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.

[witsender]

There aren't enough places Waggy.

[mylittlephoney]

microsnake snake by name snake by nature. I hope you never find yourself unable to pay your morgage and loose your job. Rendering yourself homeless I find your comment callous and quite frankly grade A Bitchy.

[Parsley1234]

Hmmm microsnake I volunteer at crisis at Christmas and I think if you did that you might be surprised at the face of homelessness. My first client -I ran the hair salon- was one of the first computer programmers with a first from Cambridge. He had had bad luck and several other chaps had had marriage break downs which resulted in losing their home, they were living No Fixed Abode and had to be out from 7-7 every day. It was very sobering but ultimately joyous, it made my Christmas.

[WantToRunAgain]

Yet you can make ridiculous comments about "I know most of them can't be arsed" without any evidence, eh, microsnake?

You spoken to every homeless person have you?

'Thick' may not be accurate but uneducated certainly isn't.

[heartskey]

A homeless woman I was talking to today would struggle to get a job, she says she struggles to keep herself clean and all prospective employers want bank details (she doesn't have a bank account) and an address which obviously she doesn't have. She'd love to have a job and would be happy with a little bedsit, anything to get off the cold streets. She's had a bad start in life, like so many of the homeless and no family to support her microsnake it's not for us to judge surely.

[WantToRunAgain]

Please explain how you know most of them can't be arsed to work though microsnake? I'm genuinely intrigued.

[Ploppymoodypants]

Wow I noticed this today. Up until now in my nearest big city there have been literally no rough sleepers (homelessness yes, but big issue sellers who I chat to, and they go to the homeless shelter at night and some have temporary accommodation etc). But today at about 1pm there was a tent in a door way on main high street and also someone curled up asleep in a door way too. Everyone was just walking past like they didn't exist. I dont know what the right thing to do to do to help is though. I pondered on offering them lunch somewhere warm, but felt worried about waking a stranger so didn't. Then felt guilty about my hoards of Christmas shopping... what is the correct thing to do. I felt so bad that they might just assume no one cares at all.

[comoneileen]

we can all do some things like buy them a hot drink or a sandwich. Give to homeless charities particularly when it get cold.
Some of us might have DIY skills to do this. I think about about vulnerable a woman sleeping rough might be and this would make it better:

globalnews.ca/news/3072197/victoria-man-builds-tiny-home-on-wheels-that-could-provide-shelter-to-homeless/

Or this, the coat that turns into a sleeping bag. I am sure getting a good night sleep might make a tremendous difference in motivation for these guys:

metro.co.uk/2016/12/01/how-to-buy-a-coat-that-turns-into-sleeping-bag-for-homeless-people-6294359/
Tell me what you think.

[expatinscotland]

'blimey mn never used to be this thick'

And then along came you . . .

[comoneileen]

what is your take on it microsnake?

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Sorry Snake but you are.

People end up on the streets for many different reasons and once they are on the streets it's the hardest thing to get back into employment.
Have some heart.

[IrenetheQuaint]

Yes it's really noticeable how many more homeless people there are this year.

heartskey - it should be possible to help the woman you spoke to, do you know if she's a UK citizen? There are a lot of day centres like Crisis Skylight which help people out with bank accounts, showers etc etc.

The hardest cases (as someone said above) are those with MH/addiction issues. And also non-EU citizens who have no recourse to public funds (the government will pay to send them back to their home countries, but often they don't want that).

[ZackyVengeance]

Qm so glad that. Some people that i sort of know are doing stuff for the homeless in the city i live in, no one will ever choose to live on the cold streets, you have to be every kind of stupid to think that.

[Sparlklesilverglitter]

Me and dh were out for the night in the closest city to here on the weekend and we did notice an awful lot more people in the shop door ways and a fair few of them were young women. We brought a couple a Burger King and coffee.

As for the poster with the "they can't be asked to work" comment Do you think it would be easy to get a job when sleeping in a shop door way? No fixed address? Can't guarantee they will be able to turn up to work clean each time? They don't know where they will even sleep that night? What about ID/references etc?

[glintwithpersperation]

Too lazy to work? Jesus fucking Christ, I really hope that you are trying to be "provocative" for "fun" beacause if you actually believe that then you Sir are a twat

[Ploppymoodypants]

Who is thick? I am well aware of the many reasons for homelessness and the issues around it. Doesn't mean that stops me from wanting to be a bit kind to someone having a rubbish day? But I want to go about it in a helpful way, not a patronising way. Has anyone on here been homeless or slept rough? What is helpful and what is not, in terms of help from general public.

[hungryhippo90]

Micro snake, your views are actually disgusting.

Maybe look into what homeless people have to endure, they are something like 90% more likely to be physically or sexually attacked whilst homeless. They tend to stop being viewed as a human being deserving of the same respect as everyone else, often by the very people they should be able to turn to if and when things go wrong.

The homeless are unable to obtain jobs because, how can you gain employment when you don't have an address to send letters to? What about a working, charged phone with credit? What about the access to the internet, which many need to use to apply for jobs, or a washing machine/ iron, nice clothes for an interview? Not to mention if you've been in a position like this for any real period of time, chances are the belief that you are any good is gone, and with that hope disappears, and the chance of escaping homelessness is very, very small.

Try being a human being, with just a speck of empathy.

[Capricorn76]

Every generation eventually learns why you should never vote Tory.

The homelessness situation in London all but disappeared under Labour but l recently visited central London and walked past the National Gallery. I had to run a gauntlet through homeless drunks swearing and carrying on. It was like a scene from the Victorian age.