Studies and stats from one part of the world don’t always translate well to another part. Just saying. 
In the news a few years ago they said there were homeless people giving tours of Wanhua, telling stories about local history. Has anyone taken this type of tour?
Not taking sides or anything dude but anybody can Google some stuff read it for a second and post it online as research 
My old university professor used to do that and call it a day. Kinda lazy. Here’s what 5 mins on Google showed up. Seems there’s not research on taiwan yet which kinda is sad right? Everyone clearly sees all the homeless at night here. Let’s use Japan (a more devolped country for example :
JAPAN
An estimated 25,000 people are homeless in Japan, 5,000 of whom live in Tokyo (International Network of Street Papers, 2006). There are also around three million “Internet cafe refugees” who move from café to café each night.
http://www.homeaid.org/homeaid-stories/69/top-causes-of-homelessness
homelessworldcup.org/homelessness-statistics/
Am I a researcher now too BRO?
There are a ton in Chinese.
In Hsinchu the tactics seem to be different. There were real homeless people living in the pedestrian underpass around the train stations a couple of years ago. However, the government have probably resettled them due to almost non-stop renovation efforts around the train station.
So all that’s left are some old people pretending they need change for a train ride back home. They don’t pretend to be homeless at least. These old people are always in the same spots every single day. I think they get around just fine without people giving them change.
A recent trip to Chongli (Taoyuan) shocked me though. It’s been years since I’ve encountered that many homeless people. I can’t tell if they are genuinely homeless, although I think money is better spent given to organizations that take care of the homeless, instead of to people whose homelessness can’t be verified.
My very, very, very limited exposure to this problem tells me that this is right on:
BC: Is the rising cost of living and housing the biggest reason for homelessness?
KTJ: I think the bigger reason is age—most of these people are in their fifties or sixties. They are in poor health. They cannot obtain most jobs here.
It also tells me that it can happen to any of us: Get sick, lose your job, in your late fifties, lose your spouse, kids are gone, too embarrassed to tell anyone, too embarrassed to go home.
I find this argument fascinating. People get very defensive world-wide in relation to this issue, some taking ( very strongly) the side of giving money to panhandlers in the name of being compassionate, helping the needy, and for other reasons such as those mentioned above. Then there is the other side of the argument ( also with very strong opinions) which see panhandlers as often scammers, burden on society, etc.
The part I don’t get is how both sides seem to vehemently attack the others, and how one side, " just doesn’t get it, doesn’t understand, are inhumane assholes, and then the other side paints the more liberal folks as gullible idiots.
Ultimately, why is this such a triggering topic for people? Maybe because here in Winnipeg panhandlers are everywhere and for the most part I just ignore them. However, the bigger issue we have is fake panhandlers that use a person’s willingness to listen as an opening for a violent robbery. Be glad it hasn’t hit that point just yet …
In Taipei, what I see more than anything are old guys/gals down on their luck. The guy to the right speaks excellent English. He graduated from Cheng Kung University in Tainan. He’s an engineer. Too old to get another job.
I was so shocked to see so many young folk homeless, begging on the streets of Vancouver. It hurt so bad to see kids with a future and what I thought were advantageous positions in the world to be drowning in drugs and desperation. Yet as some of you explained, the traumas, the pain, creates the situation they are in and shackles them in spite of what I thought were other options.
Here in Taiwan we have it all. The pros scammers. The really hurting. The ones who are down on their luck. One of my neighbors ended up selling the magazine at MRT stations because she got cancer and could not work anymore. The people you see selling white flowers at traffic lights or standing with cardboard ads/handing publicity are just a step above homelessness. Not having a social net means the fall is hard.
I have a friend who used to joke one day I would pick up a homeless person as a rescue. I have been thinking about volunteering for hospital duty again, maybe some agency dealing with homeless people might take me in. But this kind of job needs discipline. To me, dealing with people is more dangerous. Mental diseases are hard to deal with and helping people is a lot harder than a hot meal and a bath, though as with strays, it is a good start. Even dogs and cats needs theraphy after getting off the streets, to socialize and deal with the world.
Vancouver is a mess, as is Winnipeg, as are, well a lot of cities in Canada and the States. Most of it is drug propelled, with Vancouver being opiates ( Fentanyl these days) and Meth. The Meth situation is really bad throughout Canada, and it has a lot of people first homeless, then doing petty crime, and often moving up in the world of crime to robberies, home invasions, etc…
I just don’t get why so many people are motivated to help these folks. Personally, I just don’t care about the reason why, and don’t really think about it - ignoring them is the best option.
I just think that a lot of more regular folk are optimistic and think that this is a fixable problem. I think that people think that society as a whole is improving, and we can help people get out of these situations … I just don’t see that, and I don’t have the time or energy to invest in these things. If you want to though, go right ahead.
this is not just about taiwan and i know this easier said than done because people become homeless for such a variety of reasons. but anyways, i still think it’s primarily the governments duty to care for those people. firstly, give citizens some kind of social security net, at least enough to provide for housing and food. second, give people with mental issues the proper treatment. in taiwan that would already go a long way.
We live in a screwed up world so there are plenty of causes to go around! I don’t mean this in any kind of snarky way- completely serious. Children with cancer, for example, is a cause a friend of mine cares deeply about. This is nothing about any type of lifestyle choice these children have made. Purely innocent victims. I can understand why he would choose this as a cause to get behind.
I agree that the government could and should get more involved. But there are some things the government can’t give. And it’s amazing how far a little act of kindness can go.
I think some peoples motivation is to keep stability of the society. Increasing homeless people will make the society unstable and insecure.
Some old homeless people here in Taiwan were very much into the traditional family values, and wanted their kids to live with them and do well. Some went as far as to sign over their real estate to their children. Their children being much less able and often into gambling and drugs would then get rid of the house for some quick money, driving the parents out to the streets. Being much too proud, many people who lost their lives’ work this way would often not seek help.
There seem to be less homeless people with mental disabilities here in Taiwan. The ones shouting at everyone on the streets like a mad man often own the townhouse just across the street.
It takes real skill to fake a missing limb.
If I were going to beg, I’d get my colleague who does zombie-type special effects to make it look like I have some kind of weird birth defect. Two heads, let us say. Then I could charge for selfies. Sound like a good career move?
At that point, you would be more of a performer than a homeless guy, not even a pretend homeless guy.