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RandySF

(59,279 posts) Mon Dec 9, 2019, 12:58 AM Dec 2019

Donald Trump's new homelessness czar has argued feeding homeless people enables them

A Texas consultant who devised a controversial approach to addressing homelessness in San Antonio a decade ago was tapped by President Donald Trump this month to bring his strategy to the rest of the country.

Robert Marbut Jr., the founding president of San Antonio’s homeless shelter Haven for Hope, will lead the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates with 19 federal departments and agencies to address homelessness.

But aspects of Marbut's approach to addressing homelessness have garnered blowback from housing advocates. He calls feeding homeless people on the street “enabling” them, and once while working in Florida, he went undercover as a homeless person to study them.

Responding in a tweet to the news of his appointment, Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, called Marbut’s guiding principles “paternalistic, patronizing, filled with poverty blaming/shaming.”

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/12/06/donald-trumps-new-homeless-czar-robert-marbut-jr-has-deep-texas-roots/

5 replies

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Donald Trump's new homelessness czar has argued feeding homeless people enables them (Original Post) RandySF Dec 2019 OP

Yes asshole enables them to live .. magicarpet Dec 2019 #1

It enables them to stay alive. CentralMass Dec 2019 #2

What a heartless bastard! smirkymonkey Dec 2019 #3

And homeless veterans? Those with those with disabilities obtained while serving? Is there no RestoreAmerica2020 Dec 2019 #4

Enables them to live. SamKnause Dec 2019 #5

magicarpet

(14,176 posts)

1. Yes asshole enables them to live ..

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 01:16 AM

Dec 2019

.... he wants homeless people to just go die in the gutter. Then the fire department can come by with high pressure hoses and wash the dead carcasses down into the sewers.

The homeless and hungry problem solved.

CentralMass

(15,265 posts)

2. It enables them to stay alive.

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 01:22 AM

Dec 2019

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)

3. What a heartless bastard!

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 01:28 AM

Dec 2019

Does he really think that those people choose to be that way for free handouts? They are desperate and in need of whatever help they can get. How dare he suggest feeding them is enabling them!

RestoreAmerica2020

(3,439 posts)

4. And homeless veterans? Those with those with disabilities obtained while serving? Is there no

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 02:48 AM

Dec 2019

compassion or .concern for their well being.? Here are stats on homeless veterans:

About 11% of the adult homeless population are veterans. Roughly 45% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4% of the U.S. veteran population, respectively. Homeless veterans are younger on average than the total veteran population.
nchv.org › index.php › news › media
Background & Statistics - National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

SamKnause

(13,110 posts)

5. Enables them to live.

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 03:20 AM

Dec 2019

They don't want them to live.

I believe in their mindset the term would be useless eaters.

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