Social housing and Syrian Refugees

[Plentymoresharks]

Controversial one. A memo has gone out from the local council to local residents, asking whether anyone has a property they can offer for Syrian refugees, housing benefit will be paid as well as a premium and money to hold the property until it is occupied, money for decorating and repairing the property etc.

Aibu to find it ridiculous that basically the council will be housing refugees who have been flown around the world ahead of people already on the waiting list for social housing? Also, there are homeless people who I see every day, living in the park and under a car park bridge but they aren't getting this same help (the memo mentions the social and medical help the refugees will also be given).

'all vulnerable people need help' and some need it more than others. No one in this country has suffered what the Syrian refugees have been through.

I think the scariest thing about this thread is not the alarmist speculation about how the refugees might behave but that 'charity begins at home' seems to be regarded as a moral precept.

Asking innocent questions is not bigoted.

Sneering about refugees letting their wife and kids die is.

Fair point Samcro but when the op has no posting history it looks a tad goady.

Fucking hell OP.

I have reached the end of my tether with people who think Syrians are some terrorist mob sent to ravage Europe and deny "native" Europeans their rights.

As countless PPs have pointed out, this is not social housing and will have no impact on social housing waiting lists.

To everyone saying that homeless people in the UK should be prioritized, I really hope the UK never suffers the same fate that Syria is currently facing. Imagine that everything you know had been destroyed, from your old school, your church, your local pub to your family and possibly your home. There is no going home because your country as you know it doesn't exist.

When you spend all the money you have getting out, you find the people in your host country are suspicious of you, won't give you a job or let their kids play with yours and won't rent you their empty flats. If you are able to set up a business, as many of your countrymen have since no one will employ them, people don't want to buy from you or use your services because of the media campaign against Syrians. No school will accept your children who have already missed years of their education. You can't leave because no other country will give you a visa and in any case you would need to do your paperwork at the Syrian embassy which is closed and when open, not well disposed to people who have fled. The locals consider you all terrorists and members of your community, including women, children and newborns, are routinely held in secret and arbitrary detention in horrendous conditions for months at a time so that "their identity may be verified", often by the same authorities they were fleeing from. They will then be relieved of all their assets to fund their deportation back to Syria.

This is what has been routinely happening to the Syrian refugees who have been coming here for the past four years, to the point that few are now arriving. We are one of the 'safe' Middle Eastern countries often suggested as more suitable locations for Syrians fleeing the conflict. I don't believe that any middle eastern country is really 'safe' for Syrian refugees at the moment because they are so consistently used as political pawns in domestic politics.

As a British person I have enjoyed so much hospitality and kindness from Syrians over the years. It is a shame that we are unable to show the same human empathy for what is after all a very small number of people.

And I agree that the vast majority of the 'what about the homeless' brigade didn't give one shiny shit about the homeless and vulnerable of this country before the refugees came along.

re: integration, look at the major problems faced by Germany post-1989, and that was a reunified country with a shared language and history. It's not easy. Pick up a book and do some reading.

It's incredibly bloody hard to move to another completely different culture especially when you're totally worn out from war and the feeling of not being safe. Plus when you move abroad, that's the first time you really think about ethnicity and define yourself as other (can't be bothered to dig up the citation). The reactions to that are diverse and understandable.
To think of an example which might illustrate (sorry if this comes across as trivialising the situation, I don't mean to) - think of coming home exhausted, only to find that you've now got to cook for unexpected guests. You'd rather get a takeaway wouldn't you. Just for that night. Even if you want to push yourself to make an effort that would make you even more exhausted. I totally understand if, after the trauma they've been through, Syrian refugees would prefer to stay among people they know for now and hold on to what comfort they can find which includes things like language, customs, religion, dress etc.

Whether the OP is a bigot or just an innocent this thread certainly drew them out of the woodwork.

SummerNights At the very least in the UK, the vast majority of people will be clothed, housed and fed regardless of their personal circumstances.

The OP - and others - have specifically referred to people without a home. That was the point, wasn't it?

And people here don't get automatically housed by the council. You have to meet certain strict criteria. I know, because when homeless and mentally ill (literally nowhere to go) I was deemed "not priority" and so not helped.

I'm sick of seeing people being so caring about refugees when the very same people did not give a shit before about the homeless!

(Again I'm not saying don't care about refugees but the hypocrisy from sections of the left is very upsetting to someone who knows what it's like to be in need and NOT helped.)

MN at its best on this thread. Anyone who dares to say anything which doesn't accord with the right on left wing rhetoric of the usual suspects is branded stupid, bigoted, racist, selfish, jealous etc etc.

This is clearly not a forum for rational and reasoned debate. Shame on those of you who can't put your point across without stooping to personal insult and name calling.

Thymeout I agree, and the charity begins at home brigade seem to have disregarded the fact that there are plenty of charities, council run schemes etc to try and combat UK homelessness, but it is not as straightforward as 'Give this homeless man a bedsit' and his life is magically all better.

There are so many issues usually linked to homelessness, alcohol and drug dependencies, mental illness, lack of skills and training to then move into work. A roof over their head is not a magic cure all and there are many who actively choose a life on the streets and will shun offers of help.

Thymeout - how the fuck do you know that?? Many homeless people will be those who have experienced huge violence in their lives, perhaps in actual warzones (ex servicepeople, people from the Balkans) or domestic violence.

Sometimes there is nothing you can say to extremely offensive posts about people letting their families drown. Except... Go away bigot.

People who post things like that aren't going to be won over by intellectual arguments.

April how do you know he "let his family drown?" Were you there?

Disgusting ignorant comment.

Shame on THEM really.

Gloria And I agree that the vast majority of the 'what about the homeless' brigade didn't give one shiny shit about the homeless and vulnerable of this country before the refugees came along.

And the vast majority of those wanting to help the refugees - including the councils! - did not seem to give a shit about homeless/vulnerable people before either.

Regardless of whether they're taking social housing or private housing, have you rented? A lot of people can't afford the deposit/first months rent...this is what is grating, people living in B&Bs and hostels should have the same benefits extended to them

Also, on the question of why we have to 'bear the brunt' and all that bollocks.

First of all, we are not bearing the brunt of anything. The vast, vast majority of refugees are in places like Lebanon, Turkey, and even still Syria itself. Yes, I guess Saudi could take some, but to be honest I would like to think that Britain is a better country than Saudi Arabia in pretty much every way, so them not taking many refugees is neither here nor there to be honest.

Yes indeed Fanjo shame on "them" who can't make a point without stooping to childish name calling and insults.

I agree Anthony, we are all adults and surely capable of having a serious debate without lowering ourselves to name calling. Everyone has a right to an opinion and should be allowed to express it.

The debate needs to be about helping all. Some homeless people were in war zones also- a great deal suffered PTSD as a result of being in the army so I can see why people get upset when nobody - including those going on about refugees gave a toss

AnthonyBlanche so agree. unless you post all fluffy stuff you are a bigot.
i find it an interesting subject as I would like to learn stuff, but you can't ask on mn cos of the I am so fluffy posters with their hidden PA's

Anthony yes. Changing my post where I obviously referred to shame on those making offensive comments is totally not immature and not a style of argument used by primary school children

Golden There are so many issues usually linked to homelessness, alcohol and drug dependencies, mental illness, lack of skills and training to then move into work. A roof over their head is not a magic cure all ...

Other reasons for being homeless include fleeing domestic violence or war...

Why do the people fleeing war trump the others? Why can't we help both equally?

Are you suggesting that the mentally ill, for exampe, don't deserve help quite as much? Why would that be? - do you blame them for their circumstances?

Barbara I would go further than that and stop people owning more than 2 houses- one for themselves, one they can rent out. Any other property should be social housing- that would soon bring rents down and stop this ridiculous private landlords making themselves rich at the misery and expense of others.

We don't actually need lots more housing, we need the housing stock in the country to be available to the people who need it- not priced out of their reach.

This government is all about their cronies making money from the needy- elderly in care homes with fees, private medicine aspects, academies, social care. My uncle is in a care home with dementia. I have just had a letter telling me his fees are going up by 8% which is almost £200 a month or £2500 a year. His fees are now approx £30,000 a year and he pays all of it. He has spent £270,000 on care home fees for him and my late aunt over the last 6 years. He gets no help at all. Everything he had has been sold to maximise his income. He has dementia- can not speak, walk, is doubly incontinent,recognises no one or anything, can not feed himself. If he needs to go to the hospital they charge us £15.00. The owner of the care home- of a series of them- is a millionaire, putting his prices up by 8% 'to cover the extra employer costs of a national living wage that are ahead ' is what the letter says. My uncle does not fall into a cataegory where he can have help because it is 'social care' he receives. A council run home would be cheaper but hardly any exist now. Privatised social care for our most vulnetable.

Social housing companies are the same- Tory crony CEOs on salaries that are a fortune.

The money and resources exist in this country- we are not prepared to put them in the right places.