A growing number of Americans are ending up homeless as soaring rents in recent years squeeze their budgets.

According to a Jan. 25 report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, roughly 653,000 people reported experiencing homelessness in January of 2023, up roughly 12% from the same time a year prior and 48% from 2015. That marks the largest single-year increase in the country’s unhoused population on record, Harvard researchers said.

  • @zeppo
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    1210 months ago

    Problem is absent major reforms in every state, that’s not how voting works. Third parties playing spoilers in the first-past-the-post system has been documented and evidenced many times. Whichever bloc has greater unity or no appealing 3rd party candidates will win. So you could end up with Trump being elected with 35% for Biden, 25% for West, and 40% for Trump. Run-off or ranked choice could fix that but we don’t have that.

    • blazera
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      -210 months ago

      Whichever bloc has greater unity

      Ive got unity with the progressive candidate. Who also endorses that ranked choice we both want. Biden and Trump represent a conservative bloc.

      • @zeppo
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        410 months ago

        That would be great but voting for them this round isn’t a practical choice. We have to somehow get voting reforms then support the candidates we actually prefer. That would start at a local/state level.

          • @zeppo
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            210 months ago

            Before there is comprehensive voting reform it won’t work at all. It’s more likely to get whatever candidate you least support elected.

            • blazera
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              -210 months ago

              everyone’s waiting for voting reform to just happen for them. For the folks being elected with the current system that favors them to adopt it out of the goodness of their hearts.

            • queermunist she/her
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              -810 months ago

              Chicken and egg problem.

              You can not get voter reform with a Democrat or Republican. They will not support legislation that make their own Party less powerful.

    • queermunist she/her
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      -510 months ago

      So you could end up with Trump being elected with 35% for Biden, 25% for West, and 40% for Trump.

      And then the country would collapse. Do you actually think America would survive that?

      • @zeppo
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        210 months ago

        How would the country collapse? Because Trump got elected and ruined it the rest of the way, or because the left/social liberal/Democrat vote was split between the D candidate and a 3rd party, like people keep suggesting we should do? Not sure what you mean.

        • queermunist she/her
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          -1210 months ago

          the left/social liberal/Democrat vote was split between the D candidate and a 3rd party, like people keep suggesting we should do

          Has anyone in this thread even done that? I know I haven’t. I haven’t told anyone how to vote.

          Not sure what you mean.

          The largest protests in American history happened under Trump. If he came back into power despite everything with such a small plurality, the citizenry would become ungovernable.

          • @zeppo
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            410 months ago

            I’ll just ignore the first part since you’ve obviously spent half the thread condemning Biden.

            Anyway, so people should have been out there going wild protesting Al Gore and Hillary Clinton losing the popular vote, I guess. However, that’s the way the system works, as bad as it is. I’m sure some people would protest but my example (which isn’t even realistic since it ignores the electoral college) would be interpreted as Trump winning by 5%.

            • queermunist she/her
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              10 months ago

              I’ll just ignore the first part since you’ve obviously spent half the thread condemning Biden.

              This is why I hate liberals. We are not allowed to condemn the Blue Savior, he’s making America great again, if you’re against us you’re with the enemy, etc. You are in a cult. There is literally nothing Biden can do that you would criticize.

              Anyway, so people should have been out there going wild protesting Al Gore and Hillary Clinton losing the popular vote, I guess.

              Al Gore betrayed the country by not fighting the election that was stolen by Bush. Fuck him and the weak liberals that let it happen.

              I’m sure some people would protest but my example (which isn’t even realistic since it ignores the electoral college) would be interpreted as Trump winning by 5%.

              And losing the popular vote by 10%

              Considering the fact that he lost the popular vote the first time and has since become even more unpopular and divisive, and considering the fact that he actually might be a convicted criminal by the election, I think things would become extremely violent. You’re overlooking how easily America could destabilize - we’re already having some fucked up standoff between states from the border showdown. How much worse will it be in 10 months?

              • @zeppo
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                210 months ago

                Okay, sure: Biden was shitty on the train worker labor union. Biden should tell Israel to wrap it up, stuff it and they have enough weapons already. Oh shit, I just got kicked out of my ‘cult’.

                Trump ALREADY lost the popular vote by 10% in real life. He actually won with 77,000 votes in 3 states and somehow this amazing revolution you’re envisioning didn’t materialize.

                • queermunist she/her
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                  -710 months ago

                  Trump ALREADY lost the popular vote by 10% in real life. He actually won with 77,000 votes in 3 states and somehow this amazing revolution you’re envisioning didn’t materialize.

                  No, he won with 46.1% of the popular vote. Even then, his tenure saw the largest protests in American history. That’s not a coincidence.

                  Please don’t put words in my mouth about revolution, though. That’s not how revolutions happen. That’s how reactionary protest coups happen that can cause countries to collapse. That’s really not going to be good for anyone actually living in America.

                  • @zeppo
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                    10 months ago

                    I’m sure you can understand the distinction between losing the popular vote, winning the electoral college, and winning the election.

                    Yes, we had major demonstrations - about police and racism, not Trump. Hope that helps.