Podcast Summary: "Next Comes What" - Episode: How Authoritarians Abuse and Use the Homeless

Podcast Information:

• Title: Next Comes What
• Host/Author: Andrea Pitzer
• Description: Author Andrea Pitzer explores lessons from the rise of strongmen globally to counteract figures like Donald Trump and his allies.
• Episode Title: How Authoritarians Abuse and Use the Homeless
• Release Date: January 10, 2025

Introduction

In this compelling episode of Next Comes What, host Andrea Pitzer delves into the intricate relationship between authoritarian regimes and the exploitation of homeless populations. By examining historical precedents and contemporary policies in the United States, Pitzer illuminates how the marginalized are often scapegoated and manipulated to further authoritarian agendas. The episode serves as a poignant reminder of the persistent struggle against systemic abuses and offers insights into effective strategies for combating such injustices.

The Criminalization of Homelessness in America

Andrea Pitzer opens the discussion by highlighting recent legislative actions aimed at criminalizing homelessness. She references a Tennessee law passed in 2022 that transformed urban camping into a felony offense:

Andrea Pitzer [00:35]: "After Tennessee passed a law in 2022 making it a felony to camp and effectively to sleep outside on not just state-owned property, but all public property."

The episode underscores the Supreme Court's summer decision supporting this approach, effectively making it illegal to exist without housing across various jurisdictions:

Andrea Pitzer [01:03]: "In the wake of this decision supporting essentially criminalizing homelessness in the U.S., the court has more or less made it illegal to exist as a person outside without housing across time."

Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent is cited to emphasize the humanitarian concerns:

Andrea Pitzer [01:38]: "Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her dissent that this constituted cruel and unusual punishment because in her words, sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime."

Grants Pass: A Case Study in Overcriminalization

The city of Grants Pass is presented as a microcosm of the nationwide issue:

Andrea Pitzer [02:52]: "In the city of Grants Pass jails and fines these people for sleeping anywhere in public at any time, including in their cars, if they use as little as a blanket to keep warm or a rolled-up shirt as a pillow."

Brian Goldstone, author of There is No Place for Us, provides statistical insights:

Brian Goldstone [02:38]: "Since the early 2000s, Grants Pass has more than doubled in size, but it hasn't doubled its affordable housing stock. The vacancy rate is less than 1%, meaning if you lose your apartment, it's basically impossible to find a new one."

The Escalating Crisis of Homelessness

Pitzer and Goldstone discuss the alarming rise in homelessness statistics:

Andrea Pitzer [02:52]: "A report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development came out not long ago showing a massive spike in homelessness in the US with over 700,000 individuals lacking housing entirely for families and children."

Goldstone adds depth to the numbers:

Brian Goldstone [03:30]: "Both of those were record increases in homelessness that we've seen this month."

Historical Exploitation of the Homeless by Authoritarian Regimes

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to historical parallels, illustrating how authoritarian leaders have historically targeted homeless populations to consolidate power. Pitzer references the use of concentration camps during and after World Wars I and II:

Andrea Pitzer [05:01]: "If you recall this global internment normalized, locking up innocent civilians."

A historian elaborates on the internment practices:

Historian [05:01]: "In the US approximately 6,000 German migrants, overwhelmingly men, were imprisoned in camps, and the government seized an estimated half a billion dollars in private property."

Further comparisons are drawn with Hungary's post-WWI camps and Mussolini's Italy:

Andrea Pitzer [07:06]: "In Cuba in 1931, newspapers reported that beggars were being swept from city streets and put into forced labor on farms... Mussolini adopted these kinds of camps. In Italy, Spain had followed his example."

The Nazi Regime and Homelessness

The episode delves into how the Nazi party initially targeted homeless individuals as part of their rise to power:

Holocaust Historian [08:16]: "In the beginning, the Nazi camps didn't look that different than other camp systems that had already developed..."

Pitzer connects this to contemporary practices:

Andrea Pitzer [09:08]: "First roundups of homeless people under Hitler began in 1933 at the dawn of the Nazi era."

The historian discusses the evolution of these camps into more sinister forms:

Holocaust Historian [10:17]: "When they realized they could do these mass arrests... the camp system was wildly expanded."

The Modern Housing Crisis as a Self-Fulfilling Nightmare

Goldstone’s analysis reveals that the homelessness crisis in America is not merely a byproduct of poverty but is intricately linked to economic prosperity and urban development strategies:

Brian Goldstone [17:08]: "It's so crucial to highlight the extent to which this, this crisis that continues to escalate in so many cities around the country is a product not of poverty, but a product of prosperity."

He cites Atlanta's urban revitalization as a catalyst for housing insecurity:

Brian Goldstone [17:08]: "In a city like Atlanta, there has been this remaking of urban space, this revitalization that has actually fueled the very insecurity I'm writing about..."

The Disproportionate Impact on Minority Communities

The discussion emphasizes how systemic housing policies have historically marginalized people of color, perpetuating cycles of homelessness:

Brian Goldstone [19:25]: "The Wikipedia version of homelessness in America tends to begin in the colonial period... I've been very compelled by the possibility of narrating homelessness, mass homelessness, especially in the US as actually having a precedent in the millions of newly emancipated people..."

In Atlanta, the statistics reveal a glaring racial disparity:

Brian Goldstone [21:02]: "The black population in Atlanta is something now it's under 50%. It used to be a majority black city, but the percentage of families in Atlanta who are experiencing homelessness, it's like 93% black."

Policy Critique and the Rejection of "Housing First"

Pitzer and Goldstone advocate for a paradigm shift in housing policy. They critique the Trump administration's stance against the "housing first" approach, which prioritizes stable shelter before addressing other issues like mental health or addiction:

Donald Trump [22:43]: "This strategy will be far better and also far less expensive than spending vast sums of taxpayer money to house the Homeless Project."

Goldstone contrasts this with successful implementations abroad:

Brian Goldstone [27:19]: "What both Finland and Vienna have done is created thousands of units of what they call social housing..."

Solutions and Grassroots Movements

The episode highlights the importance of local action and grassroots movements in addressing homelessness. Goldstone points to the emergence of tenant rights movements and local organizations as pivotal in driving change:

Brian Goldstone [29:28]: "One of the most hopeful developments in recent years... is the emergence of a powerful and vibrant tenants rights movement."

Pitzer encourages listeners to engage with these local efforts and emphasizes the potential for community-driven solutions:

Andrea Pitzer [30:29]: "Homelessness is one of those issues where local action to protect the vulnerable and adopt best practices can make a big difference."

The Danger of Authoritarian Tactics

Concluding the episode, Pitzer warns against the broader societal dangers of marginalizing vulnerable populations. She draws parallels between historical authoritarian tactics and current policies that seek to isolate and control the homeless:

Andrea Pitzer [31:35]: "We cannot let our communities be splintered... allowing any group to be isolated and removed from society is a danger to society itself."

Notable Quotes

• Andrea Pitzer [14:31]: "It's so much with us now. And if you live in a good sized town or certainly in a city, you're probably seeing it yourself."
• Brian Goldstone [15:19]: "What I'm trying to accomplish overall in including all of these details is to show the complexity of what it's like to experience this, to go through the kinds of... violence... inflicted on them by capitalism..."
• Brian Goldstone [27:19]: "What both Finland and Vienna have done is created thousands of units of what they call social housing."

Conclusion

Andrea Pitzer's episode serves as a critical examination of how homelessness is exploited by authoritarian figures to enact broader societal control. By intertwining historical contexts with present-day policies, the podcast underscores the urgent need for compassionate, systemic solutions. Next Comes What not only highlights the challenges but also empowers listeners with knowledge and avenues for activism, emphasizing that combating homelessness is integral to safeguarding democratic and humane societies.

Resources Mentioned:

• There is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Reports
• Autonomous Tenants Union Network
• National Low Income Housing Coalition

Support the Podcast: For more insights and to support Next Comes What, subscribe at AndreaPitzer.com and consider leaving a five-star review on your preferred podcast platform.