To wonder why the government thinks it's ok to have so many homeless people

[lavenderhue]

A direct consequence of sanctions, bedroom tax, zero hours contracts and a lack of care and commitment to young people is the cause of the growing number of homeless on the streets. These people are often drug and/or alcohol dependent, which in the long run can be just as costly to treat as opposed to preventing homelessness in the first place.

The latest drug now with homeless people is "spice" which makes people appear zombie like often ending with them falling flat on their face and going into a coma. Ambulances are now coming out on a regular basis for these "spice" victims. We now have town centres across the UK with a rapidly growing number of people who will end up like this.

Is this the kind of Britain the government thinks is acceptable. It's so bloody wrong. What gets me is, the cost of preventing homelessness in the first place is far cheaper than the high cost of healthcare for people who sleep rough. What an uncaring world we are in. Does anyone agree with me.

Of course it isn't acceptable but I'm not really sure what you think the solution is?

yanbu
but this government do not care about the vulnerable.

The solution would be to build houses, that would be owned by the government, housing benefit would go back into the System rather than private land lord. And would eventually pay for themselves

YANBU. But it's not just the government that think it. They've just been re-elected, so a sizeable proportion of the electorate presumably agree or, at least, don't care. A shocking number of people are just a couple of pay cheques away from homelessness at any one time.

They don't think about it, they just don't care.

People don't care because they themselves are in a tight financial position and don't have the capacity to do anything.

They believe people are impoverished due to lack of effort and poor choices and that everyone can get out of poverty with hard work and a sensible attitude. They'll point to the tiny handful of people who grew up in extreme poverty and became very wealthy as 'evidence'. You'll probably have a few mumsnetters pop along later to say they grew up poor and worked hard and now have lovely lives and if they can anyone can.
The model that seems to work best is housing first but try suggesting that in Britain and see what response you get. Oh, the frothing at the thought of homeless people getting housed without jumping through a million hoops first.

The government and people do care. It's a complex issue of mostly drug and alcohol and mental health problems.
Both would involve serious long term rehab, something that is not very inticeing to those living on the streets.

I think there's a conflation of two issues:

1. Those who become homeless due to drug, alcohol or mental health issues
2. Those who become homeless and then develop drug, alcohol or mental health issues.

The first is very difficult to tackle no matter what because a lot of the first group do not want to engage with services, whether that's because of addiction or paranoia or perhaps both.

The second are the ones you could prevent by ensuring adequate housing provision in the first place - but seeing as this government has pushed up the numbers of this second group, it doesn't appear there's much of an appetite.

While it doesn't affect them most people don't care.

Most homeless people are not out of choice. Lack of suitable accommodation, single person tenancies at an affordable rate and support for those who need extra support to keep them in said accommodation. Many have MH problems, dependency problems, debts, are care leavers or just cant afford the rents/deposits.
Hostels are not suitable for all for various reasons and there is little alternatives. Up to the age of 35 housing benefit wont pay for a flat for a single person, they have to go into house shares etc...again if you have MH or dependency issues that is not going to help.

If a couple with kids split up and the NRP moves out unless they have a good job the best they can expect is a grotty room in a house share with nowhere to have the kids...so causing problems there..

We are all only a few pay days away from it but complacent that it wont happen to us...
It makes me laugh when politicians talk about affordable housing, affordable is affordable on NMW/NLW IMVHO...If the Govt need to pay towards the rent it is not affordable..

Ok, op if you are so enraged what do suggest?

Tbh I think Kursk has got it. A large proportion of the population are only just holding it together and probably only a couple of pay days away from homelessness themselves. It's really really hard to focus on other people's problems when you've got a shed load of your own.

As a matter of interest - if the government did home them (thinking about the addicts), how many people would be happy to live next door to them?

You are not being unreasonable. I don't know what the solution is, but more accessible housing, should be around. I have a disability and no guarantor, and I lived in a B&B for six months, paying out of my own pocket before I found a place to live

Anyone can have a change of circumstances and find themselves homeless. And it is very hard. When I was looking for a place, before the B&B, I looked at what shelter had to offer in terms of dormitories, but I am above 25 and don't have any alcohol or drug problems, so I couldn't even stay there. Housing is so difficult to find. In London, the waiting list can be years, even if you are a priority.

I don't know if it was Manchester, but one major city was even stopping homeless people from going to use the library. That is really terrible.

Lots of these people have significant mental health problems and there is no mental health care. They end up self medicating with drugs/alcohol and have no wider community or family support. Society is really fragmented now.

Ok, op if you are so enraged what do suggest?
If you read my post you'd have seen that i said homelessness is often because of sanctions, bedroom tax, zero hours contracts etc. We didn't have this level of homelessness before, so i already have suggested something. You make it sound like it's in an insurmountable problem. It definitely isn't. Should we not all be a little "enraged" by it.

Because people dont care enough.

It's not so straightforward, though. Many have very complex issues that need a multi-pronged approach.

A huge proportion is also recent migrants especially from Eastern Europe who never had housing in the UK in the first place. Do you think we should just give them all free housing, too?

You're making it sound like homelessness is a new thing, it's not. There have always been homeless people in this country whatever party are in government. This isn't a good thing of course but don't make it sound like it has only happened in the last 7 years.

Because I live somewhere where there is no bedroom tax, and no housing shortage and there are still people sleeping rough.
However I agree that outsourcing all the work to developing nations has deprived people of jobs. Jobs that a person with challenges could do and could improve their life.

Apart from changing the subject, what do you think we should do with the Eastern Europeans? The homeless near me aren't from Eastern Europe btw.

You're making it sound like homelessness is a new thing, it's not
This level of homelessness is most certainly a new thing. Years ago there was nothing like the level it's at now.

54% increase since 2010