08-15-2015, 02:37 PM
I was working in the trenches trying to provide transitional housing for mentally ill adults when this happened. The number of beds for the mentally ill dropped precipitously and the promised federal funding for community housing and support never materialized, because of Reagan's refusal to support the funding at a federal level. The idea of caring for our mentally ill in their home communities is a good one, but it requires consistent funding. Many European countries have made the decision to have proper care and housing for their mentally ill in the least restrictive environment possible, they decided they would rather do that than have people sleeping and begging on the streets.
I saw first hand the large numbers of people who were handed their prescriptions, an SSD eligibility and a bus ticket during that time, because we were trying to find them safe places where they wouldn't just become prey for exploiters when they got off the bus. Now the mentally ill homeless are a permanent fixture living on the streets while languishing on years long waiting lists for housing.
I don't think I've ever brought this up before, certainly not constantly, so your claim that I "keep bringing this up" is the BS claim here.