I shouldn’t have to explain this to MIL

[TheRebel]

We walked past a homeless person today and MIL gave him some money and then started chuntering away that we shouldn’t be letting foreigners into the country when we haven’t got enough houses for “our own” and I had to explain to her that homeless people aren’t homeless because there’s a shortage of housing but because of their complex needs, she found this very surprising.

I have also had to previously explain to her that Brexit didn’t happen the day after the referendum and that it wouldn’t stop people from outside the EU coming here.

She’s in her 60s, surely she should understand these things by now.

Actually the vast majority of homeless people have complex needs. Without a mental health issue you would be able to navigate the system and be provided with emergency housing

I'm astounded at how offensive this is! You are saying that all homeless people are mentally ill.

Well there is a housing shortage, a GP shortage, a school place shortage, poor public transport even when they are not on strike, so why keep taking immigrants or refugees when there is no hope of meeting their needs

Well there is a housing shortage, a GP shortage, a school place shortage, poor public transport even when they are not on strike, so why keep taking immigrants or refugees when there is no hope of meeting their needs

well, its immigrants partly that are building our homes, teaching in our schools, running our NHS and driving our buses, so how much worse do you think these services would be without them!?

and as for refugees, do you even know what the word means?

better pray it doesn't apply to you this time next week

The biggest threat to our planet is over population.
It is the human population that is causing all the pollution, consumption, damage and waste to our planet.
We do not need more people, and we certainly do not need more people in this country from abroad.
Mass imigration to our country has slewed the natural growth of the population causing among other things the shortage of housing.
Political party's have used imigration to boost votes for there own side, labour has admitted doing this, and Corbin would do the same.
Do we look after our own citizens, or the rest of the world, we cannot do both.

OP I think you sound really condescending and quite arrogant. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, who are you to tell your MIL what to think just because you think it?

Broussard.
If "most homeless people aren't on the street" where are they? I see the guys by our Asda & the tube station every night, fast asleep with dogs & sleeping bags.

CSI sofa surfing, living in illegal squats, moving from one hostel or shelter (often with a stay limit) to another, living in cars, in temporary accommodation like b&bs with whole families in one room sharing bathrooms with other families and having to leave during the day.

It's common knowledge that rough sleepers are only a fraction of the homeless population, and most often the ones with the most complex issues. The person sleeping in their car or sofa surfing is also homeless.

If "most homeless people aren't on the street" where are they? I see the guys by our Asda & the tube station every night, fast asleep with dogs & sleeping bags

well, one tfl search found around 160 people sleeping on the night buses in one week.

These are the people in the sample area ( say 10% of night buses at the very outside) who admitted being homeless ( say 10% of the homeless people asked, at a generous estimate)

so a minimum of 16 000 people sleeping on public transport in a week in London alone.

These people do not count as rough sleepers because they are not sleeping on the street.

People who sit up all night in all night cafes then doze in the library all day do not count as rough sleepers because they do not sleep in the street

People sleeping in their cars do not count as rough sleepers because they do not sleep on the street.

People living in tents on camp sites

people living in sheds on allotments

people sleeping in churches

people moving around a circuit of friends floors

people sleeping on the streets but not in view, not seen or counted, they don't "count" in the tally of rough sleepers either

The official number of rough sleepers is a tiny fraction of the number of people actually sleeping rough