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Elderly people who have long been on the streets have gotten used to the life and are finding it difficult to reintegrate into mainstream society.

7 Comments

A Tokyo metropolitan government official in charge of the homeless issue. Tokyo’s homeless population has an average age over 65 for the first time since a metropolitan government survey started in 2003.

© Yomiuri Shimbun

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The economic system which produces this situation begins with a "c" and ends with an "m."

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is happening world wide here in the US we are seeing more people 65 years and older also on the streets homeless. One due to the cost of housing and wages. There was a time when a person could retire and live off their pension and social security but inflation eats up more than half of what they get. I work with the homeless and I ask many of the elderly and young what led them to becoming homeless and the first thing they say is my pension is small and social security is not enough. The young say they can't make enough to pay for the high cost of rent with minimum wages. Its simply not enough, some have no college education and those that do say they are saddled with college loans. Personally I think it will get worse because again housing prices are out pacing incomes and those who go to college and land good jobs are too busy trying to pay back their school loans if they default they can't purchase a home no one will lend them money. Those who do get help find that the down payment for a home takes years to save and the more you put down the lower your monthly payment becomes. In Los Angeles the average cost for a home in some of the worst location is $600, 000. Large corporation are no longer giving pensions to those retiring you have to contribute to a 401k that is tied to the markets to depend on saving for your gray years. Now think about it you work 30 years put money into a 401k and once you retire the markets go to crap. Oh well to the streets you go!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That quote speaks volumes as to the problem.

They are homeless in the first place.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It's all about the numbers, and really has nothing about the quality of service they can provide. These homeless or elderly people who opt to live on the streets have reasons why they prefer living that way. In many case, it's because the society itself has difficulty admitting how gifted or talented they are.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes they have difficulty, so what are you doing to remedy that situation? Or are you taking your pay under false pretences?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

That’s just disgusting, putting the guilt on them and stating they have difficulties to reintegrate. No, it’s the society which is guilty and obviously has difficulties to integrate them at all the decades before so that they not even become homeless people when younger, but even more at this age over 65. What a shameful clean washing of the responsible places and offices.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

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