What are people's thoughts on the latest stories about 'homeless spikes'

[EnglishRose1320]

www.channel4.com/news/londons-anti-homeless-spikes-criticised

www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertynews/10883541/Homeless-spikes-installed-outside-London-flats.html

Surely there are much better ways to deal with this, helping and supporting them for a start?

[GreggsOnLegs]

It saddens me to the core. Not even having the shelter of a doorway.
Who on earth came up with such an inhumane idea?

[EnglishRose1320]

It made me realise although I would never ever be as inhumane to do anything like this, what am I really doing now, I am so much more fortunate than many and am going to get off my backside and do more, if that is only donating all my old clothes and bedding so be it but it has given me a bit of a wake up call. I think the best way to combat this is by those with compassion showing they care- I am sure many people do more than me already.

[5madthings]

I think they are bloody barbaric!

[mummylin2495]

That is bloody disgusting. What a way to treat fellow human beings

[PatrickStarisabadbellend]

Personally I would be intimidated if people were sleeping on my doorstep and I wouldn't like it.

More needs to be done to help the growing homeless population. In Chester where I live we have a rapidly growing number of Eastern European homeless people.
We haven't got enough shelters to cope. It's sad.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I think they are awful. Life can't get lower than being homeless and to not even be able to find shelter thanks to frickin spikes is barbaric.

Let's just make them all go away so we don't see how many people the governments have let down shall we. Out of sight out of mind is it?

[Xcountry]

I think what you also have to look at is the effects on the people living in the flats. If it was simply someone sleeping there then I don't think that would be much of a problem but what I remember was being 16, being given a scatter flat, being pregnant, alone and afraid because the homeless people that slept in the close and alleyway beside the flats were drug users and would accost me for money when I was passing to the point where I was terrified going to the bin at night.

I would go to the shop in the morning and have to step over used needles and bags and all sorts of paraphernalia, the police would be round regularly, there would be banging at the door because they were so out their face they got the wrong flat number, fires would be set and all I could think was I didn't want my baby there.

Thankfully I got a flat before he was born but it opened my eyes and I know not all homeless people behave and live like this but it was terrifying and it shouldn't be up to the residents of these properties to have to deal with the consequences of these people having nowhere to go.

[Seeline]

It is private property. Would you like homeless people sleeping in your porch or front garden? If preventing homeless people from sleeping in places like this means bringing them to the attention of those who can actually do something about it, I really can't see the issue.
I know all homeless people are different, but many are associated with drink and drugs - I wouldn't want the associated issues of this on my doorstep, vomit, pee, excrement, needles, empty bottles.
I am sure we can all 'do our bit' to help the homeless but I'm not sure many of us would offer up private property for strangers to sleep in.
The spikes are a way of preventing this which can't be vandalised in the way planting or walls etc can be.

[SouthernComforts]

Hmm my first reaction was 'cruel' but if they are used on doorways to private properties then fair enough. I would not want me and dd to have to step over/ask homeless people to move to get in and out of my home.A lot of them are on drugs or alcoholics (who can blame them?) But I wouldn't like to have to confront someone in withdrawal or whatever

[Bluegrass]

I don't understand why this is news, I've certainly seen them outside offices in London for years without anyone raising an eyebrow. It's the same thinking that leads to many public benches being designed so you can't lie on them (either by installing "armrests" or putting the bench on a slight lean so if you lie on it you roll off).

I've lived in a building that had a real problem with people trespassing in communal stairwells so eventually they installed gates to keep everyone except residents out. Same intention, just more expensive I guess.

[EnglishRose1320]

I guess maybe it is news for people who don't live in big cities so are not so aware of the problem as a whole including the various deterrents used.
I am so lucky to have never been homeless and living on the streets but I have been classed as homeless and moved from one emergency accommodation to the next and it's no picnic.
I understand what people are saying about the fear of drug use/violence and intimidation but is there no other way, a way that doesn't treat people as less than human.
I can only see this creating more bad feeling/hurt and more reactions.
Equally I'm not saying I have an answer- hence posting, interested to see what other takes people have.

[Impatientismymiddlename]

If I lived in the flats I would want measures taken to prevent homeless people sleeping in the doorway.
I think the spikes highlight that we need to do more to reduce the levels of homelessness.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Will it high light the issue though? Or just brush it under the carpet as no one sees them in public any more and complaints about people obstructing doorways subside?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Surely the money spent on spikes could be spent on converting a building into a shelter or food so they arebt hungry?

[Impatientismymiddlename]

I don't think the cost of a few spikes would come anywhere close to the cost of converting a building into a shelter or providing many meals for the homeless.

[DangoDays]

There's a lot of "how would you like someone sleeping on your doorstep" business - yeah it's not ideal. But how about not being able to find a doorway to sleep in when you are homeless. Awful.

[ppplease]

Same as SouthernComforts. My first reaction was "oh no", but then I thought some more.

There are actually places with roofs for people to go. Though cant blame them for not wanting to necessarily use them.

This problem does not have an easy solution.

[ppplease]

Giles. You could build many shelters. Doesnt mean that the homeless are going to use them.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

There just has to be something more constructive that could be done other than treating the homeless like pigeons

[EnglishRose1320]

The city near me has a shortage of shelter space so I guess it must vary for area to area.

I am well aware that some people do refuse shelter and I think that we actually have to go much further back than when they are sleeping rough to solve the big problem- its not an overnight solution. This country has a failing system and more support needs to be put in at every level not cut more and more which is the current trend.

[edamsavestheday]

what evidence do you have for your claim that 'there are actually places with roofs for these people to go', ppplease?

I helped a homeless man who had been stabbed once. Hundreds of people strode past. Most of them noticed - I saw them look, recoil, and pretend they hadn't seen.

People can be desperately selfish and cruel. And dishonest - if you hate homeless people, you should at least admit it. Not make excuses for your prejudice.

[Percephone]

If someone presents to the council as homeless first thing in the morning then they will find them somewhere to stay. It might be a hostel or B&B but there will be something offered. I know this through my line of work.

I also know that some people prefer to stay homeless than have a place to go because these places do not allow their alcoholism, dug use and begging to continue. Some send them out for the day at 7am which is also not popular. In many cases, unfortunately, homelessness is a choice they have made.

[EnglishRose1320]

But only a choice they have made because surely they feel they have no other choice, I am lucky to have never had an addiction but I imagine if you have got to the point in your life when you have nothing it is very hard to make that 'choice' to change and simply putting a roof over someone's head wont automatically do that.
I am sure that is not the case for everyone and everyone has different levels of coping and helping themselves, I for one am rubbish at coping with most things and would be a total mess if ever I became homeless.

[VampyreofTimeandMemory]

it's awful, treating homeless people like vermin. no matter what you think of them or their 'choices', I doubt many of us can imagine how shit it really is.