In California this has been going on since Reagan was governor back int he 1960s!! Newsom invited the homeless to come when he was running in the recall. The state legislature should act to make laws that will be easier for conservatorships to be declared and to re-open the mental hospitals for the people who need it. Other causes can include losing one's residence due to foreclosure (I felt for renters who paid their rent but the landlord got behind and these people were evicted), one illness and any other catastrophe. Regarding the illness--the brother of someone I know personally is 37 years old, fell 10 feet off the roof he was working on (he is in construction) and broke his back. His wife is practically disabled due to epilepsy. He set up a gofundme account of $50K to help pay the bills and yes, he had surgery on his back and it will take him at least a year to recover. None of these individuals chose to be homeless or close to it.
Actually, it really was the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (of 1967) that really ended involuntary commitment to mental hospitals. It was bipartisan legislation that Reagan signed off. As I understand it, the thought back then was that there was a lot of hope for anti-psychotic medications greatly helping to help and integrate these folks back into mainstream life.
In California this has been going on since Reagan was governor back int he 1960s!! Newsom invited the homeless to come when he was running in the recall. The state legislature should act to make laws that will be easier for conservatorships to be declared and to re-open the mental hospitals for the people who need it. Other causes can include losing one's residence due to foreclosure (I felt for renters who paid their rent but the landlord got behind and these people were evicted), one illness and any other catastrophe. Regarding the illness--the brother of someone I know personally is 37 years old, fell 10 feet off the roof he was working on (he is in construction) and broke his back. His wife is practically disabled due to epilepsy. He set up a gofundme account of $50K to help pay the bills and yes, he had surgery on his back and it will take him at least a year to recover. None of these individuals chose to be homeless or close to it.
Actually, it really was the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (of 1967) that really ended involuntary commitment to mental hospitals. It was bipartisan legislation that Reagan signed off. As I understand it, the thought back then was that there was a lot of hope for anti-psychotic medications greatly helping to help and integrate these folks back into mainstream life.