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Re:Ask HN: How to find work while homeless? by csomar on Friday February 28, 2020 @11:43AM (#22444042)
> Living in squats is pretty ok

I think I misunderstood that from your original post. Do you mean you are squatting someone else property? If that's the case, I feel sorry for myself spending all this time writing these responses...

Re:Ask HN: How to find work while homeless? by mustacheemperor on Friday February 28, 2020 @01:39PM (#22445141)
I hope sometime in the next week you have the time to evaluate this conversation from an alternate perspective - even to just "cosplay" that perspective, not to try and adapt it permanently - and understand why your comments can come across as extremely out of touch.

>For example, become a hairdresser.

>I wouldn't hire you if you looked homeless...You don't look homeless because you're showering as a squatter? I wish I hadn't given you any advice at all.

Empathy is not a constrained resources. It's one of the only things humans can generate in infinite supply, and that's worth taking advantage of.

Also, it seems to me OP was not saying they can't get benefits in the UK because the system is too complicated. They said the system was complicated before summarizing the complexity by explaining that without work they will lose benefits, and they are concerned they won't be able to find work. It seems disingenuous to me to read into that as OP saying they can't figure out how to get benefits.

Re:Ask HN: How to find work while homeless? by csomar on Friday February 28, 2020 @02:31PM (#22445591)
> For example, become a hairdresser.

I didn't suggest that. I did suggest that he/she works for a hairdresser. (probably doing errands around).

> I wouldn't hire you if you looked homeless

Not for a customer facing job. For some businesses, that would destroy the business. That's why I suggest that he/she starts with jobs that do not care too much about your current status.

> Empathy is not a constrained resources.

I have a hard time giving empathy to someone who doesn't have it. By squatting other people property, you might be risking putting these people out of their homes (maybe they are looking to rent it and are paying a mortgage/loan).

Not all properties are hold by rich people and closed to make people on the streets. Some of these are by normal hardworking people and that's all they have (or maybe less if they are borrowing money).

Re:Ask HN: How to find work while homeless? by cryptica on Friday February 28, 2020 @12:21PM (#22444377)
Squatting is fine. Land should belong to the public anyway, just like the air we breathe.
Re:Ask HN: How to find work while homeless? by blacksmith_tb on Friday February 28, 2020 @01:39PM (#22445144)
Not to defend capitalism (and especially landlords) too much, but buildings are not just 'land' - free land wouldn't get you squats, but tents...