Economic Update: Record Homelessness Defies US "Solutions"

[S12 E35] Record Homelessness Defies US "Solutions"
In this week’s show, Prof. Wolff gives updates on China's changed global economic strategy, California's struggle over higher minimum wages, Boston Mayor siding with Starbucks' strikers, and “regulatory capture" issue again as Philip Morris hires top FDA tobacco scientist. In the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Rob Robinson, formerly homeless community organizer, on today's record homelessness despite decades of programs to "solve" the homelessness crisis.
*Min 2:35 correction: China
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About our Guest: Rob Robinson is a formerly homeless community organizer and activist based in New York City. His work focuses on changing people’s fundamental relationship to land and housing. He works with social movements around the world including the Movement of People Affected by Dams in Brazil (MAB), the Landless Workers Movement in Brazil (MST), Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa (the Shackdwellers movement) and the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages in Spain (the PAH). Rob is the USA-Canada Coordinator of International Alliance of Inhabitants, an alliance of 12,000 members worldwide which supports a Zero Evictions Platform. As a longtime member of the US Human Rights Network, his work is framed in international human rights law. In the US he works with communities on several social issues including, poverty and debt, police violence against the poor, gentrification and access to broadband. He is a regular guest lecturer at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He has lectured at several US law school human rights institutes, including University of Miami, Northeastern University Massachusetts, University of California at Berkeley and Harvard. Rob is currently an adjunct professor of Urbanism in the Design and Urban Ecology program at Parsons New School University.
Links: leftforum.org
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NEW 2021 Hardcover edition of “Understanding Marxism,” with a new, lengthy introduction by Richard Wolff is now available at: www.lulu.com/
“Marxism always was the critical shadow of capitalism. Their interactions changed them both. Now Marxism is once again stepping into the light as capitalism shakes from its own excesses and confronts decline.”
Check out all of d@w’s books: "The Sickness is the System," "Understanding Socialism," by Richard D. Wolff, and “Stuck Nation” by Bob Hennelly www.democracyatwork.info/books
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SOURCES FOR SHOW SEGMENTS:
1. China's changed global economic strategy: asiatimes.com/2022/07/sino-fo...
carnegieendowment.org/2022/07...
2. California's minimum wages: capitalandmain.com/california...
3. Boston Mayor: www.nbcnews.com/business/busi...
www.nbcboston.com/news/local/...
4. The FDA’s top science regulator of the tobacco industry: www.healthcommentary.org/2022/...

[@erinm1218]

As a mental health pro who has worked with chronic mental illness and addiction, one problem is the lack of recognition that these are chronic disorders that can be stabilized, not cured. Govt wants people to graduate after 18 months and reintegrate into society where a better definition of success would be supporting recovery ongoing; reduction in relapse, hospitalizations, arrests would be the goal ongoing. Also stop giving millions of tax dollars to developers, non-profit CEOs, and police/ prisons. They all live fat and the money doesn't trickle down to hiring actual professionals and building sufficient housing units. Finally, let people keep their disability benefits long term even if they go back to work to incentivize growth and wellness but also recognize that these are chronic, disabling conditions that co-occur with physical health problems. These folks, like all of us, but even much more so, need a social safety net.

[@jacpratt8608]

Thank you. These vicious circles are starting to be recognized by people like you.

[@life42theuniverse]

Growth is the issue... kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYukanukpZiUjJY

[@dion8962]

Oregon is #1 for addiction and dead last for access to treatment! Its something out of a persons worse nightmares… but its real!

[@ritarossi1805]

Thank Harry and Meghan. They Spoke about mental health problem to the whole Word...🦋

[@rogerhull5632]

The US hasn’t tried to solve homelessness in a significant way since Regan emptied the California mental hospitals and began the trend to do the same. The political trend to put profits over people fuels the problem. Keeping housing from being a speculative investment of hedge funds and international speculation will help.

[@haleybrown2836]

The attempts at unionization are noteworthy but a mere drop on a hot bucket. Nothing much will change until the current system which puts profits above all else will implode.

[@melaniel.s8990]

The minimum wage of 15.0$ an hour would not pull a lot of people out of poverty in CA, its very expensive. The minimum wage should be about 25$ an hour to survive with two parents working.

[@breft3416]

I think the closing of state hospitals across the country was the beginning of a multitude of US problems, especially drug dealing and addiction. I consider Reagan to be the beginning of the end in many ways.

[@BurdenofTheMighty]

That’s chipping away ownership. Communist 😃

[@kevintewey1157]

Democrats are worse with their austerity than the Republicans were

[@msjodikat]

That gentleman is speaking my language! I try to explain this to people, all of it, & it feels like folks are stuck in the established way of doing things. I very much appreciate hearing someone who gets it explain it so well!

[@haleybrown2836]

Breaking Points had a video on US life expectancy declining. This goes hand in hand with this video. A system which puts profits above all else is parasitic, it kills the host = our 99%ers who keep the economy going. Being the richest country globally comes at a price, we are running a 19th century economy where all the gains go to the top with very little responsibility toward the workforce which makes them rich.

[@zna9297]

It’s a grind but we have to keep explaining the best we can. It’s a way we can help make stuff better, cheers comrade.

[@kirstinstrand6292]

As far as I'm concerned, ppl are quite dull...try to get them to think? Good luck.

[@jacpratt8608]

It does help. 3 or 4 years ago few people dared say the word 'capitalism'. That's different now, teenagers to 80 year olds are using it to refer to something they see and feel. A start.

[@harbhajandosanjh634]

In China no corporation can become bigger than government. But in USA they let them to be big. There is a race of billionaire who can beat the biggest. They line up the pockets of the Politicians. The Democracies are By the people ( OMG you feel so good after voting) for sure, then of the rich and for the rich.

[@jimmylee1776]

I am from Australia & I have worked & lived in NYC. On my 2nd day there I went for a walk to explore the city. I walked down 5th Ave, not far from Penn Station & saw a big cardboard carton (about 5 feet long 4 feet wide & 3feet high). It had 1 side cut out & I saw some clothes lying on the floor. This was obviously a home for a homeless person. I was shocked to see so many people walking passed this box & not taking any notice of it. How can this happen in a rich country (USA). Then winter came, I saw many homeless people in the subway sleep with their dogs to keep warm. The US government does not look after its citizens. The government is more interested in maintaining its hegemony & military bases around the world - spending billions of dollars. This money should be spent on helping the homeless & people living in poverty. In Australia we have a Minimum Wage Commission which reviews the minimum wage regularly. We also have unions fighting for workers to ensure they are fairly remunerated & there working conditions are fair. We also have an Arbitration Tribunal to resolve disputes between employers & employees. Even so we still have homeless people, but not as large as in USA. Finding homeless people a home is one issue the other is to ensure the homeless person has a job that pays him/her sufficiently so that person can get out of poverty. We also have charity organisations (like the Salvation Army) provide food & shelter to the people who are living in poverty. It’s the responsibility of every government to ensure that poverty & homelessness are eliminated. 70 years ago China was a poor country today, China is the 2nd largest economy in the world & during this period lifted 800 million people out of poverty. No country has achieved what China has done in one generation. The Chinese people worked hard in unison to create wealth & prosperity for the country. Every nation should strife & do what China has done. If everyone nations is prosperous there will be peace, except for those nations that want to control the world & exert hegemony. Thank you Professor Wolff for this video. I hope people like you & Professor Sachs can push your go to look after your people instead of wasting money on maintaining hegemony. God bless you & keep up your good work.

[@johnkruk6929]

Well said , but Capital is not going to share its wealth equitably. You cannot be wealthy if you share it with everyone. Unfortunately Neo liberalism will fight you tooth & nail to maintain its Hegemonic control . Something sucks $$$$ when you have Matt Holman moving to the Tobacco lobby group 🧐🙈🙉🙊

[@landonbarretto4933]

Because the USA was established as an "every man for himself" society. If you can make it, good, if you can't make it, good. It's pathetic.

[@johnkruk6929]

@@landonbarretto4933 it very sad . Open your eyes wake up America

[@MsOceanstar]

The US govt is not about governance. US Citizenry has lost the understanding of the role of government and does not stand up to elect government officials intelligently. Politicians do not care and these days especially all they do is to fan culture wars, lying about everything! And the military industrial complex saps up all the money. No social programs for the needy are never executed properly. Thanks for your observation regarding China’s elimination of poverty in such short time. China does care for its people, and that was the reason of their revolution!

[@kwokholuk8723]

You said, 'How can this happen to a rich country (USA)?' The US is no longer a rich country. The national debt of the US government reached 31 trillion dollars recently. Washington still can't find a way to reduce the debt. As a matter of fact, the US can't survive without printing money notes. The US infrastructures are crumbling and the government has no money to rebuild or repair them. The US has more than 50 thousand bridges. 1 out of 10 bridges needed to be repaired. Did you take the subway when you were in NY? If not, congratulation!!! Better not because the NY subway is terrible. The subway stations are old, dirty, smelly and may have mice walking around. It was built in 1908. It is not safe to take the NY subway. The US government spent 800 billion dollars in military expenditures last year. Biden just gave 30 billion dollars to Ukraine to fight the Russian. If the US government uses half of the military spending to help the homeless people, homeless people in the US will be greatly reduced.

[@patriayvida6850]

Meanwhile, every single homeless person in the US could have been properly sheltered/house with the BILLIONS sent to Ukraine. No money for poor citizens but plenty for war.

[@jacpratt8608]

Always. Cant even rely on rounding them up now and putting them in the army. Very problematic. What will they do?

[@zeketorres9257]

The USA MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX is doing very well $$$$! Ukraine is getting the USA older Weapons stock pile. The Ukrainians are using 30% of it, and selling to other countries the rest.

[@elinope4745]

It's not really for war, it was spent on American weapons. They tell you it was sent to Ukraine when the reality is that it is being given to private companies in the US who in turn send a fraction of it's value in weapons and they pocket the rest. The blue side pork barrel spends government money on their friends and family businesses in crony capitalism. The red side cuts their taxes. Both sides work for the same group of plutocrats against the people.

[@sp123]

congress will never pass the zoning or funding laws to build houses for the homeless

[@dion8962]

The US spent $20 trillion in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria

[@marp7665]

For decades our country has had a homeless problem and has always been keep hidden from the world. Now with social media the world is seeing how we cannot find solutions or want to find solutions to our problems and it’s just getting worse. You are right professor in order to shake up the people in charge the system needs to completely fail and by then it will be late to correct it. History is a lesson and if we don’t learn from it , we’ll it repeats over and over. Great show as always 🤓

[@aetnat0k1y0]

Yeah... I don't know if "homelessness" is hidden, per se. It is quite obvious in the places where it is present. The problem is that the relatively affluent people and the elected officials do their very best to ignore and forget the issue... rather than trying to solve it. At the end of the day, the plans to solve this crises are made by those who don't understand the problem.

[@creichard181]

@@aetnat0k1y0 I think they mean hidden in the sense that American movies and media are viewed all over the world…… When was the last time you saw anything coming out of Hollywood or any of the rest of the mainstream media that accurately displayed the full extent of this housing issue, and in a way that doesn’t paint all of the homeless as mentally ill or otherwise inept???? Our culture has an extremely toxic habit of blaming the homeless for finding themselves in those conditions without even a single look at how the system may have contributed to that outcome. The skyrocketing cost of living in this country should be reason enough for all of us to understand that our system is failing, as we all feel that pressure, some of us are just closer to the edge than others.

[@kdvinson5638]

I've known 9 people in my town who have become homeless. Every one was caused by medical issues. If you become ill or injured in this country, you can lose everything. The mental ill and addicts (a lot are self medicating) are just the face of the homeless. All the multitude of others are 'hiding'.

[@donklee3514]

For decades neo liberalism has been exporting homelessness like a cancer all over the world. In the south pacific homelessness and over priced housing has engulfed every country that fully embraced neo-liberalism/Reaganomics during the Reagan era. I don't think it is hidden from the world. If so it was hidden in plain sight.

[@anthonykenny1320]

If the whole system fails it will become impossible to resist the incursion of China into the economy of the USA

[@800_k_7]

Mr. Richard Wolff, something has to be made over the homeless situation, I know that part of the problems are mental illness and drugs addiction, but the biggest challenge are due to economic reason. It's criminals how expensive rent has gone up all over the USA. God bless Mr. Richard Wolff for his contribution and intelectual insight as always!

[@mjnyc8655]

It's not criminal, it's a consequence of supply and demand.

[@pamelavankirk]

But which came first the chicken or the egg. A lot of common people, with families and good jobs suffer from drug addiction and mental illness. Imagine having to sleep on a sidewalk. Crazy

[@kdvinson5638]

@@mjnyc8655 It's ignorant. And it's immoral. That it isn't 'criminal' shows how corrupted Our government has become.

[@kevintewey1157]

So they're not allowed to suffer mentally for being homeless for 43 years? I dare you say that to my face

[@rickdworsky6457]

The society that produces this homelessness is mentally ill and taking drugs, the victims are the sad result. Stop blaming the victims!

[@jakethemistakeRulez]

I'm going to arrange a meeting between my boss and my landlord and tell them to figure this shit out for me.

[@mE-zx7pt]

Don't worry, they've already got it figured out.

[@_wegota2319_]

Homelessness is certainly a problem of greedy, capitalist, unfeeling, heartless, cruel landlords. I had a landlord refuse to keep the home up to code, despite us paying almost $1200/mo in rent. Among MANY other problems, they neglected our repeated calls to resolve electrical fire hazards in the home and were allowed to perform an illegal retaliatory eviction thanks to a corrupt judge, known for excessive evictions. All this despite ample written and audio evidence against them that we presented in court. The judge cleared out the room, saved our hearing til last (even though we were higher up on the roster) so there were no witnesses and did not review our full documentation before issuing a ruling. We were homeless for 4 months after that.

[@pamelavankirk]

Some of us are forced to give up our hopes and dreams while others wear blinders.

[@jacpratt8608]

It doesn't just happen in USA. Seen it right next door, all that. Global disease of greed and corruption as far as you can get away with it. It can corrupt a person by making them constantly think suspiciously like a corrupt person in order to defend themselves. Expect the worse and trust no one.

[@truthaboveall7988]

Finland did an amazing job w this /then again the US is trailing all wealthy nations in everything except military brutality

[@aetnat0k1y0]

Amen... the USA prefers to spend $750,000,000,000 (3/4 of a trillion dollars) on its military budget rather than address the pressing social issues at home... go figure.

[@haleybrown2836]

Austria too needs to be mentioned for tackling successfully the high rent problem.

[@kdvinson5638]

what are we fighting for?

[@jackanderson719]

Politions prey on the ignorant. If everyone could travel to another country at least once just to see how things could be different things would change alot. Instead people here just settle for getting lied to by Fox News or CNN everyday.

[@qjtvaddict]

USA is a poor country with lots of rich people.

[@GhostOnTheHalfShell]

Unfortunately the cost of living will slaughter even a substantial rise in the minimum wage. My hope is that as unions organize they take on this issue. In fact *business* should too. The landlord class leeches them as well and double dips in doing so, in commercial rent and wage inflation for cost of living. Small and medium business everywhere are harmed by the exploitation of housing inflation.

[@pamelavankirk]

I am also highly aware of the 'slum lord' attitude. So often the rent is raised with no improvements to the home.

[@L98fiero]

Micheal Hudson points out that it's more than that, it's financial capitalism and the 'rentier' economy, essentially, neo-feudalism. Raising the minimum wage won't solve the problem, it's structural, laws and tax codes have to be changed.

[@GhostOnTheHalfShell]

@@L98fiero more than a few have pointed out capitalism has mutated (or reverted) into a feudalism. This is so because feudalism was born as agrarian estates controlled by the few. Today we live on vast monetary and platform estates as serfs just as before. Vince Vickers was the governor of the bank of England in 1910s. He pointed out in 1941 that the financial system and democracy were in conflict and one must yield to the other. Interest as a means to control commercial activity is a wealth transfer system to a creditor class. Structurally it leads to wealth concentration and also to economic crisis. To fix it, really something like Freigeld must replace the use of interest for that purpose, which is a price stable way to ensure commerce.

[@mranonymous9034]

The problem stem from your govetnment and the so call democratic system that US want every countries to adopt.

[@JSB103]

Well, at least the Chinese and the Russians seem to know what they are doing. *_All the kudos to them._*

[@lilithlives]

China did bring 859 million of its citizens out of poverty by putting back into their community and creating jobs and providing housing for them. IDK about Russia, but yes, China take care of its citizens, first.

[@aetnat0k1y0]

And... yet... the US demonizes both China and Russia... what is that all about?

[@lilithlives]

@@aetnat0k1y0 A festish obsession with the prevocational word, Communism. It works. Instills fear in the uneducated sector of American voters.

[@vincentruben4365]

I don't think they are doing that great. Russia and China are both totalitarian, the former is basically a fascist state and China has it's fascist practices with the Uyghurs. China has a housing market problem, a financial system trust problem and a coming baby-bust problem, ie future labor shortage (The last thing will be a problem in a lot of typical western countries). The Belt and Road initiative resembles in a way earlier Western Colonialism (which sucked probably much harder btw) and is now a bit stalling because countries cannot pay the loans back to China (like Sri Lanka). Last but not least, China isn't democratic at all. Nor is it communist, whatever that really means. Bottomline: regular Chinese people aren't the people in charge. To me it seems more they are totalitarian/autocratic and have some sort of weird state-controlled capitalism going on. Meanwhile, Russia is trying to buy ammo from North Korea. They aren't exactly winning the war. They aren't doing all that great. You can't say anything in Russia. Apparently a lot of it's citizens are being depressed. Which is super sad for the Russians ofcourse; Putin couldn't care less about them. BTW, I'm not trying to defend neoliberal capitalist practices at all. I like prof. Wolff, I often agree with his takes, but I think his remarks about China and Russia seem a little off this time.

[@lilithlives]

@@vincentruben4365 did you know Chinese police don't carry guns? So the locals aren't walking around frightened of a police state, like that in the USA. What hap[pened to all those migrant families that were in cages on the Texas border? Were their children ever found? How many bombs has China dropped on a foreign country (provoked or unprovoked)? None. How many has the USA dropped on countries that didn't provoke us? All of them were unprovoked. China raised 850 million of it's citizens out of poverty. The five years I spent there in various cities, I never saw tent cities. I did see a few living in small mobile homes, in parking lots. But, how many Americans live in tents, cars or RVs? Millions. I don't give a fk about Russia. It's ran by the mafia and oligarchs...kind of like the USA.

[@all2031]

Wealth concentration means a lot of people on the streets when the same hoarders evade cost of social safety net and destroy that too.

[@haleybrown2836]

Amen, basically we have a 19th century economy which makes some fabulously rich with very little responsibility toward the workforce which does all the heavy lifting to keep the economy going.

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

What's Infuriating about this is when solutions like afford, Low Income housing is pitched Nobody wants to solve The Homelessness problem, it's almost like they enjoy having something to complain about.

[@larrysherk]

True. I heard recently that the State of Nevada had destroyed a bunch of tiny homes in a community that the City of Las Vegas had built.

[@pamelavankirk]

There truly is no affordable housing and yes, doom and gloom in all the media says we may love evil. It is a means to feel better by comparisons. Sad.

[@kdvinson5638]

Most are 'enjoying' the ill-gotten profits.

[@kobked-x]

they actually seem to enjoy and relish the fact that there is a growing number of homeless, it must make them feel wealthier and more powerful in contrast. Mostly, I think its their "thing" they get a kick like sex gives normal people.. they Love it!

[@steppenwolf3252]

Like open borders.

[@pamelavankirk]

In your first half of the program you thoroughly pointed out that most people do not make enough income to support basic needs. Rents are too high, cost of homes are ridiculous, and all about profit. Most homeless people cannot work a job that will ever pay for a home. This conundrum is so obviously in favor of the money mongers. There is no answer until we work for the greater good of all. But it appears to be an impossible task when we, the humans, cannot even recognize our own extinction caused by selfish grasping of unnecessary goods and possessions soon to become future landfill, an artificial means to pleasure. Nature is the best teacher. Unfortunately, we have caused an enormous imbalance and will suffer as nature resets to return to balance. I was displaced from a home I had for 6 years. I have been living in other people's homes for over a year. I live on less than $900 a month. I manage and will not play in this game of social imbalance. Thank you Richard. You are hugely insightful.

[@haleybrown2836]

Healthcare is a basic right in most countries. Here in the US we have yet to clear this hurdle.

[@kevintewey1157]

Nobody lives on 900 a month without food banks food stamps and or owning your own home save for living with a relative

[@jackanderson719]

People have different skills and abilities but everyone deserves a decent standard of living.

[@lochnessmunster1189]

Even people who just arrive in a country?

[@jackanderson719]

@@lochnessmunster1189 of course why shouldn't they. Just because someone starts a company doesn't mean they deserve all of a countries wealth and resources most normal people go to their 9 to 5 job and contribute to their communities and anyone who goes to another country is not exempt from that. The ritch need to be greatefull and stop hogging all the resources.

[@lochnessmunster1189]

@@jackanderson719 "All of the resources"? Can you name any country anywhere, where this is true?

[@jackanderson719]

@@lochnessmunster1189 the U.S.

[@lochnessmunster1189]

@@jackanderson719 Ok, so if one group of people have "all the resources" and everyone else doesn't, how do the people with "all the resources" make an income at all, if the others have nothing to spend?

[@user-wp8yx]

He's right about the non-profit industrial complex. It used to be that government handled housing. It would back the loans to fund construction. It would be a landlord to those who could not afford the market rate. It would provide Social Services to the poor. But now we have a public-private partnership or as some people called neoliberal economics and others fascist economics. Now finance, public housing and welfare are more and more privately run. For these non-profit Industries which now run government programs, poverty brings profit. Success brings bankruptcy. The moral hazard is stunning.

[@jacpratt8608]

It needs a book like Weapons of Math Destruction to shine a light in its dirty little corners.

[@fayyaznoor1962]

Hope the U.S working class comes to senses

[@Owl350]

Thank you for everything and every show you've made Richard Wolff . You've been a great help when it comes to the study and science of economics !

[@betsycunningham]

Social housing needs to be provided and totally socialized. End privatization of housing for moderate to very low income folks, at least. Profit for low income housing is bad public policy.

[@steppenwolf3252]

We could even have our young people apprentice in construction industry to help build these homes, couldn't we?

[@elainegoad9777]

Thank you Professor Wolff . I always look forward to learning from you.

[@Kevin51611]

My grandad was a dump truck driver and my grandma worked at a hotel when they got their home in 1972. The mortgage was $92 a month. They had 5 of their own kids and some adopted kids to take of during that time. They never received any govt benefits for housing the adopted kids. I doubt they could do that today.

[@zeusvalentine3638]

they would starve today

[@chriswolff3893]

I've been homeless for 20 years. I am 40. I will die homeless.

[@pamelavankirk]

Dude! It's a high price to pay to be in the race.

[@kdvinson5638]

Chris, as long as you're still moving around, you gotta chance. Things will prolly be worse for a while, then they will get better. This is how we learn. Good Luck to Us All Peace

[@trent54]

I worked for a homeless program I asked my boss why we don't build more housing his answer if we did that you wouldn't have a job

[@dillonhead8076]

That's kind of the point. Society shouldn't need a bunch of homeless workers, it's better for everyone involved for this issue to be solved.

[@jamesteh829]

Prof Woff. You are respected by us, Well said.

[@tiffanybackup3389]

LOVE THIS! Thank you both

[@janne9034]

A family of 4 in shelter costing yearly $200,000 to the city. It would be like renting an apartment $16,667 per month for them. What kind of luxury do those shelters offer? Sarcasm aside, the system is there for tax evasion.

[@donklee3514]

You are spot on.

[@jacpratt8608]

You could buy the land and build them a house!

[@zeusvalentine3638]

shelter industrial complex

[@jgcelliott1]

If the demand for a commodity cannot be zero, that commodity needs to be separated from the profit motivated system, or extensively regulated. Nobody should be able to purchase the right to sell other people air and deprive them of it if they don’t pay. .

[@jacpratt8608]

for goodness sake don't give them ideas!

[@RandoOnline_]

Living under this economic system is exhausting. I don’t even know how they’re going to fix this mess. It almost feels like a violent revolution is inevitable, which sucks. I’am tired of seeing humans hurting each other. 😔

[@ashbreva]

Thank you for your comment. We cannot cooperate collectively as a human race. A worldwide virus or a world war in my opinion still wouldn’t teach us. We are doomed.

[@graciebara8280]

I can only imagine right now as I read this.

[@tommynocash2419]

i remember when i was homeless in the city of norwich, england and the official figures for the homeless were like 10 people when i personally new like 20 street homeless and saw at least 100 more in the city centre( its a very small city), who slept on the streets, not to mntion those in homeless hostel, sleeping on peoples floors, on sofas, in squats(abandoned buildings), they under count by ridiculous amounts

[@josephchan770]

Thanks

[@sauldean6430]

Is all greed, greed and greed, unless there is a world wide revolution, some of these cruel treatments of ordinary people will never stop

[@Artiej0hn0]

Professor, you and your esteemed guest did not mention the systemic support the Developers are surely receiving that allows, provides for the survival of a new luxury highrise where a third or one half of the units remain vacant. How is that not a business failure? What are mechanisms in the structure of our system, the tax systems etc that keep these "owners" from 'losing their shirts ', that keep them afloat?

[@jacpratt8608]

Exactly. This sheer fraudulence needs to be opened up and examined in fine detail. "Weapons of Math Destruction" does well.

[@rdg8390]

The third aspect of housing availability is the ideological failure of 'small government', to provide enough cheap affordable public housing. USA sales tax is 5%, UK sales tax is 20%. US has 1 million public homes for 330 million people. The UK has 4 million public homes for 70 million people. Fixing homelessness in the USA requires a greater government intervention than Capitalism is willing to pay.

[@laurasweeney2546]

A lot of people live on 1K or $1500 retirement. A lot of older people lost their jobs, so it's no wonder they're homeless.

[@sofiasmith6757]

Gracias

[@mohannair5671]

Reassured that people are homeless but not hopeless, that there are sincere steps to resolve the problems!!!

[@bobcornwell403]

I have my own solution to home affordability. It is a surtax on pricey real-estate, including rental properties. It would be based on two criteria: 1.) The price per unit (mortgage payment or rent), and 2.) The local minimum wage. If the monthly price exceeds 56 times the local minimum wage, a 10% surtax will be levied. The proceeds of this would be used to build affordable housing. If necessary, this tax could be made a compounding one, where each multiple,of the 56 times the local minimum wage the price exceeds, will be a multiple of this 10% tax. Bids to build this housing would be divided into three categories. The first would be unrealistically low. The second would be probable. And the third would be excessively pricey. Only the second category bids would be considered. And the winning bid would be chosen by lottery. Names of the bidders would be stripped from the bids and replaced by numbers, before they would be categorized.

[@jamesmurphy9426]

Beginning to believe American Imperium is being self destructive with it's economic plan or lack of a economic plan

[@PlantPoweredRadio]

Thank you. I see this as more of a "homelessness" problem than a "homeless" problem, though. The homeless aren't the problem. The problem is the system that allows, condones, profits off of ... homelessness. About the non-profits ... in Canada those are allowed to take in as much money as they want. Billions, if they can do that much fundraising. They have to spend it all internally, though, there are no shareholders like there are with private enterprise. So in some cases, there are very inflated salaries paid at successful non-profits. "Non-profit" is not like "not-for-profit."

[@jacpratt8608]

that needs to be emphasized. they slide those two terms around to wriggle out of the issue.

[@jamesteh829]

Why American politicians cannot think liked you, Prof. Woff.?

[@Marxist2]

To all workers: Let us get more militant! Let us mobilize & organize!

[@kevintewey1157]

The book Understanding Socialism by Professor Richard Wolff should be standard in every High School

[@rickdworsky6457]

The poor have been disenfranchised from the foundation of planet Earth. Cap and redistribute wealth, and the whole homeless social malaise disappears. It might even delay human extinction.

[@ILTOMBA]

Had to play it at 150% to not fall asleep....

[@trombadude]

Fun fact: Ms. Wu is a WEF Young Global Leader

[@josephstclair5937]

Wow. Not surprised.

[@SteveRichfield]

The root cause of most of the "problem" in the "homeless problem" is "land hoarding", where people, corporations, and government are allowed to hold unproductive land and chase people off of it. At minimum such behavior should be HEAVILY taxed. Once given a little freedom to stay in one place for a while and work on their OTHER problems, people can then find their way back into society. For many people, old motorhomes becomes a sort of stepping stone. Many other governments and societies don't even recognize ownership over unproductive land. We now allow hoarding land, food, and water. What is next - air?! We need to STOP such hoarding, starting by HEAVILY taxing it.

[@antoniom1352]

California's living wage is about $22.5 I've left CA with 3 kids coz one cannot to make the ends meet there.

[@elainegoad9777]

An old school was converted into low income/subsidized housing for seniors and disabled where I live. It's something but not enough. Government could subsidize employee wages for small businesses so people have a living wage job and will stay in the job.

[@trent54]

The goal of homeless programs/services is to obtain funding not solve the problem

[@DerekSpeareDSD]

Ok, so five billion a year to solve a problem of housing ~150,000 thousand people means ~$33,000 bucks per person...um, perhaps they can just pay the 2700 bucks a month to put the people in apartments. Habitable shelter, nutritious food, decent clothing, clean air, clean water, medical care and quality education, among other things, is a human right in a decent society. Now, I know, however, that these agencies absorb money under the auspices of "solving a matter", but in the end, the money never goes to where it's intended and only into the pockets of people who do not need it.

[@JoeyAfrika]

Workers of the world unite

[@mohannair5671]

The wage should rather be linked to a suitable price index to avoid arbitrary legislation or its absence?

[@pariahyindie3641]

6 hours x 5 days = 30 hours per week; If required to work on shifts; 4 shifts x 6 hours, 24 x 7 Overtime: 1st hour 1.25x of hourly pay, 2nd hour 2.5x of hourly pay, 3rd hour 3.75x of hourly pay... Public holidays: 15 days per year. Annual leave: start from 8 working days, increasing 1 extra day for every year of service, to a maximum of 32 working days.

[@jacpratt8608]

More leave, 6 weeks, from the start. 20 hours/week over 2, 3 or 4 days. Or 5, if it suits some.

[@tinabraxton4906]

The US has never made any real effort to end homelessness. Housing is just too expensive. That is why people are homeless.

[@rcmrcm3370]

👍👍✊✊

[@1LaOriental]

“If ya can’t beat’em, join ‘em!!!

[@jeffherringa4709]

A one-bedroom or one-bedroom efficiency in a new condominium unit goes for about $1,250-$1,500 in Milwaukee. I am in an older apartment unit for about $720 a month. However, I told my apartment manager that beyond the first $350-$500 I feel like you are mainly paying extra because the apartment units are in a suburban area. I think 2-4 people need at least $75,000-$150,000 minimum to live in larger cities like New York or San Francisco right now. I'm making about $70,000-$75,000 as a public school teacher in Milwaukee. But, if I were married and had at least 1-2 children I would need to work at least 2-3 jobs to make ends meet. Right now, I'm able to live on what I have but other businesses and individuals in my area aren't so lucky here.

[@thomassciaroni6942]

Section 8 pays market rate. Renters pay off the mortgage for the landlord. Private property and the inviolability of contract must be reassessed.

[@jacpratt8608]

Waiting for the Implosian. When every snazzy rough cutting edge apartment in every rehabilitated abandoned industrial or commercial premise has been bought and occupied or bought and rented out at market rates or used as an investment for some agent to figure out what to do with including leaving it vacant if that works for the investor, and there are many more people than now needing a place in space, what will the people do? What will the City do? If you cant keep using HOUSING as a speculative investment what will happen? Next plague?

[@c-ccoates503]

New York is spending 62,500$ per year per person.

[@macanoodough]

Not to mention states like California are on the higher end of the cost of living your average is based on. Meaning they would need a Minimum Wage closer to, if not over $30hr. And Non Profits are where all the college grads want to work. They feel they are doing some good, and they get paid 6 figures right out of college...

[@erikje7352]

government rental assistance ? nope ! This would mean that the tax-payers would just pay extra to the 0,1% in most cases. And create the perfect conditions for skyrocketing prices for a rental home. Pass a law that prohibits somebody to rent a place that costs more than 30% of their income at 40 hours a week. Within a week 75% of all rental houses would be empty ! Empty houses costs the 0,1% money ! So the rent for a house would drop dramatically just so that the 0,1% will get some money out of those otherwise empty houses. The people renting those otherwise empty houses are left with more spending power. And lets face it , only the poor wil need to spend most of that extra , and that ''extra'' will give a boost to the living conditions of MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. As to the 0,1% that only parks that money in the cayman islands were it wil just hurt the economy as it will be taxfree and just be used to bribe politicians.

[@merbst]

I have myself incorporated into my life plan a primary goal of remaining dedicated to fight against the horrific consequence of regulatory capture, ever since I first learned the term in 2012 while coming to terms of the impossibility of having my civil rights respected. At the time I was one of many victims of a conspiracy to deprive my rights under the color of law, by a regulatory agency (the Los Angeles County Department of Child & Family Services) staffed almost entirely by agents of a private corporation (then named "Los Angeles Children's Bureau") to serve its interests entirely contradictory to the agency's purpose of protecting the rights of the citizens, or upholding the law impartiality, and protecting children. Unfortunately the behavior of the government's regulatory "Agency" is in service of the goals of maximizing profits while minimizing efforts, by funneling an endless stream of children for indoctrination + sexual abuse + unpaid labor to white Christian Nationalism, as a Southern California regional hub of organized crime at the scale of the Calvary Chapel or Saddleback megachurches. I am disappointed to have ever believed that my government was a democracy that could protect honest people from becoming a victim of religious extremists with an economic incentive to incite large-scale corruption & dereliction of duty to increase revenues from several provisions of the California Social Services code specially written long ago to enable unlimited pillage of our State Treasury incentivizing tragic cruelties. I have gigabytes of evidence to share with any willing collaborator, but most of it is public information anyways. I should be working hardest on my mission to flee this cursed place before the fascism has made escape impossible.

[@pamelavankirk]

Wow

[@kdvinson5638]

Good Luck to Us All Peace

[@jacpratt8608]

sounds like you've had a tough run or a rough trot. good luck.

[@jillwklausen]

I wrote this in 2011. If only it could gain traction. The People's Non-Compete With America Contract Dear Senator/Congressman(woman) ________________, I am writing today to implore you to work with your colleagues and champion legislation that forbids any elected representative in Congress, members of their staff, and any and all staff members in the Administration or in any cabinet position from working for any corporation or in any industry that they wrote or promoted legislation benefiting for a period of not less than 10 years following their time working for the People. That's one of the reasons our government is broken. And people like Robert Rubin, then-United States Secretary of the Treasury, who pushed through the reversal of the Glass-Steagall Act that (among other things) legalized the formation of Citigroup, then went on immediately afterwards to become Citigroup's chairman, illustrate the dangers of not disallowing this practice. This needs to stop. Consider it The People's Non-Compete With America Contract. You don't get to go to work allegedly representing the People, push through laws that benefit a corporation or industry, then go on directly to work for that corporation or industry and reap personal gain from said law(s). Protecting us is what we "hired"/elected you to do. Please introduce legislation that will give us confidence knowing you have put our protection ahead of any personal financial gain following your time working on our behalf. This is one of the major issues the people of Occupy Wall Street are protesting about - We want influence peddling out of government - in both directions. Please be the voice of the People in the Senate/House. Thank you, ____________________________ (Your Name Here)

[@jacpratt8608]

good try. I'd go for shorter, sharper, more aggressive and demanding (no imploring, bad idea). Don't even say Please.

[@jillwklausen]

@@jacpratt8608, you're so right. I wrote this when I was still a Democrat and mistakenly thought they actually gave a fuck and would listen to a polite appeal. Silly me.

[@RobotTed]

A good update. Homelessness is the threat the owners use to corral the working class. As long as you think : "I deserve this..." you don't feel the anger you need to change things. Failure to pay rent results in a poor slob being ordered to chuck your stuff to the road, while the police chuckle into their coffees after having taken you to prison, guns drawn. And they contort themselves into knots making sure you know you "deserve this!" Unlike most schizos, I regarded my place as a literal space ship, and so had no problem paying the fuel costs to cruise the Universe ...Yeah. I was fortunate in my madness. Never went homeless but I easily could have. In fact, it's pretty darn easy to lose your home, even if you're not sick. Home owners aren't immune either, If you have a house with a bank loan, the bank watches for signs its loan is being cared for. Roof a little shabby? Expect a letter demanding repairs. Healthcare and Housing are two areas that have been resistant to automation. Healthcare may fall to AI in the next few years as systems become more and more intelligent : diagnosis are by the book, after all. The good doctors will fall into the churning cauldron of unemployment. Housing is also being chipped at by 3D printing companies. Where once a worker had to lift bricks labouriously and stack them, a giant roller squirts out cement in lines and rows, creating walls. But it isn't that easy. Plumbing and wiring must still be done by hand. I also note how all 3D printing companies release videos that neglect to show how the ceilings are printed. So that's by hand too. Until we have full blown sentient robots wandering around, housing won't be cracked. So when does that happen? Some, like Kurzweil, have a simplistic view that the amount of transistors equal to the human brain is all you need. The math of it just appears out of nowhere in his view. They put it at 2030-ish. Many AI researchers put it at 50, 100 years down the road. A few even say we hacked it already, we just need to scale and improve the basics. Google is working on a Butler bot as we speak. Tesla says it's cooking up something too. Amazon is bringing up its Proteus robots right now and working on the AI powered Cardinal sorting bots. Do we still need hearts to bleed to be satisfied!? (Queen of the Masquerade, Crimson Glory) If I order something off Amazon, I don't want a Rube Goldberg orchestration of human suffering to get me a pack of toothpaste! Two day delivery is plenty fast enough! But what to do? I can only think back to my childhood and The Neverending Story. The villain is so grand and powerful, and on the verge of victory, when the magically cursed with forgetting hero makes a simple wish : "I wish you had a heart." With that, the hero forgets his name, but the day is saved. With that, a tear rolls down the Queen's cheek, and the evil is undone and the realm restored. Overcoming forgetting is a key milestone in meditating. Your mind will wander away from your focus, and you must gently return to it with an "Oh yeah!" With this powerful lens of focusing gained, you begin to be mindful. And, somehow, Love is behind every facade you peer into. Even hatred, which we might think is Love's equal, finds its nourishment in Love. Bezos does not care if employees pee and poo in bags, does not care if they have a higher rate of injury than the average (that there is an average at all is sad). The executives that support him do not care. The programmers building the bots don't care. They have not peered behind the curtain of their minds to see the Wizard of Love. Perhaps Prof Wolff is wrong, and Bezos really *is* better than the workers he orders about... but if he listened to compassion's song, he wouldn't treat people the way he does. If the workers listened to compassion, they would support one another, perhaps unionizing, and certainly would not listen to the cruel Bezos. Now, with my mind and body busted, I find that all I can do is... wish you all had hearts.

[@jacpratt8608]

hearts and minds, intertwined. that'll be the day.

[@SoraiaJJ]

You don’t make sense.. it’s about the system not the individuals. I’m suspecting that there are neoliberals coming here commenting garbage like this to muddle the message of this channel.

[@RobotTed]

@@SoraiaJJ I see Meditation and compassion as a way to change a system that rests on violence as a primary pillar. Compassion is a key component of working together, which is what Wolff is all about. I am learning as I go, which may make things confusing... because I am confused. But I think Meditation is the bee's knees, and can help out. I also love Prof Wolff's message. And, I am just a little KZbin comment, the message is right above, in light and sound, loud and clear, unmuddied. If I was a paid Neoliberal, I would be ranting on Secondthought's page, which has more views or even making my own channel. As for being garbage... eh. I tried. And I'll keep trying. Have a nice day.

[@AxiomBlurr]

Mobilise and Organise - the message is clear, please join hands with me workers, on the human to human level and stand against the TYRANNY we face, that of corrupt, egregious and disproportionate financial oppression.

[@jacpratt8608]

and what would proportionate financial oppression look like?

[@AxiomBlurr]

In my opinion proportionate financial oppression is when the owner class only owns 10-15% more than the worker class. It is still oppressive but not like the scale tipping, impoverishing kind we have at present.

[@user-ot9ms6vx8h]

Things have changed from the days when I got in line and worked a dirty labor job and was paid at the end of the day so I could eat and get a flophouse room or sleep in the woods and be there to work again tomorrow. Now you have to apply over the internet. Complicated and out of touch.

[@user-fv8ls6df3s]

please talk about Huey Long.of Louisiana. A Governor who was murdered because he had enough power to defeat Roosevelt.

[@livanoguerrero3385]

The obvious solution is to offer enough incentives to the construction of small manufactured or mini-homes as shelters for the honeless...

[@davidalexanderlourie4371]

The urban land shortage could be alleviated by building multi storey apartments over the large car parks of big box stores and supermarket. Or when malls are built it is on condition that public housing can be built in the public space above malls, supermarkets and big box stores. Other conditions can be added to include public transport infrastructure alongside any commercial and retail development. There must be 1000s of acres tied up in car parking in most cities that could still be utilized as carparks but have apartments built over them.

[@lorenzoortez64]

That doesn't sound good about the minimum wage increases in california. What's the cost of living there, I heard it's expensive. What good is 16 a hr?

[@alloomis1635]

usa has been here before, in the 30's. 'great progress made' which mostly eroded away, so here you are again. the only lasting change which supports and cements all others is getting democracy. when the people have the power of law-making, they will change the nation and guard those changes with the power of law in their hands. the people must bring democracy to the whole nation, over-throwing the legal power of politicians who have always worked for the rich.

[@hunnybadger442]

Humanity will not end with the extinction of the species... It already has... When we forgot what it went to be Human...

[@averayugen8462]

Andrew Cuomo once advertised himself as a homelessness advocate, can we imagine???? lol

[@suzanneharris8339]

Imagine if the U.S. partnered with China 🇨🇳 instead of provoked it. We could learn a helluva lot - maybe even get all our citizens provided with medical care, sheltered & fed. Sigh.....

[@petersepall2590]

The concentration of wealth is pathological to society itself. We need to abolish billionaires.

[@matthewa441]

A big portion of people who live in homeless shelters are there with addictions and other emotional and mental health issues. They're not going to change until they're ready. That was me. If it wasn't for homeless shelters I'd probably be dead.

[@haroldschaefer3777]

Power too labor

[@stephenyang2844]

Professor Wolff points out the problem with our liberal capitalism where everything is profit-driven. There is no room for compassion for the disadvantaged or public welfare.

[@darploin5071]

New York needs to put arrest warrant out for governor Abbott of Texas

[@timetraveller885]

Time for people to move to Cities and towns that have affordable housing!!!

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

raise interest rates on government borrowing by the amount of inflation, lower interest rates on mortgage and consumer borrowing by the amount of inflation

[@rodeliovicta4048]

How can the US GOVT claims champion and fight and defend HUMAN RIGHTS when Americans are homeless, living on the srreets. STRANGE!

[@dentonfender6492]

Even worse the "profit primacy" is going to a tiny minority of crooks!

[@wulung5943]

The critical US problem is big money politics and the corrupt electoral college system. The latter marginalises and keep down and out independent honest politicians

[@MrDannyHeim]

Something that is never discussed regarding homeless is when homeless people give way to their condition and decide to stay that way. They come to realize that they do not want to go back into the rat race, that they prefer their new life on the streets and feel they are right in doing so because societies ways are too materialistic and insane. This usually happens to people who have been homeless 6 months or more.

[@SoraiaJJ]

Do you work with homeless people? Where do you get this info from?

[@all2031]

@@SoraiaJJ s/he gets it from corporate billionaires or right wing politicians also purchased by billionaires.

[@muovi2463]

No

[@MrDannyHeim]

@@SoraiaJJ When I was in college I did an independent study on homelessness.

[@MrDannyHeim]

@@all2031 lol, When I was in college I did an independent study on homelessness.

[@frank124c]

I have myself been homeless but I had help in getting SSI and SS and am now able to afford rent. There are many building in NYC that are largely vacant, these are fancy buildings that charge high rents and the renters only inhabit their apartments on a part time basis. Some of these apartments could and should be turned over to homeless people. Rather than spending billions pn homeless people perhaps the city of NY needs to use some of that money to rent some of those apartments and give them to homeless people. This would pay for itself in the long run.

[@J3unG]

Same in SF, bro. The politicians here (the ones who care) tried to buy abandoned hotels but NIMBY types quickly picketed the area with concerns of loitering, drugs, crime, etc... Every time the mayor's office tried to buy buildings away from the downtown area, this happened. Apparently this garbage happens all over California. The real estate industry is actively opposing any political moves to relieve homelessness if it means purchasing buildings to house them. It's sick.

[@frank124c]

@@J3unG I agree with you. Every time someone tries to do something that helps someone other than the rich, they are shot down by one excuse or another. This proves the capitalist system does not work. It is time for the people to rise up and do whatever it takes to bring down the capitalist system.

[@davidevans6618]

Because servitude to inanimate objects other people control and own Isn't looking for a solution. 1+1+1=3 1+999,999=1,000,000 1 with MONEY, THEIRS OWN LEGAL TENDER+999,999= 999,999 in servitude to the 1 with the object. The blind literally leading the blind. Time and Skills Banks USURPED by private owners of the currencies. We're slow to realize our true situation, but you keep riding privately owned money, and before you know it, opportunities for such an awakening to the facts will once again disappear in totalitarian rule, private ownership of national currencies. LEGAL TENDER means your the slave, not the owners.

[@mohannair5671]

She should have also organised a dialogue between employers and employees and also encouraged workmen to purchase part of the employer, through small progressive savings, say 20oercent if wage paid!!!

[@808bigisland]

Taking care of a large family completely dependent on government subsidies. I do this because the county, state and fed types cant be bothered. Many are on the streets, live in cars. Millions are in the same situation. The bureaucracy is broken. The nation has already ceased to exist and it will get worse for ONE underlying reason.

[@josephyoung6749]

They need to write a law that forbids empty apartments.

[@lealyan]

👍

[@shmo1626]

At 20.00 min. the guest mentioned that New York spends five billion dollars a year on homeless and/or shelters provided for them. Assuming that what was said is correct, it would probably be cheaper for New York or their county or their state (whichever it is that pays the money) to get rid of the harmful laws and offer help by temporary paying up to half of the rent in exchange for "good behavior" (meaning; staying away from drugs and alcohol, actively seeking jobs, no criminal acts, etc). However, in general, the whole country or every state should make it into the law that; 1- the rents should under no circumstances increase more than 10% annually, regardless of what the overall inflation rate is (meaning the inflation should harm everyone, renters and landlords, equally) 2- any renter that is eligible for hud or section 8 assistance should by the new law, be able to receive that assistance in the rental property (except for the truly luxurious ones) that he/she currently resides in, throughout the entire country or at least the entire state. Another word instead of only a very few rental properties participating in HUD and section 8, now all rental properties must participate in HUD or section 8 programs by the new law. Bear in mind that the government is paying the renters the difference in those places that have already chosen to participate, so it is not like the landlords would loose money after this change of law but they would just have to get a portion of the rent from the state or federal government.

[@treefrog3349]

Pardon my seeming negativity, but the reality is that the VERY SAME FORCES that permitted the enslavement of millions of Africans and the brutal decimation of America's Indigenous People, is alive and well and at work in America today! The very same! We haven't learned from history and we haven't changed our natures. Was in Mark Twain who said "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes"? The "song" that America sings today is a very sad, old, tired one but it is repeated everywhere across America the Beautiful.

[@pamelavankirk]

Still slavery. How does put an hourly rate on my life, my time.

[@jacpratt8608]

but negativity is so comforting, you dont need to do a thing, there is no point

[@L98fiero]

The homeless problem is easy to fix, just don't allow any entity to own more than two residential properties unless in a more than three story building, houses were meant to be homes, not investment vehicles.

[@rolandthethompsongunner64]

Unless capturing the regulator means he can make regulations go away what’s the point ?

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Mortgage rates and other consumer borrowing could be lowered by the amount of inflation as government Treasury bills and bonds are raised to positive real interest rates

[@richbright540]

In the system, most of us live what's the incentive for others to give? Those with means see us without, work harder still, security in doubt. If we give you a home who would work these fingers to bone? Not for profit? So all grants, funding, donations are steered towards Administrative Costs. A very lucrative deal, so many ways to conceal. When most see a homeless person they are incentivized to work harder.