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.

Majority of people who work with homeless population will tell that at least 95% to even 100% of rough sleeping in their area is directly associated with substance abuse.

alcoholrehab.com/drug-addiction/homelessness-and-substance-abuse/

NO ONE as a result of domestic violence has to sleep rough in this country. Help is there, Help is immediate. Getting on feet permanently might take longer.

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2017-10-16/a-system-at-breaking-point

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/domestic-abuse-refuges-victims-uk-turned-away-stats-a8074661.html

I find it so strange that you claim to have experience of this very issue, yet your first posts on this topic came across as victim blaming and basically saying, everyone on the streets is there by choice. When this is easily refuted.

I find it so strange that you claim to have experience of this very issue, yet your first posts on this topic came across as victim blaming and basically saying, everyone on the streets is there by choice

Self loathing perhaps?

You are not lying, neither am I.
I had worked in London before becoming homeless ( loss of job was the reason )
I did have NI number
I did have passport
I had been in the same borough for 2 years.
Nothing else was asked ( other than no substance issues permitted )

There you go, there's the difference between us maybe? And I don't mean the substance issues before you jump at me.
I slept rough for a short while ( sometimes a stranger would pay for a hostel room ).

I'm out and have formed my own opinions from MY experience.

Why is it so wrong I take exception to giving cash to people on streets? As I said before, there are better ways to help.

Equally, I'm not saying there is no homelessness, I'm saying that it's mostly homelessness with compounding issues that government of any kind can't solve. It's complex cases of individuals.
I hope you get elected and solve the problem of rough sleeping. Can't imagine anyone not being grateful.

I've donated to charities but I'm more than willing to give money directly to the homeless. There's a lot in Leeds which is where I mainly see them.

I've asked if they want anything while going into a shop - one wanted Frosties, apparently. So I got them some milk and plastic spoons too.

I've sat and smoked a cigarette and chatted with them.

And I've given them 5/10/20 quid if I've had it on me. The money may be used to book into a hostel for a night. The money may be used to buy some more socks and pants. And the money may be used to buy alcohol and drugs. That's fine by me.

If they're an addict they will get the drugs - either through prostitution, theft or mugging, so me giving them money has no affect on the outcome except keeping them out of trouble (or causing trouble/upset to others I.e mugging) so I'm not encouraging/helping it, im allowing them a safer alternative to getting the fix they need. It's not like I can fix their addiction right then.

And if a shot of heroin, a spliff, a bottle of whiskey helps them get through the night and cope another day then who am I to judge? I've never had to sleep rough on a piece of cardboard in -2c, without a single person there for me.

And the way they're treated, too. I've seen groups of drunk men harass and attack a homeless guy. Taking his things and destroying his "bed".

I was about 16 and female but you can bet I got those arseholes to fuck off at my own risk

So Willsa, do you accept that it is not as easy a solution as it was for you?

@Whoyagonna I'm certain you're right in some cases, but politicians do depend on the public for their jobs so I think there's still value in making them aware of our priorities as voters whether they personally care or not. (Although granted many of the public see the problem in the way you describe as well.)

I don't know any national politicians but several local councillors who definitely do their best - which is hardly anything because their budget has been decimated.

The decision whether to give directly to someone who claims to be homeless is difficult as often they're not, but you don't know which ones are genuine.

I do donate to local charities that support homeless people but I also occasionally give directly.

I read about this scheme recently which sounded good: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-vending-machine-homeless-people-launch-nottingham-action-hunger-a8077591.html

Willsa you claim to have experience of this problem and yet your statistics are incorrect and all the help you claim to be instantly available, simply isn't in reality. If it were, my family member who works in homelessness, wouldn't be spending her days on the phone trying to access help for her service users only to be told that this emergency shelter has had to close down, or a certain drug rehab centre has run out of funding, or there is only one place available in a women's refuge but not until the following week. The facility she works in faces a constant funding crisis. Significant cuts have been made to already scant state provision across the board and charitable ventures have to invest disproportionate amounts of time writing bids, seeking sponsors, and sourcing new funding streams and because of the way funds are allocated, are under constant threat of closure.

MarrowWang has already answered these points in more detail. The picture you paint of abundant, readily accessible support and services, is not one my family member (who has worked in homelessness for over thirty years) would recognise.

And may I say to anyone who is reading this thread, and who is thinking of volunteering at a homeless shelter this Christmas, laudable though that is, please sign up for the rest of the year too!

And may I say to anyone who is reading this thread, and who is thinking of volunteering at a homeless shelter this Christmas, laudable though that is, please sign up for the rest of the year too!
Indeed.

I admit that I have not helped homeless in general.

But I did sit with my friend in the eviction court
then find storage for their belongings before the bailiffs came
and bought them bedding when they were couch surfing
and bought them food when they were rough sleeping
and made the calls to the multiple agencies when the voices in their head got too loud
and driven them to the hospital to collect the monster pain medication prescriptions
and berated the council for cancelling the disabled bus pass because they were homeless
and moved them into the day centre then the night hostel

after Christmas I will visit them in their forever home
it has been a long slog but we got there.

PS If I had let them stay here they would have ceased to be homeless and would have been taken off the lists of all the agencies.

willsa, can you explain the following:

how can I cure a homeless person's drug addiction by making sure he has nothing to eat and drink?

if the addiction cannot be cured, why is it better that an addicted person should also be cold and hungry?

what about mental illness, will cold and starvation cure that?

what about young people who have run away from home to escape violence or sexual abuse from fathers/stepfathers- how will being cold and hungry help them change their situation (will it make the men at home stop abusing or will it make them see that they should put up with the abuse?)

how do you sofa surf if you don't know anyone with a sofa to take you in?

saying that it's mostly homelessness with compounding issues that government of any kind can't solve

Well government's could start by not totally DECIMATING the mental health services in this country. If you don't get in at the early stages then it becomes very difficult for people to recognise they have a choice about certain coping strategies because the issue becomes multi layered and there is no support for low level problems. Believe me, I know.

Homelessness is usually a consequence of other issues and we need a coordinated approach to address these - substance misuse, mental health problems, physical health problems, social care issues.

All getting worse.

Not sure if it's still available but professor green did a very well thought out documentary on homelessness a while back. It especially looked at how hard it can be to help certain individuals. Which supports how important early intervention is.

Don’t vote Tory as a starting point.

Homelessness has been an issue under every government of every colour.

Homelessness has been an issue under every government of every colour.

It has, and always will be I'm sure as no one can "fix" everything.

But, I refuse to believe the sweeping cuts to benefits, refuges and mental health services implemented but the Tories have not contributed to the recent, huge, increase in homelessness.

There are some dreadful comments here to/about Crumbs. It's outright bullying. If anyone else had said what she's said, there would be no comment at all.

Volunteering for homeless charities (I did for several months which enabled myself back into work after being homeless myself). Giving to the charities. Signing the petitions. There’s plenty you can do without leaving yourself out of pocket. Talk to them- ask them what they want, some will say company. Just a normal conversation. It can be very lonely when they have no one

There was a young lad homeless who was on the high street I live on with his dog. I went upstairs and got some money so he could get him and the dog something to eat and spoke to him. Turned out he was in a hostel (provided by the same people who helped me) but wasn’t really allowed the dog so had been told to stay out as late as possible. We chatted for a while. I often wonder how that young lad did in the end and whether he had to re home his dog.

There are some dreadful comments here to/about Crumbs.

I agree. I don't think she said anything that was out of order at all. I I don't agree with everything that people post on Mumnet but if I disagree I can do it without being nasty. If you think a poster is a troll or taking the mick then report it to MNHQ

Flip. The OP asked for advice on how to best do a really good thing and now 2 people are having competitive homelessness arguements. That's really not helping.

Can I also say that I was a victim of domestic violence because I moved into my mums they wouldn’t help me- not even when my mum died making me homeless less than a year after leaving my abuser.
I will also add I am not nor have I ever been on any substance and I do not abuse alcohol either.

Please don’t assume that you know why someone’s homeless- you don’t. Mine was a lack of finance and no family- my mum and toxic sister was my only family and my Mum died and my sister left me to die- happily.

People are homeless for a vast amount of reasons- and I often wonder whether it’s the substances that caused it or are us substance abuse a result of being homeless- if you have nothing else you’re going to turn to anything that makes that situation less traumatic.

The usual assumptions that homeless ppl are all addicted to drugs or alcohol.

These assumptions dont end when the homelessness does either. Ive seen much of the same assumptions about social housing tenants.

There are a few homeless in my hometown. I was talking to one of them recently. He became homeless.........because he was a carer.

He was a carer for his partner. She died of cancer last January. He lost the flat because he couldnt get a job after caring for her. Due to having no recent experience. Hes in his 50s. Lesson. ....................dont be a carer. ............oh but wait THEN you will be called selfish.

Too much is expected of people and and they cant do right for doing wrong.

Im a carer for my DH and the future terrifies me.

Also - don't go in the army, because that's another route to homelessness. Also - don't become a SAHM. Also - be very, very careful about picking your future career at 18, because many careers are a complete dead end and unless you have a crystal ball you might find yourself completely unemployable in the future. Also - don't have a bully as a boss, because one bad word from them and your career could be over. Also - don't be born in a poor or deprived area. I could go on.

People are homeless because they don't have enough money to afford a home.

Tomorrow night there is a mass sponsored “sleep on the park” in Edinburgh. They did a small one last year, but this year Bob Geldof🙄 and Social Bite have invited 9000 people to sleep out in the park. For a minimum fundraising target of £100 the participants will be able take part in the sleepout. And Liam Gallagher along with a host of other musicians are doing on stage sets and busking in the area. And John Cleese will tell you a bedtime story. And after you have “slept rough” in the Park in the Arctic grade sleeping bag you’ve bought, complete with over night security guards, Rob Brydon, Sturgeon and some other politicians will serve you a free bacon roll and coffee. Then if you’ve raised enough you can have a meet and greet with all those famous people and a corporate lunch. There are warming zones for those who suffer too much and food/hot drinks available throught the night.

Social Bite are a great organisation and run cafes staffed by homeless people and work with local charities and are in the process of building a “homeless village” of 2 bedroom homes (Wendy house type sheds, way out of town but better than nothing I guess). They hope to raise 4 million and, good luck to them, I hope it is a success.

But (and I’m sure you’ve sensed the cynicism by now) noble as the cause is, I am irritated by this type of event. The one last year included the great and the good of Scotland, grandstanding for the press pretending they now knew what it was like to sleep on the streets. They did not. They slept in high grade equipment with no fear of being abused or attacked, knowing their things would be there in the morning when they awoke to go home for a warm bed and a hot shower. I’ve seen many FB posts from people who will be taking part, trying to get sponsorship, giggling about the fact they will miss the strictly final There is so much bloody virtue signalling going on it is doing my nut in.

It just seems so misguided but I suppose if it raises money then that’s a good thing. I’d prefer if all the hospitality was also being made available to the homeless. The ultimate irony is those who are homeless will not be able to take part.

If anyone is interested in donating to the cause www.sleepinthepark.co.uk

Whatever people’s thoughts and opinions are about why people are homeless, it doesn’t alter the fact that people are out there tonight in the freezing cold, more has to be done to help them, whether it’s giving to a charity, buying them some food or even giving them some money for booze or drugs. I hope I have never have to walk in their shoes cos I’m pretty sure I’d take anything going to cope, I say this from my comfy bed which I’m bloody grateful to have..