/17/17248722/invisible-homelessness-first-person
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jeremyt
This story makes very little sense to me.

It tries to claim that the mom is just in this impossible situation and
there’s no possible way to get out... that living in an SUV in the Walmart
parking lot is the only option.

But it also says she’s making $1300 a month [edit: from social security
disability]. Honestly, why can’t she drive that expensive SUV for an hour in
literally any direction to reach a place where you can get a one bedroom
apartment for like $500 a month?

This is what I don’t understand about homelessness: why do people insist that
they have to live in a very high cost city?

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oddity
Would she still be making $1300 a month if she moved?

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jeremyt
The story says she’s making $1300 a month from Social Security disability. She
doesn’t need to commute, she gets the money even if she stays home all day and
doesn’t do anything.

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oddity
Fair enough, but I think my broader point was that you also need to factor in
things like the support network that would need to be rebuilt and the cost of
whatever services happen to be cheaper because of location.

Moving is an inherently costly proposition both from a financial and mental
perspective, and people who aren't in the best state for any of those things
will probably not. Living in a Walmart parking lot, as bad as it is, is
_stable_ and _predictable_. Moving isn't.

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jeremyt
I don’t know. It still seems to me that there are options here, and this woman
has chosen not to pursue them, for whatever reason.

I would also take issue with your assertion that living in a car in a Walmart
parking lot is stable or predictable.

This looks less like involuntary homelessness and more like a lifestyle
choice.

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jadedhacker
Would she have made that choice if she had more money or housing was cheaper?
If she is making the best of a bad situation, maybe that's a failing on our
part not on hers.

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scarface74
It's completely a failing on her part. If she is on disability, why should the
government give her _more_ money to live in an expensive place. $1300 a month
isn't a lot, but it is enough to live in many parts of the US.

Why is it the taxpayers responsibility to make sure that she doesn't have to
move from Seattle?

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jadedhacker
Mainly because forced migration is something an enemy does to a people in a
war.

I also take issue with the parasitic landlord class.

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scarface74
So a landlord should charge less rent than it takes to cover expenses?

Are you going to tell small town America to pay for people to live in Seattle
that can't afford it?

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pkaye
Why isn't the writer helping her mother? Maybe give room and board? Maybe she
doesn't have much to give but combining assets can help both?

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InclinedPlane
Didn't read the article huh?

Are you asking for someone to help summarize it for you or are you just musing
in the time before you finish reading it yourself?

