To be appalled at the growing number of homeless on the streets.

[heartskey]

There never used to be this many. I think it's scandalous that we have so many with nowhere to sleep. The government don't seem to give a toss. I can't imagine how awful it must be to have to sleep in a cold damp shop doorway on these cold nights. So many young men and increasingly young women having to sleep rough. Our government should be ashamed to just ignore what's going on. That's it really, just needed to vent.

[HelenaDove]

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/homeless-man-found-dead-freezing-9539406#ICID=sharebar_twitter



Two homeless men have been found dead in the space of a week. In one case ppl were hurrying past doing their shopping. He suddenly became visible to ppl though once the ambulance crew attended. Then ppl were whipping out their mobile phones to film the paramedics trying to revive him.

[DanGleballs]

HelenaDove unfortunately if you don't have kids the council do not give a shiny shit about housing a single woman. I wonder how many women stay in abusive relationships mainly for the secure housing.

[HelenaDove]

Dan i saw some stats a while ago on the amount of women who are homeless due to domestic abuse. I cant bloody find the article now though.


Its one of the reasons why LTB is not so easy.

[Itisnoteasybeingdifferent]

Due to migration the population of the country rose by a net 350,000 over the last year.. However the country has failed to build anywhere near enough now homes provide for the growing population..
Housing will continue to get more expensive until we build a lot more homes... or people start leaving.. Until then homelessness will continue.

[Jux]

There is also Veteran's Aid for forces men down on their luck, or in trouble in other ways.

veterans-aid.net/about/

[Sparrowlegs248]

Thanks for that just I don't make the rules.

[JustAnotherPoster00]

Some of my comments might sound harsh, and I apologise for that. I am often the person interviewing and trying to help these people

Lucky them I'm sure

[PausingFlatly]

Thanks for that info about Help 4 Homeless Veterans, MyCatsAPirate. I hadn't heard of them.

[Sparrowlegs248]

doctor whether it's good made up/non existent/actual money, the harsh facts are that however much support and services you put in place, some of these people will not sustain accommodation.

You can't force people to live or sleep somewhere (in general) and engage with support so that they don't constantly get evicted from accommodation.

Some of my comments might sound harsh, and I apologise for that. I am often the person interviewing and trying to help these people, calling round hostels and services, to be told no, we can't take them because of this or that reason, often to do with violence to staff/other residents, leaving uncapped needles lying about etc.

I don't know what the answer is.

Twoboys - that is a great idea, as is giving out warm coats, and food that is suitable for people who are actually homeless. We have a food bank locally, homeless people are given bags of food which they can't use. Tins if stuff they cant open/cook/heat. Bags of pasta and rice. Things like pot noodles, cup a soups etc are goid as many local places will give hot water.

[daisychain01]

I gave some money to a woman as I was walking down the street with my mum. The woman was sitting on the ground up against a shop window. I felt sad, guilty and helpless because I wasn't able to do more for her and that there were probably 2, 3, 10 other people on that same street in the same situation. It's just desperate

And we are indeed all of us, just a few steps away from losing everything. There but for the grace of God and all that.

[heartskey]

It's bloody disgusting, so they're cold, hungry and vulnerable on the streets, but in hostels they're still in danger, maybe even more so. What a shameful government we've got.

[Shimmyshammy]

*cant

[Shimmyshammy]

My friend works with the anti social behaviour department of the local
Council.

He said that the main problem with shelters/hostels is that service users need to blow zero on a breathalyser before they can have a bed. Obviously that means they can drink in the day but they'd rather do that (TBH I think I'd drink if I was in that situation).

Similarly two of the ex army guys who are well known here and subject to loads of facebook campaigns by well meaning strangers actually have flats. For mental health reasons they choose not to sleep there.

Such a mess of problems which isn't solved by just opening up empty houses.

[DanGleballs]

Sadly there seems to have been a big rise in the number of young women sleeping on the streets near me. A friend who works with the homeless says that it isn't necessarily that there are more homeless women than men but more that young women won't use the hostels. Apparently sleeping on the streets is safer for them than being in the hostelsame where physical and sexual violence on women is widespread. They feel safer on the streets where they can protect each other. How bloody awful, even the 'safe' places aren't.

[endofthelinefinally]

Hostels are frightening, dangerous places.
Unless they can provide secure, lockable, single rooms and security staff, people will not use them.
I have worked with homeless people with mental health and addiction problems. They are terrified of being robbed, beaten or worse in night shelters or hostels.

[Adarajames]

Think figures say rough sleeping has increased by more than 40% over past couple years, mostly due to increase in sanctions / huge costs of private renting and cuts to various services like homeless services / mental health/ addiction services and the like.
Tonight Im the overnight volunteer at local winter night shelter (lots of snoring so I'm on mn as can't sleep!) and some of the guys here DO work, but can't earn enough (zero hrs jobs for example) to raise the huge amounts needed fro deposits, 2 months rent etc, ( in fact a couple today were told by housing workers they'd be better off if they stopped working! ) they're not lazy just caught in a crap system / priced out by greedy private lls / people buying houses as investments and leaving them empty so pricing out local people. Housing needs a huge shake up but it's never going to happen when those in power have family ancestral homes of countless rooms and grants of millions handed to them to do up!

[TwoBoysTooMany76]

I have been meaning to do a shoebox appeal of sorts for a while but not keen on the religious association... Inspired by a friend in Wales who is trying to #makegoodhappen by doing good deeds, this afternoon, I took an empty gift bag and filled it with toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and shower gel gift bag, a pack of warm socks, a pack of biscuits and a Cadbury's selection box and my DCs (who helped me pick out the items) gave it the young, always cheery BI seller outside our local supermarket and we bought a BI at the same time.

I have been a bit hesitant about doing this (too presumptuous?) but felt I needed to do something and to show my DCs there are people out there who need our help. That particular BI actually had an article about how important warm, clean socks are to the homeless so I'm glad I did it in the end... it costs me all of a tenner. My friend advocated doing packs of woollen hat, socks, gloves, toothpaste, toothbrush and shower gel to take with you and to give out to the homeless you see on the street. I might just do that tomorrow...

[DoctorTwo]

Theres only so much money and resources you can throw away.

We have a fiat economy, ie based on trust, so we can print as much money as we like. Interest rates are at an all time low, so it would actually be throwing good non existent money after good made up money to get the homeless off the street.

It's too late to explain why austerity doesn't work or why the Gidiot got everything wrong because I've put in another long shift today and I'm knackered. Perhaps you could read why Professor Steve Keen is against it. Or Joseph Stiglitz. Or countless other economists as opposed to towel folders.

[Sparrowlegs248]

It's not pleasant hearts, often they have multiple problems, dual diagnosis, mh and substance misuse, alcohol and related issues, ulcers, open wounds from prolonged repeated injecting.

There are areas of our town that are cleaned up on a regular basis, as they have left drug paraphernalia behind, dirty wound dressings, excrement etc.

I've not been to these places, but they are all public places. I've seen pictures. It IS shocking that I this country, people are living like it.

[heartskey]

One of the three that got moved on was using two crutches.

[Sparrowlegs248]

justanotherposter did you read the rest of my post? The parts where I said provisions have been made, offered, and refused? It all costs money. I can only speak for the part of the country that I work in, but every council works to government legislation on ever decreasing budgets.

The group of people I am referring to, have had many many opportunities. We continue to offer to help to them, which other people wouldn't get, because we don't want them to die on the street. But, if provisions are not being used, they will be cut.


Sadly, we are not able to help everyone. But the ones sleeping rough in this area, get more help offered than most.

[1horatio]

YANBU.

It's one of the few things I really struggle with in the UK.

[JustAnotherPoster00]

'Theres only so much money and resources you can throw away'

Well arent you a delight?

They all deserve help are you judge and jury as to who gets the help? I hope not

[Sparrowlegs248]

I'm a housing officer in a large (Sq mileage) rural area. We've never had a problem with rough sleeping really until this year when the figures have gone from a handful to around 50 at any one time.

However, every single one of these people is "known to service's". Almost all are excluded from the housing register due to anti social behaviour, massive rent debts etc. Most have been through the system time and time again, none of the local supported housing will take them in anymore.

That said, they all know where to come for help, and there IS still help that we can give. A handful have been in, and we're given a space in a hostel. None of them slept there. There are empty beds in the hostel, they all know about them, but they don't use them.

There are a few distinct groups, I can only think it's like a family group to them. They gather in their specific areas and drink, take drugs and sleep.

Theres only so much money and resources you can throw away. Particularly when you have families with children, medical issues etc also in need of help.

[JustAnotherPoster00]

Tories gonna tory

I dont know how people who vote for them can equate what they see happening to the poor and vulnerable in this country and not feel like they have actually encouraged it, shame on anyone who votes tory, shame on you.