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.

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.

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.

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.

*cant

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

veterans-aid.net/about/

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.

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.

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.

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.