About homeless people?

[Catabogus]

Am I being unreasonable (or more likely, dim) not to understand why there are now so many more homeless people on the streets than there were 10 years ago?

I’m partly talking about London - I have started going semi-regularly in the early morning for work, and I am shocked to see very how many people there are now obviously sleeping on the streets. It’s far, far more than 10 years ago.

But I’m also talking about the much smaller city where I live. There are now people almost ‘camping’ in doorways: they’ve set up sleeping bags and boxes and cardboard and are obviously there night after night, in the cold and rain.

There have always been one or two well-known “tramps” in my city, and one younger man who was suspected of actually having a nice home to go to at night despite making money from begging in the day, but these are now young and old, men and women, far more than I’ve ever seen before, and they are clearly living year round, day and night, in all weathers, on the streets.

AIBU to be shocked? Are we going backwards as a society? Is it the benefits system that is failing and causing this? Or other things I’m missing? I feel really depressed about it.

Welcome to Tort Britain.

*Welcome to Tory Britain

This ^

I’ve noticed more women sleeping rough.

In the same way that more people are using food banks, more people are becoming homeless too. The main issue is homeless men as they are seen as a bottom of the list priority.

There have always been more homeless than you would have noticed but yes, numbers have seriously increased. Unless you are out early morning, late at night, you'll never get a true idea of the issue as a lot of them don't hang around in the day for fear of being moved on by police.

Austerity. Tory government. Universal credit. Benefit sanctions. Perhaps you've been living in a news free bubble?

Government austerity programme over the last few years is the main reason I believe. And the universal credit benefits system.

Mental help support is greatly diminished. Unemployment figures are hidden as the more troubled and unsupported in society are penalised by benefit sanctions. Housing benefit paid to individuals instead of landlords. Initiatives bought it to support renters have meant that landlords are less willing to rent to more risky tenants.

Homelessness is a complicated issue with more then one root cause.

In the past I volunteered with homeless people and was able to listen to their stories, and what I found out was that the problems that led to them becoming homeless often began in their childhood.

So I personally believe that what we are seeing now is the effect of years of bad decisions by various governments - some that effected people in their childhood and some that effect them now.

I haven’t noticed an increase, but there are lots, yes. Maybe it’s just on the rise in your particular city. London has always been full of homelessness ime.

Quite often, there are shelters, but they are 'dry' - you can only apply for a bed if you are sober and not using drink or drugs.

Many of the safety nets that people relied on are severely limited or gone completely due to funding cuts.

People with addiction issues, alcoholism, learning disabilities and other vulnerabilities have lost out and are more likely to end up homeless.

Yes, I suspect the Tories must be to blame as it has happened since they came to power. But is it because of benefits changes? My city has Universal Credit but that was only introduced last year.

Some are faking it, we all know it happens. Dp catches the train to work with a couple who hop on and change into their homeless clothes in the loo every morning.......however the genuinely homeless people are almost always a victim of the huge cuts to mental health services........they just cant cope with claiming benefits, running a home or paying bills. There's no support for them so they end up on the streets. It's nothing more than shameful.

I remember large numbers of homeless people ‘under the arches’ where a swanky cinema now sits. I think, as well as having grown in number, they are more visible now as they get moved on a lot and struggle to find somewhere to settle at night.

Oh and those whole unable to fight their way though the disability system are more likely to end up allocated fit to work when they really aren't.

And the idea that benefits are a safety net for the deserving poor to get back on their feet, not something that the undeserving poor should ever reliy on longterm. Because life long conditions disappear if you punish them enough

Are you the same poster that thought NMW was a starting wage that was increased annually and said she was struggling on her husband's 100K salary? It's written in the same style

No. I wouldn’t mind having that problem though.

Yes, I suspect the Tories must be to blame as it has happened since they came to power. But is it because of benefits changes? My city has Universal Credit but that was only introduced last year.

That, but also funding cuts to places that keep people out of homelessness. Women’s refuges, drug programs, social services, social housing.

Ten years ago, I was one of a team of 16 staff, working to prevent homelessness and support homeless people to find settled accommodation.

After 9 years of cuts due to "austerity" budgets, that team is now 2 people. Anecdotal, I know but the same has happened in the neighbouring county and I bet we're not the only 2.

Not only have services been cut, but only clients referred by the local authority can get support, anyone used to be able to refer themselves.

No. I wouldn’t mind having that problem though.

Me either.

These people are not faking it. They are asleep in damp cardboard on the street at 5am. If they’re faking, they are going to great lengths!

The UK is slowly turning into the US, just without the large suburban detached houses. NHS will be sold, free healthcare slowly eradicated, there will be more mentally ill and homeless people on the streets (New York is a terrifying example of that phenomenon). The silver lining is that firearms are not that easily accessible in the UK so the people needing mental health support will be less likely to pose a threat.

Lots of reasons. A big one being the benefits safety net disappearing. Especially in London private rents are almost all higher than housing allowance. Sick and disabled people, those who are made redundant or struggle to find work, people working but low incomes. All find it increasingly difficult to find landlords willing to let to them. Then there's right to buy, which has drastically cut the number of available social housing leaving people in need with no home. I remember reading of a man in his 60s with many health problems including a recent heart attack being told he wasn't priority need by the local council. His old landlord was selling up. Some people can leave London for cheaper areas but it's not always so easy. People who are ill or with young families who need family and/or other local support. People in work need to find a new job. Social housing often wanting local connection. Plenty of other reasons but that's some of it.

maybe it’s just on the rise in your particular city

I don’t think so. I know there has always been lots of homeless people in London, but I have never seen it as bad as this (and I am fairly old). It’s worse now than 3 years ago, which was already much worse than 10 years ago. And the same is true of my small southern city, and my parents’ large northern city.

Something has gone very badly wrong.

See link. Sadly much of the increase is due to illegal immigration. Asylum seekers are generally given temporary housing, but those arriving illegally are, for obvious reasons, not.

fullfact.org/online/immigration-homelessness/