Following is my thought on the part of Gerard’s article that deals with shelters that are needed.

This article was posted by Gerard Oosterman more than ten years ago! If you want to read the whole article, please go to this link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-01-13/37674

“. . . . . Of course, for those old enough to have lived, learnt, and acquired skills in overcoming the misadventures of collapsing economies, no matter what, survival has long been elevated to a form of art. Most of those might already have taken the sagacious move of doing practise runs in hard time survival, indeed might well have lived their entire life based on day to day living simply.

They experienced long ago that, when in need, a close friend is better than a far away relative. It would be nice to contemplate that during severe and prolonged economic miseries, those elderly folks will be called upon to man the survival marquees’, dispensing all they know to the young in need of a kind word and reassurance, that all will be all right. Those old sages will be at the frontlines, spreading sweetness and goodness to the vulnerable and weak.

Their advice could well include doing away with those fences and unneeded multi garages and put into place granny accommodations. Not necessarily for good old grannies but for those in need of emergency stay. The good old habit of helping each other is now becoming a need and not an option anymore. He who gives will also receive. Who knows in what direction our previously dormant, charitable and benevolent talents will take us?

We might share our cars, our houses, and gardens for vegetables, chicken sheds and home grown pumpkins and using the diversity of communal skills.

Will it be too far fetched to imagine getting away altogether about the notions of full time jobs, bonuses, late night workings in the office, queuing in traffic, nerve wrecking shopping expeditions, holidays with burning to a crisp on cheerless beaches? How about the possibility, in the worst case of a collapsing economy, how sharing and living together might come about to help make the best of it all?”

What books would be hoarded? I could go on,” says Gerard.

Posted 13 Jan 200913 Jan 2009, updated 6 Feb 20206 Feb 2020

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It sounds to me, it would be good if we made up our minds to give some relevant help to those in need. Sadly, right now vulnerable and weak people are very much on the increase.

On the one hand there are huge houses and apartments with maybe only one person or nobody in it. On the other hand there are lots and lots of people that are totally homeless.

Why are there still more huge houses and aparments being built, rather than small, affordable houses and apartments?

During WW II and in postwar Germany people with a house or apartment that was large enough to share with others, had, I think by law, to accommodate some bombed out people or refugees. –

Here in Australia right now, most of the homeless people are the ones that cannot afford the ever increasing rent. For these people shared accommodation would help to make the rent more affordable. So, I think, somehow more shared accommodation should and could be offered!

Also, the building of affordable housing should be given priority.