Elk Grove Pays $20 Gift Cards to Homeless for Bagging their Trash - Seeing Payoffs and Dividends

[AFrench2]

Elk Grove Paying Homeless People To Clean Up After Themselves, And It's Working

The city of Elk Grove has developed a unique way to get the homeless to clean up after themselves. It's an unusual idea: a city paying homeless people to keep their camps clean.

sacramento.cbslocal.com

“We need to reduce the amount of public complaints that we’re getting,” said Bontrager.

“We’d go there, it would just be a massive mess, we’d spend hours just cleaning and cleaning, but now we go there and their bags are ready,” said Elk Grove Police Department Homeless Outreach Officer Jennifer McCue.

“They actually don’t like to live like this, so having that sense of community and pride keeping their area clean has really shown,” said McCue.

So, what’s the pricetag of this project? “The cost of running this program for over a year has been under $10,000, when we might have run through that in one month previously just doing the regular cleanups,” said Bontrager.

There have even been some unexpected benefits. “What we’ve discovered with our incentive program is that we’re actually building relationships,” said McCue. “They’re excited when we come every other Wednesday for junk and rubbish cleanups.”

Just a little feel good story here amidst all the chaos and the bolded part is kinda cute.

EDIT: The CARES Act and the U.S. Department of Housing And Urban Development are paying for the program.

 

[Luther]

Elk Grove Paying Homeless People To Clean Up After Themselves, And It's Working

The city of Elk Grove has developed a unique way to get the homeless to clean up after themselves. It's an unusual idea: a city paying homeless people to keep their camps clean.

sacramento.cbslocal.com

“We need to reduce the amount of public complaints that we’re getting,” said Bontrager.

“We’d go there, it would just be a massive mess, we’d spend hours just cleaning and cleaning, but now we go there and their bags are ready,” said Elk Grove Police Department Homeless Outreach Officer Jennifer McCue.

“They actually don’t like to live like this, so having that sense of community and pride keeping their area clean has really shown,” said McCue.

So, what’s the pricetag of this project? “The cost of running this program for over a year has been under $10,000, when we might have run through that in one month previously just doing the regular cleanups,” said Bontrager.

There have even been some unexpected benefits. “What we’ve discovered with our incentive program is that we’re actually building relationships,” said McCue. “They’re excited when we come every other Wednesday for junk and rubbish cleanups.”

Just a little feel good story here amidst all the chaos and the bolded part is kinda cute.

EDIT: The CARES Act and the U.S. Department of Housing And Urban Development are paying for the program.

Oh I see, we have to BRIBE them at Tax payers expensive?

Somebody is also still paying for their trash pick up

Way to go!

 

[AFrench2]

Oh I see, we have to BRIBE them at Tax payers expensive?

Somebody is also still paying for their trash pick up

Way to go!

So, what’s the pricetag of this project? “The cost of running this program for over a year has been under $10,000, when we might have run through that in one month previously just doing the regular cleanups,” said Bontrager.

 

[Luther]

So, what’s the pricetag of this project? “The cost of running this program for over a year has been under $10,000, when we might have run through that in one month previously just doing the regular cleanups,” said Bontrager.

Are your figures counting that someone still has to pay for the trash dump?

 

[Luther]

I wonder what unintended consequence awaits for the city of Elk Grove due to stupidity?

 

[ttwtt78640]

We pay $30.31/month to have our trash/recycle cans emptied weekly/biweekly. Why don’t we “qualify” to get paid $40/month (in gift cards) by the federal government for doing that?

 

[Luther]

We pay $30.31/month to have our trash/recycle cans emptied weekly/biweekly. Why don’t we “qualify” to get paid $40 (in gift cards) by the federal government for doing that?

Because you're a doer

To qualify for this Freebie, you must be a non doer

 

[Luther]

Elk Grove Paying Homeless People To Clean Up After Themselves, And It's Working

The city of Elk Grove has developed a unique way to get the homeless to clean up after themselves. It's an unusual idea: a city paying homeless people to keep their camps clean.

sacramento.cbslocal.com

“We need to reduce the amount of public complaints that we’re getting,” said Bontrager.

“We’d go there, it would just be a massive mess, we’d spend hours just cleaning and cleaning, but now we go there and their bags are ready,” said Elk Grove Police Department Homeless Outreach Officer Jennifer McCue.

“They actually don’t like to live like this, so having that sense of community and pride keeping their area clean has really shown,” said McCue.

So, what’s the pricetag of this project? “The cost of running this program for over a year has been under $10,000, when we might have run through that in one month previously just doing the regular cleanups,” said Bontrager.

There have even been some unexpected benefits. “What we’ve discovered with our incentive program is that we’re actually building relationships,” said McCue. “They’re excited when we come every other Wednesday for junk and rubbish cleanups.”

Just a little feel good story here amidst all the chaos and the bolded part is kinda cute.

EDIT: The CARES Act and the U.S. Department of Housing And Urban Development are paying for the program.

Just think how much more cigarettes, Lotto tickets and beer the Homeless now can buy?

 

[MaryP]

Well, I think it's a good idea. Place stays clean, less work and less expense for the town. What's not to like?

 

[Luther]

Well, I think it's a good idea. Place stays clean, less work and less expense for the town. What's not to like?

What's not to like?

We're waiting for the ever present unintended consequences(wink)

Stay tune

 

[ttwtt78640]

Well, I think it's a good idea. Place stays clean, less work and less expense for the town. What's not to like?

OK, then have the federal government pay everyone to have their trash bagged/canned for collection. Most town’s/cities, like ours, charge their residents a monthly fee (ours is $30.31) for providing a trash/recycle collection service.

 

[MaryP]

OK, then have the federal government pay everyone to have their trash bagged/canned for collection. Most town’s/cities, like ours, charge their residents a monthly fee (ours is $30.31) for providing a trash/recycle collection service.

Maybe it's not about you.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Maybe it's not about you.

Maybe it’s insane to pay people to simply put their trash out for collection while letting them camp on public lands at no charge.

 

[Peter]

Wow, a whole $20 to the homeless and the right goes wild.

No wonder the US has a homeless problem when you have an entire side of the political aisle who think the homeless need to be given nothing and fight it out in a hunger games style battle.

 

[Peter]

Maybe it’s insane to pay people to simply put their trash out for collection while letting them camp on public lands at no charge.

Where exactly would you prefer they go and how would they live when they get there with zero financial assistance?
They can't get 99% of jobs as they don't have a registered address so simply telling them to get a job is not helpful.

 

[bongsaway]

Oh I see, we have to BRIBE them at Tax payers expensive?

Somebody is also still paying for their trash pick up

Way to go!

I wish my city would pay me for all the trash I pick up from people throwing it out of their car windows on to my lawn. Most people if they have no incentive to improve their life, won't. Less than ten grand a year. If I were a republican, I would be outraged.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Where exactly would you prefer they go and how would they live when they get there with zero financial assistance?
They can't get 99% of jobs as they don't have a registered address so simply telling them to get a job is not helpful.

I put out my trash/recyclables for collection without public compensation and must pay $30.31/month to have it picked up. We seem to need illegal immigrants to perform “jobs that US citizens will not do”.

 

[Peter]

I put out my trash/recyclables for collection without public compensation and must pay $30.31/month to have it picked up. We seem to need illegal immigrants to perform “jobs that US citizens will not do”.

The money isn't aimed at you or me.
It's an effort to give the homeless a semblance of normality and some money so they can maybe get on the road to not being homeless.

I realise the conservative idea of "Screw them, they're most likely criminals anyway so deserve homelessness" is strong but it hasn't and won't ever work. We need programs to help the homeless back into places to live so they can get a job and have something to feel pride in and a purpose in life.