Most effective way(s) to support homeless people?

[Cocorico]

Would be really interested to hear your thoughts/guidance on this please.

I live in London at the moment, and I see a lot of homeless people every day.

I'm sure that there are also a lot of homeless people in other towns and cities across the U.K., and that the number of people in this situation will either increase or decrease over time depending on various factors e.g. the amount of social security available to people who are struggling financially.

Anyway... my question is (AIBU to ask) how can we help homeless people most effectively?

Is it best to:
A) give money to people directly

B) to help in a more indirect way (for example, by donating to charities involved in helping homeless people or people in financial difficulty, volunteering for these charities, donating to food banks, helping out at food banks or any other way)

C) to do a combination of both A and B.

Thanks very much.

Haven't RTFT so posting really just in case someone hasn't said this. Used to work for a well known homeless charity. If you don't want people to be street homeless don't make being homeless more comfortable. Yes, there are all kinds of issues with the housing system, but consider this. When Labour came in in 1997 they literally threw money at street homelessness. It had been one of the big symbols people pointed to to show how heartless the Tories were. One project in particular was given loads of funding and that was the fifty odd people who slept rough behind the Ritz in the Strand. After three years and squillions of resources the number sleeping rough there had been brought down by ... 3. Why? Street homeless is not a problem of poverty, it is far more complex than that. It takes in social exclusion, mental health, addiction, care, the armed services, chaotic childhoods and all kinds of other stuff that buying a cup of tea will not fix. I applaud the respect for another human though.

Street homeless charities (the good ones, not the soup kitchens who act out of good hearts but a ton of ignorance) will tell you they've seen instances of people being rehoused and not being able to maintain the tenancy time and again. They've even seen instances of subletting and going back to the streets where their mates are and their lifestyle is. Rough sleeping goes down in winter. A study showed one place was visited by six different soup runs a day, all of which thought they were the only ones doing it. Donate to charities like Thamesreach and St Mungos and YMCA and Centrepoint. They've been in it for years and know what they're doing. Merry Christmas!

If someone begs for money, I give them a big warm smile and say 'sorry, sweetheart, no, have a good day'.

I usually get a nice comment back.

I've been thinking about this lots recently, too. I buy a Big Issue from a lady who's in our town every week. And I give to a Foodbank.

But spending so much time on MN has opened my eyes to how close any of us are to being homeless. Shelter are mentioned so many times as an excellent source of advice and support. And their campaigning comes across as honest, clear and 'listened to'. So they (and a Women's Aid) will be getting my Christmas donation this year, for all the MN who have ever or will ever need them.

@Cocorico...

Many homeless people cannot tolerate big meals as their stomachs have shrunk through lack of proper eating over time. If you want to give food, give something that can be eaten over time/kept/easily stored.

My OH collects the free stickers when he gets a McD coffee and gives the full cards to people he sees on the streets - then it's a hot drink at and of their choosing, not what he chose when he happened to be in there.

Clothes. My local homeless unit is overrun with donations of clothes in XXL sizes. Even as a top layer on 3, 4 or 5 other layers, a massive coat is still going to hang off them like a sack. Don't make them feel even more shit about accepting charity. Small sizes (30, 32" waists and the like), warm socks and underpants are all warmly welcomed.

I've just made up some bags for homeless women which contain "long life" snacks as well as sanitary towels and toiletries - wipes, soap, toothpaste etc. Little things like lip balms can be a surprising comfort. Popped a little card in there to say that I hoped the contents helped a tiny bit and that the recipient was not forgotten.

I struggle with this too. We know there are far too many people without homes but are there really that many living on the streets?

In my town there are three regular "homeless" people begging on the high street. The community have really rallied round and there are regular appeals on FB whch get a brilliant response (Ray could really use some warm boots etc)

At the end of the day, one of them drives home to a perfectly nice council house next door to my friend and the other two have recently been given jobs and accommodation by a high profile businessman in the town, only to run off with all the electrical equipment in his offices (he published the CCTV).

So whilst I would and often do (through the Salvation Army) support homeless people I don't think rough sleepers are as common as our high streets would suggest.

This is a government issue. Write to your MP.

Good idea @CactusCactusCactus.

This thread has really brought home to me that homelessness is such an insanely complex issue - every homeless person has different needs, priorities and aims, and it is difficult knowing how best to help, because it very much depends on each specific person, I think.

Overall, for now, (IMHO) I think these are all effective ways of helping:
A) writing to your local MP to ask what is being done in your local area to tackle homelessness
B) donating to charities such as Shelter, Centrepoint, Crisis (especially where they tell you what your money is helping to pay for)
C) actually talking to homeless people and asking each person directly to find out what you can do to help them as an individual (I appreciate, often, that people are in a hurry so aren't often able to do this)

D) buying the Big Issue
E) donating to local food banks
F) volunteering at food banks

Nice summary OP. Agreed! So nice to see people considering it.

It is nice to see it considered.

Please everyone still consider it in February when it's still cold and the shelters have run out of lovely things because Xmas was two months ago!

How about we try and stop people becoming homeless in the first place.

If you are an employer - pay people a living wage.
If you are a landlord - don't charge extortionate rents..
If you are a person - stop blaming the poor for everything and support the benefit system so people who are earning nothing or very little can afford to live.

That's just for starters. There's loads more we can all do if we think about it for a minute or two.

*How about we try and stop people becoming homeless in the first place.

If you are an employer - pay people a living wage.
If you are a landlord - don't charge extortionate rents..
If you are a person - stop blaming the poor for everything and support the benefit system so people who are earning nothing or very little can afford to live. *

The way that this will all change is through government regulation. Unfortunately most people will not change voluntarily! Good on those who do.

Good aims though they are, I don't think those are the major causes of homelessness Cactus, or at least not the sleeping on the streets kind of homelessness.

Better mental health care provision , especially for men is what's needed to address that.

It doesn't address the underlying problem of homelessness in the slightest, but I keep a pair of large new socks in my coat pocket - I bought a multipack from a sports shop near me, so they work out at £1 a pair. If it's cold or raining then that's what I offer, and then I just put another pair to keep in my coat pocket when I get home. I have lived outside and a pair of dry socks on cold feet can make you feel so much better when the weather is awful.

I never give the homeless direct money now. I live in Manchester and we have a massive spice problem here so giving them direct money is not advised as it’s feeding the spice problem. I also known big issue sellers to have the magazines stolen and then the thief has gone on to try and sell them for their own gain. Check if they have the correct I.D if selling this.

@Council, those weren't my points, someone else suggested those things downthread. Agree that mental health provision is another key consideration, and another one that won't change without government funding.

I sound like a broken record, and really really support charities and the great things they do, but people's lives will only be changed and saved by government intervention and policy. It's too big an issue for anything else.

The main reason people are homeless is because they don't have enough money. There are plenty of people with mental health problems that aren't homeless, because those people have enough money. Lots of mental health problems are never going to be solved as they are very complex, but you can solve homelessness quickly and easily - with money.

The way that this will all change is through government regulation. Unfortunately most people will not change voluntarily! Good on those who do.

Our current government isn't going to do anything. They think the problem is individual responsibility and not their problem.

The main reason people are homeless is because they don't have enough money

It's not that simple. It's true for some people but for many it's far more complex. Mental health issues, health issues, drug use, alcohol misuse zither individually or in combination all can lead to homelessness and all can be caused or exacerbated by homelessness.

It's also not possible to know how many people who appear homeless are actually homeless and are not just trying to make some money.

I think giving to mental health charities is important as well as giving to homeless charities.

oldsu
The respite hostel I was moving my friend into specifically said second hand
BECAUSE
cheap high street socks/pants /etc are often much lower quality
the fabrics are cheap and thin
whereas a selection of odd M&S / John Lewis stuff will last the guys longer.

NB Toothpaste, shampoo etc were for the day centre - that allowed each of the guys a weekly scrub up while they had their free lunch

What shocked me when dealing with it was the complex disconnect caused by outsourcing.

One charity identified the rough sleepers and tried to get them to the day centre.
Another Charity ran the day centre
Another Charity ran the respite hostel
The council ran the housing list
The flats are all housing association - allocated through the council system
Mental health and social work needs are handled by another charity
Bedding and equipment for newly housed rough sleepers is managed by another charity

all in one small city !!!

PS Food banks and soup kitchens serve different markets.

When my friend was sleeping in a cemetery I took him shopping.
It was an eye opener.
Everything had to be light enough to carry in his backpack
Everything had to be able to eat cold, straight from the container
Nothing hard to chew - as his teeth were rotten to the gums
Nothing that would go off in the warm air
Nothing that would attract rats while he slept.

and I know why he was sleeping there and he has a house now

It's one of those things that until you've been there, you are very unlikely to understand. As a pp mentioned, a bin-man once gave me the token for McDonalds where you collect the little tabs so you get a free coffee. It meant I could legitimately sit inside with a hot drink and use the bathroom without feeling like a complete scumbag.

What landed me homeless was literally losing my job and then my boyfriend losing his job for two weeks (construction industry). Couldn't pay rent, out we went. You then can't suddenly show up for work when work comes around again as you haven't washed for weeks and stink to the high heavens. It's a horrible cycle. It's a black dark hole and you need someone to help you out of it. I was lucky as a woman, to have had dp with me, otherwise, God only knows what would have happened to me.

Begging is the singular most humiliating thing I have ever had to do in my life. I used to read a library book and not look up at the people who looked the other way, or looked at you in disgust. That was so horrible. Some would even curse at you. Some would tell you to get up and get a job (lol - yes, I haven't washed in two months, I'm sure that interview would go well!)
Yet some people were so kind it made me cry.

I wish I could endorse a particular charity, but as I said, I can't. They have strict criteria of who they can help. I didn't meet the criteria.

I did have a lot of church-going people who wanted to take me to their church to pray as God will help me. *Sigh.

God didn't help me. My siblings eventually rescued me.

I donate socks to the local homeless shelter, I ask people what they would like from a bakery or food van and have a chat. Did bump in to a guy last week and wasn't near one asked him if he liked cake and gave him a Danish pastry and fruit from my bag.

If people want to take drugs I'm not one to judge but I hate the thought of giving them money and that hit is the one that kills them. That's why I don't give money.

Grandespoir, it's ok. To be able to choose what you wanted was a luxury. Some lovely people bought food that you couldn't eat, so dp would eat it. Incidentally, when begging, I fared better than dp. So I was the designated beggar. Men don't get much at all. Maybe a pound in total over 2 hours and that is after hundreds of people passing by. So consider the homeless men too.

Peanut - most (all) I met on the streets were alcohol dependent. I didn't meet any drug dependent. An alcohol dependent person is in as much danger of going into DTs and dying and probably more so than someone affording drugs on the street (unless they rob houses or something). You wouldn't get enough money from begging to afford drugs. Where we were, there were at least 10 homeless Polish. They were so generous. If they got bread or (Lambrusco - their drink of choice), they would share it around with everyone - Polish or not. I think it's the culture they come from where everything is shared out at mealtimes or something. 'Meal' times lol.

I pretty much do both.

We support a homeless charity with a great mission that provides street outreach, hostels, and also long-term housing. It is our main charity. They were telling me recently that often when someone shows up in the hostel, it might only take a very small investment to get them back - like a train fare back to their family or a deposit on a flat-share, or a phone call to family they have lost touch with.

I also will give a few dollars to anyone on the street who asks me if I have it- who am I to say that fellow human being doesn't need it. I don't really care if someone is using it for drink either or is a professional beggar (if such a thing exists). I was reared to give to those who asked/needed it insofar as I could afford it.