No data but this is common concern among my social circle too (Toronto). More with people who don’t use transit but also with those who use it to a lesser extent. The economic conditions produced a drastic increase in homelessness over the last decade. It spills over into the public transit system as people seek warmth during the deadly winter cold. While people tend to ignore the problem, as the unhoused population grows, random attacks become a thing. That goes on the news, people see it on their daily commutes, and here we are. It’s not a transit problem.
I do think part of the issue is that you might not see actual violence on a train, but you might see some behaviour which makes you feel uncomfortable. Because you’re in a carriage with maybe 100 other people, then the likelihood is less that you’re in any actual danger, and far more that you’ve witnessed an incident which makes you wary. Meanwhile, there are several car accidents daily, but it’s witnessed by maybe 20 odd people, and most people only see a slowdown of the road.
You hit the nail on the head. The ultimate cause is homelessness due to profit being necessary to live in a home – when shelter is a basic right at all.
It isn’t just that; most of the developed world refuses to build the kind of housing that poor people need to put a roof over their heads. Studios and dorms used to be far more common units of housing.
Having lived in a studio, I think it’s not exactly a solution - it does solve the housing crisis to an extent, but not to the extent of comfort. Adequate housing can and should be affordable. Here the left-wing parties have been pretty active in building more of those, eg by building apartments, modal construction, and the like.
They also have worked on reducing energy bills. Something the right wing parties haven’t.
No data but this is common concern among my social circle too (Toronto). More with people who don’t use transit but also with those who use it to a lesser extent. The economic conditions produced a drastic increase in homelessness over the last decade. It spills over into the public transit system as people seek warmth during the deadly winter cold. While people tend to ignore the problem, as the unhoused population grows, random attacks become a thing. That goes on the news, people see it on their daily commutes, and here we are. It’s not a transit problem.
I do think part of the issue is that you might not see actual violence on a train, but you might see some behaviour which makes you feel uncomfortable. Because you’re in a carriage with maybe 100 other people, then the likelihood is less that you’re in any actual danger, and far more that you’ve witnessed an incident which makes you wary. Meanwhile, there are several car accidents daily, but it’s witnessed by maybe 20 odd people, and most people only see a slowdown of the road.
You hit the nail on the head. The ultimate cause is homelessness due to profit being necessary to live in a home – when shelter is a basic right at all.
It isn’t just that; most of the developed world refuses to build the kind of housing that poor people need to put a roof over their heads. Studios and dorms used to be far more common units of housing.
Having lived in a studio, I think it’s not exactly a solution - it does solve the housing crisis to an extent, but not to the extent of comfort. Adequate housing can and should be affordable. Here the left-wing parties have been pretty active in building more of those, eg by building apartments, modal construction, and the like.
They also have worked on reducing energy bills. Something the right wing parties haven’t.
If we’re at a point where millions are sleeping on streets, I’d rather prioritize housing over housing with space.
If the housing is easily expandable, eg modular, sure.