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RealMainer t1_j4bpj7k wrote

>Moody also suffers from a condition shared by many homeless: drug addiction. He spends $40 here and there for methamphetamines,

And there is your problem. He makes enough to afford rent, or his drug habit, but not both. He choose drugs. He goes to the methadone clinic but still buys drugs, and if he tells you he spends $40 a day on his habit he probably spends $80. That's just how it is.

I come from a family of addicts. I could give my brother $1000 to pay for rent every month on top of what he makes from his job, and he would still spend it on drugs instead of rent.

There isn't a homeless problem in Maine, there is a drug/mental illness problem.

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biggestofbears t1_j4bt3tr wrote

He makes less than $300/wk. That's not enough to afford rent and also food/regular expenses. So he uses drugs to escape the shitty world he can't afford. I'm not saying drugs aren't a problem, but you can't just write this off as "he could afford rent if he stopped doing drugs". Because he couldn't.

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sspif t1_j4c2tpi wrote

Some people become homeless because they are drug addicts, but it is also true that many people become drug addicts because they are using to cope with the stresses of homelessness.

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AnythingToAvoidWork t1_j4cz1fw wrote

It really is a vicious cycle.

And if you're homeless you probably can't afford to do in-patient sobriety which would probably help a lot of people.

Not even factoring in tons of people are in denial about being an addict.

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Tankbean t1_j4emmga wrote

Not universally true, but it usually starts with the drug addiction. Most people have a basic support system of family and friends to at least get a roof over their head if something catastrophic happens. Addicts spend years destroying every relationship they've ever had until they get to the point where no one will help them anymore. It's fucked up that we as a society can't get our shit together to provide basic psychological healthcare to people. Most don't become drug addicts without some deep seated mental problems in the first place. Moreover those "catastrophic" things that cause people living paycheck to paycheck to become homeless in the first place are often medical related expenses. Yet we elect politicians driven by corporate interests who will never pass universal healthcare and will continue to spend trillions on corporate welfare (eg defense spending, bailouts, tax breaks, incentives, etc). I guess CEOs need bigger bonuses then people need basic healthcare or a warm bed that's not inside a private prison.

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Derstilweedndat t1_j4btahy wrote

You're not making the point you think you are

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biggestofbears t1_j4bto0i wrote

My point is that he doesn't make enough money to pay for rent. The drugs aren't a factor, just his take home pay is $1200/mo. There isn't any place in Maine that would rent that amount, but even if there was, he'd still need money for transportation/food/electricity. You can't just belittle the problem down to "drugs" because it's more than that.

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RuinTrajectory t1_j4c3pnh wrote

"the drugs aren't a factor" that is just one of the most naive statements I've ever heard, good lord. Addiction is extremely costly in about every way imaginable. It absolutely IS a factor, and you're straight up disconnected from reality if you don't understand that.

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biggestofbears t1_j4c40s0 wrote

If you remove the cost of drugs, he still doesn't have enough money though. So no, they aren't a factor.

If he became sober tomorrow. No more drug expenses. But surprise! Still can't afford rent.

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coforbs t1_j4c5gu3 wrote

Not trying to be pedantic but your spending habits are absolutely going to factor in to your budget.

In this instance, not only does addiction factor in to the budgetary considerations but it factors in to thing like mental/emotional well being, ability to pursue different avenues for work, social/familial relations, and on and on ad infinutm.

If your trying to say rent is high and pay is low, just say that. To say the drugs arent a factor is just blatantly incorrect.

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biggestofbears t1_j4c63es wrote

But we're not talking about any of that. The first comment was specifically saying the money is going to drugs and that's why he's homeless. If he stopped using drugs, he could afford an apartment. I'm specifically talking about funds, not mental health or well being. Financially speaking, drugs are not a problem in the same way "millennials eating avocado toast is what's stopping them from buying homes" is not the problem.

Drugs as a whole, absolutely a problem we need to solve. But this person quitting drugs won't fix their homelessness problem.

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RuinTrajectory t1_j4c7dwz wrote

a factor vs. sole factor. Meth is extremely addictive. Meth causes rapid decline in both physical and mental health. Addiction in general causes a multitude of problems, and is indeed why he lost his presumably higher paying utilities job. You can point to the wages all you want but being an addict sure as shit isn't a non-factor in this guy's diminished quality of life.

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UncertainOrangutan t1_j4cgndy wrote

The sequence of events is just as important... as one of the parent commenter suggested, drugs are used for an escape and it is entirely possible they are using it to cope with already being homeless.

>But drugs don't help with the budget

I agree. But $1200 (the amount they hypothetically made) tax free usually doesn't cover rent and food in a lot of Maine. So they use a portion of it to escape their reality.

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coforbs t1_j4ce1c1 wrote

^this guy understands the definition of the word "factor"

Salute

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AnythingToAvoidWork t1_j4cyqvz wrote

You're both arguing two very similar but different points past each other. That's why this is going nowhere lol.

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RealMainer t1_j4bvkke wrote

I pay $800 a month for rent in Lewiston. Everyone I know who rents pays less than $1,000. It's also pretty easy to find a job paying $15-$20 an hour with no experience if you live in a more expensive area, but of course if you are an addict you probably wont get hired at those jobs or last long if you do.

I know rent prices suck but it's still very doable.

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MrsMurphysChowder t1_j4cabil wrote

But if he made that little and WASN'T a drug addict, he'd be a much better prospect as a roommate.

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RealMainer t1_j4buduo wrote

In the article it says he also receives food stamps and has Mainecare. He currently buys his food at a Cumberland Farms which is way more expensive than a grocery store, so he gets plenty of food stamps.

$300 a week is more than enough to afford rent. Yes, it sucks that most of your check will go to rent, but that's just how it is right now. There are better jobs out there, but one way or another he became an addict so his options are crap until he gets his life together.

Drugs are the problem. Most of the time they are the cause, not the consequence, of homelessness. People dont become homeless and then resort to drugs, they become addicts, alienate everyone in their life, and then become homeless.

There of course are outliers, but the last study I read reported that over 95% of homeless suffer from either mental illness or addiction.

Ironically the ones who don't suffer from those ailments are choosing to be homeless and no ammount of public assistance is going to make them move into a crumby one room apartment.

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biggestofbears t1_j4bv9sy wrote

You also need a security deposit, usually that's an extra months rent, up front due on the first day. Electricity pricing has skyrocketed. Many landlords now require rental insurance. Food stamps will absolutely help, but grocery shopping also requires both the skill to cook and time to do so - which means he'll also need to buy utensils and cookware, most people working minimum wage jobs don't have the time because they work shit hours.

All I'm saying is that this isn't a simple problem to fix, just saying "there's no homeless problem" is incredibly out of touch.

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ejohnson382 t1_j4fhit2 wrote

I guarantee almost every kitchen in Maine is hiring for a dishwasher right now. I’m not saying this is living the dream by any means, but being in an environment where you can learn some basic cooking techniques, eat for free at work, and probably earn overtime as an hourly employee would solve half of these problems.

There are solutions.

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RealMainer t1_j4bwdfh wrote

When I say there is no homeless problem I am not saying there are no homeless people. It's about the root cause.

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raynedanser t1_j4byc44 wrote

It sounds like you just like to sit on your high horse and judge.

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PNWMunky t1_j4c2wlk wrote

Lol. At some point it’s ok to judge one’s actions. A lot of people in this world. Get your shit together or get out of the way.

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raynedanser t1_j4c3wv6 wrote

It's really not. It's not a good look for anyone.

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PNWMunky t1_j4c42g8 wrote

Lol. I’m not concerned with the optics from Reddit folk.

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raynedanser t1_j4c65wb wrote

Might want to be concerned about real life. It's not a good look, but cling to it on a lame ass attempt to justify it.

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PNWMunky t1_j4c6faa wrote

Justify what? If you’re an addict, get your shit together. My heart bleeds for those with a shred of integrity. Junkies can fuck off.

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Joeistall t1_j4d8rt8 wrote

I hope you get fucked up at work and get prescribed opiates and go on a spiral.

Its always people just like you that struggle the worst to cope when shit hits tha fan.

Its not even gonna be your fault when it does happen and its gonna be hilarious when you encounter people just like you.

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PNWMunky t1_j4devt3 wrote

Been there. Done that. Most injured workers I’ve seen that became addicts started taking more than prescribed from the start. Been on painkillers myself. Shit happens but you do have to deal with the life you made for yourself. People like me? What’s that mean?

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Joeistall t1_j52p13v wrote

Doesnt sound like it. Most older timer blue collar guys I know still working are on something to deal with the pain.

Ignorant lying pos like you is what i mean.

Been on painkillers myself, no issues. But i don't have any predispositions to addiction as well. And I'm smart enough not to be taken advantage of by pill pushing doctors and nefarious companies who have lost multitudes of lawsuits for their majority roles in the opioid crisis.

You keep feeding yourself your weirdo delusional total self reliance mythos.

Im sure that will make your kids talk to you. Lololololol

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raynedanser t1_j4by5jq wrote

Where are you living that $300/week is enough to rent something, anything? that isn't a rat infested shithole?

Drugs are A problem, but not THE problem.

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[deleted] t1_j4cbi4w wrote

>Where are you living that $300/week is enough to rent something, anything?

Rent with roommates....

Yea it won't get you your own one bedroom apartment. But it might get you a room somewhere.

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Joeistall t1_j4d93xv wrote

You know people all over are totally looking to double and quadruple up in rooms. Such a common thing to see in ads for roommates. O wait. No it fuckin isnt. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

No matter how you slice it 60-70% of his income will go to housing.

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[deleted] t1_j4db2pd wrote

>You know people all over are totally looking to double and quadruple up in rooms. Such a common thing to see in ads for roommates

You don't even understand what the term "roommate" means....

Typically it doesn't mean you share literally the same room. It's more renting a place with other people.

Most of the time I've rented have been with roommates... even in the middle of LA I was able to get a place for 800 a month (with utilities and internet included in that).

As others have pointed out, his is less of a money issue... and more of a "I'd rather spend money on drugs" issue.

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lucidlilacdream t1_j4buytx wrote

$300 a week is not more than enough to afford the current rental prices. Yes, this person has a drug addiction. Yes, addiction causes a ton of issues with homelessness and is a major problem and hurdle for a number of people. But, it’s not accurate to say $300 is more than enough. It’s out of touch with the price of the rentals right now.

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RealMainer t1_j4bwdpi wrote

I'm looking on several different rental sites right now to make sure I am not out of touch, and there are dozens of listing for under $1000, some even under $800.

On top of that there are tons of job openings for $15+ an hour. My drug addict brother just got a line cook job for $17 an hour, although he will undoubtedly quit after two weeks like he does all his jobs.

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lucidlilacdream t1_j4c0kky wrote

$300 a week is $1200 a month. If you found a rental for $800 a month, which is nearly impossible in any place 1 hour reach of Portland, you’d have $400 left for all of your bills. Heating alone would eat up that $400. Add a car and you are fucked, and the vast majority of Maine requires a car because we have shit transit. At $1000 you’d have $200 after rent. Most rentals are $1.2-1.6k a month.

You are living in a different time and under a rock if you think $200-400 a month is enough to live in after rent. It’s not 1970, it’s 2023 where eggs cost $6 a dozen and gas is $3.50+ a gallon.

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RealMainer t1_j4c2lej wrote

Plenty of places for rent in Lewiston for around $800. 30 minutes away from Portland.

But not sure what your obsession with Portland is. You know Maine is a huge state right? If you are homeless why would you choose to live in the most expensive city in Maine?

It's not hard to afford rent if you work $30-40 hours a week. Again, it sucks that rent eats up a lot of that, but that's why programs like food stamps, Heap, the rent rebate programs and Mainecare exist.

Sounds like your standards of living are just so impossibly high that you can't even imagine the reality of living paycheck to paycheck like many people do.

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Joeistall t1_j4d9bj6 wrote

Bro you just are clearly not in charge in your own budget.

Eggs have triples in price.

Wtf are you on.

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Bostonbaked20 t1_j4ccg9u wrote

Respectfully I’d like to know where $300 a week "is more than enough to afford rent"? Even making double that amount weekly it's very difficult to afford a decent place to live while also trying to pay for the essentials like food, utilities ect. A lot of folks turn to substances to ease the stress of just surviving. So many use alcohol multiple times a week as well to unwind and cope with surviving the grind of life. We tend to look down more on people turning to drugs rather than alcohol but we all know if alcohol was illegal there would be many people still using it and having to endure risking legal consequences, homelessness to obtain a drink much like people face when using illegal drugs. As a community we need to stop judging and assuming things about each other and turn that energy towards being angry at our government. If people are working a full time job but can't even afford to exist then there is a major problem with the system that the wealthy ruling class created to benefit themselves. How many people grow up in poverty and are able to escape it? The system is designed to keep you poor and in servitude to those who are wealthy. Of course there are people who can change the trajectory of their life after growing up in poverty but we all know how difficult this is. Most people turning to illegal substances daily to cope aren't doing it because it's fun they are doing it to escape an unjust and unfair system. Back in the 40s/50s a guy could work as a janitor and own a nice home and support a family of four on their own. Today a lot of people work multiple jobs and still will never own a house. We all need to be angry at the people who can fix this problem but chose not to because it doesn't benefit their interests rather than judging disenfranchised individuals.

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SecretAsianMaine t1_j4cm16n wrote

$300 a week does not cover rent in Lewiston unless you are in section 8 housing. And you’re still not going to get your money’s worth.

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Beefy-McWhatnow1988 t1_j4bu0va wrote

It’s sad that not enough people in this state see it for what it is like you and a few others do, this state has a pretty terrible drug problem that I’m sure accounts for a majority of the homeless we have here, especially in Portland, it’s become the “this problem has been disguised as this problem” type of situation.

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FragilousSpectunkery t1_j4cl90i wrote

I doubt that there are any states in the USA where you couldn't say they have a terrible drug problem. Capitalism has created a society that needs mind-altering substances in order to cope.

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mymaineaccount46 t1_j4gbly3 wrote

Even if it's not the majority of homeless it is the problematic homeless. The ones who destroy everything, erode good will and make services ineffectual. We just don't have a good solution to people addicted to hard drugs.

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DidDunMegasploded t1_j4c33fw wrote

Can't they be mutually exclusive? Not every homeless person is a druggie, and not every druggie is a homeless person.

We can have both problems and tackle both problems. If we help the drug problem, we can help the homeless problem too.

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Just-10247-LOC t1_j4ccdou wrote

Addiction isn't the addict's fault, it is an illness he has little control over.

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Goodunnn t1_j4cleyp wrote

Well that’s a pretty narrow view on things.

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Lieutenant_Joe t1_j4crb9y wrote

…there are both, and one doesn’t necessitate the other

I’ve known plenty of drug addicts with apartments and I’ve known homeless who are clean and sober

Also sometimes clean homeless people start using because reality is so unkind that they’d kill themselves if they had to keep hacking it sober

Like I like and can relate to most of what you said but that last thing kinda hurt the message

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