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.

@Organicmamahope You mentioned New York. Earlier this year Forces TV showed all four series of The Equalizer.

This was one of the episodes in a later series. Can easily be comparable with the UK today.

www.nytimes.com/1988/03/16/arts/review-television-family-life-in-a-welfare-hotel-on-the-equalizer.html

Review/Television; Family Life in a Welfare Hotel on 'The Equalizer'
By John J. O'Connor
March 16, 1988

The plight of the homeless is not the most popular subject on prime-time entertainment. Television normally prefers uplifting and inspirational situations. One of the few television movies to cope with the homeless featured a feistily cute Lucille Ball as a bag lady. Among the weekly series, the subject has been broached at least occasionally on ''Beauty and the Beast,'' which describes itself as a ''contemporary fable.'' A certain distancing is necessary.

All of which makes tonight's episode of ''The Equalizer'' - on CBS at 9 - considerably more ambitious than usual. The hero of this weekly series is a suave vigilante named McCall, a former United States intelligence agent who now devotes himself to helping ordinary people. Going out after everybody from street thugs to corrupt politicians, McCall is the answer to a paranoiac's dream. He is played with courtly aplomb by the British actor Edward Woodward who, having had a heart attack last year, is a touch subdued these days but no less effective.

This evening McCall comes face to face with New York's homeless. It starts casually enough when a street panhandler asks him for a dollar. The man says: ''Walk me to the pizza place. I swear to God I'll get something to eat.'' McCall hands him $20. This is, after all, still television entertainment. Soon, however, McCall gets a call from a young boy named Billy (Matthew Stamm), who has seen the Equalizer's standing newspaper ad offering help to the needy. Billy's father (Michael Rooker) cannot find work as a machinist (''Now everything's made in Korea,'' Dad explains). The boy's mother is pregnant and, topping things off, the family van, containing his father's tools, has been stolen. The family has been evicted for being behind on the rent and is now being shunted by social workers to a welfare hotel near Times Square.

The story has become horrifyingly familiar over the past few years. In order to get resettled properly, which would include a month's rent and a month's security in a price-inflated market, the family would need at least $2,000. Obviously lacking that, they are placed in a dingy and dangerous hotel whose landlord gets up to $3,000 a month for their rat-infested quarters. In a neat scam, this television family is offered $500 a month by a threatening hoodlum to move out of the hotel and let the landlord keep them on the books.

The landlord in this instance is finally revealed to be a Mr. Amar (Michael Lerner) who, in a pronounced Middle Eastern accent, argues that his protesting tenants are the real criminals. ''They live off the state,'' says Amar indignantly. ''Sir,'' responds McCall, ''you are an atrocity.'' Fortunately, these television victims have the Equalizer to set things right, and viewers are given their inevitable moment of comfort when McCall announces that ''I'm about to make things very unpleasant for Mr. Amar.'' We know that at least this one family will be plucked from the brink of disintegration.

But Robert Eisele's script digs a bit deeper, attempting to get to not just the homeless but society's attitudes toward them. Needing assistance, McCall calls up his young friend Kostmayer (Keith Szarabajka). He agrees to help but, as a ''regular working-class guy,'' is not terribly sympathetic to problems of the homeless. His folks were never on welfare. Kostmayer declares: ''In America, of all places, people take care of themselves.'' McCall no longer buys that. ''This country has changed,'' he says, ''just look around you.

Directed leanly yet pointedly by Tobe Hooper (''Poltergeist''), this episode of ''The Equalizer'' is tough, refusing to let anybody off the hook easily. Even as the relatively happy ending unfolds for this one white family, McCall looks over at the entrance to the rundown hotel and watches the impassive face of a black youngster. The face has been drained of hope. McCall looks profoundly discouraged.

The episode is called No Place Like Home .

Season 1 had an episode called Back Home which was about a rundown unsafe apartment block........

YY i know this was fiction. But any drama has to do a certain amount of research.

Watching these the comparison to the UK today was really stark.

The thing is as well, just putting a roof over someone’s head doesn’t address any trauma they may have been through. Most of the drug addicted women I worked with, had suffered abuse as a child, and then later on from violent partners etc.

I left home at 16 due to an abusive father. Initially I got a job with live in accommodation but, and I’m being totally honest here, I screwed it up. Finally free from my father, but still suffering the trauma of what he did, I started drinking and “partying” all the time. I was literally just 16 so I really wasn’t “ready” or prepared for adult life. Of course eventually I lost my job, and with that my accommodation. I “sofa surfed” for a long time, I stayed in squats, shacked up with guys to get a roof over my head, just stayed anywhere I could. Never actually slept on the streets but I had no home. They were dark times.

I then got a place in a really good hostel. This was back in the 80s so it was different then. They had support workers 24/7, they helped you with everything. When I got somewhere to live they helped me get settled. Even then, it was still hard at first being all alone, having to try and budget my money, not having any nice things of my own (I had moved in with 2 carrier bags of clothes!). And, I did actually miss the camaraderie of the hostel. So, in fairness, I can see how someone can end up drifting back to their old life even if they do get help. I was lucky that I had a happier ending but I can see how different it could have been. I can also see how much harder it is now and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help I got back then. There are still kids living like I was, leaving home at 15/16 because anything is better than being abused. They don’t all get taken into care. It’s hard enough for care leavers, harder still for kids in the situation I was in.

TORY BASTARDS

Interesting that some assume more affluent people are more likely to be sympathetic donors. My experience in charity work with those in poverty and destitution, is that far more generosity comes from those who are less affluent. I guess they know how it feels to struggle, whereas those who are more affluent are less likely to have had that experience.

And, I did actually miss the camaraderie of the hostel. So, in fairness, I can see how someone can end up drifting back to their old life even if they do get help.

In my opinion @Meruem , that's a huge part of why some people become persistently homeless. When I volunteered with homeless people, it wasn't uncommon to see people be housed - only to cycle back into homelessness again within a year.

The problem in my view is that people don't get enough support once they've transitioned out of street homelessness. They are left in grotty flats in horrible areas and are usually unable to get a job so they have to survive on benefits. A day in those circumstances is very, very long - and that's a difficult thing for a mentally healthy person to get through. Never mind someone who has been through years of trauma.

People do go back to the streets sometimes because they miss the sense of community it can provide.

@MrsMaiselsMuff

My experience in charity work with those in poverty and destitution, is that far more generosity comes from those who are less affluent

My dad was a Black Cab Driver and told me the only people who gave tips were working class, never the wealthier customers.

Homelessness is awful and a direct result of the Conservative party. It wasn't a thing 10 years ago. Now you meet young people, at work in a decent profession are only one job loss away from homelessness and therefore obsequious in a way my generation didn't have to be, and they all personally know old school friends who are on the streets!

It's a very complicated picture. I work with a homeless project with 50-60 weekly participants and there's as many reasons for their situation. Addiction is a common theme as to why they cannot maintain their tenancy and many have mental health issues but that's not necessarily the root cause of how they ended up on the streets. Fairly common is family breakdown, divorce is very common and if the man (usually the man) hasn't got a job they can quickly find themselves homeless as they are expected to find their own housing, hard if you are relying on benefits.

Most of the people I work with do have a roof, this city has enough hostel beds/bedsits for everyone so those who are sleeping rough do not need to, outreach workers identify them each night and offer a temporary shelter until a permanent place can be found but some turn them down, one guy told me he didn't want to "waste" his benefits on rent. I know it's different in London but I do know that here whilst being in need of emergency housing cannot be avoided, sleeping outside is a choice (the hostel we help fund even accepts dogs)

It wasn't a thing 10 years ago. Hollow laugh.

Daisy
I have lived in London for over 20 years homelessness has always been a thing.

People who rent off Sanctuary and Clarion have faced eviction because their computer systems have "lost" or misattributed paid rent.

Think this cant happen and a human will be believed over a computer?

Check out whats happened with the Post Office Horizon system.

I absolutely agree that while homelessness isn't new, the scale of it is. I remember as a child (so in the 90s) seeing people begging on public transport in Spain and being shocked because I'd never seen that on a bus or train at home. Seeing someone doing the 'sorry to bother you, folks, but I'm homeless and...' speech on the tube used to be really rare, but now (on the same line) I see it on about one out of three journeys I take.

Homelessness has always been a thing, especially in big cities. I've lived in London for 40 years but it has dramatically increased in the last 5 years.

I am surprised you are shocked to be honest- where have you been the last few years? They haven't suddenly sprung up overnight.

It's terrible and is certainly much worse than 10 years ago. It's so very sad. There is a homeless man living outside our local Lidl, every time I go there is a empty 6 pack of cans next to him. I feel so sad for the situation at the moment, they are everywhere.

However, I don't see how labour are suddenly going to sort it out if they got in though.

Homelessness has always been a thing. There were plenty of people homeless 10 years ago, at the turn of the century and probably in medieval times. I've never seen so many rough sleepers in tents and doorways as there are now its an absolute disgrace.
Its totally unacceptable.

I was looking at housing benefit and rents for a young relative who has become homeless and unemployed for various reasons. There was not a single flat or bedsit to rent in my area where she would not have to pay an extra £100 from her £230 universal credit living allowance above housing costs.

She is currently in a hostel and will hopefully be allocated social housing at some point, but even then she will move into an unfurnished flat and have to start from scratch on the tiny income she has.

I've seen street homeless for the first time in my small town in Central Scotland, before it was always just the big cities.

I think we really need rent controls put in place.

Build more council houses and flats (not social housing).

Limit the amount of overseas investment property portfolios or ban them outright for a number of years.

Invest in mental health especially for the young. Waiting 6 months is often too late for healthy coping strategies to be put in place. I think it should be treated like cancer patients, max 2 weeks.

What else could help?

OP i think you might like to check out this book.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/the-rise-and-fall-of-council-housing-56139

Exactly Council housing not social housing.

Housing associations dont even come under FOI

Councils do.

Surely it would take a massive amount of intervention, early on, which means more money/high taxes.
If most issues can be traced back to childhood we need much better mental health services, an improved social care system, a whole re think re drugs, be it legalisation or go whole hog with controlling . The housing situation is bizarre. Social housing needs serious investment. Vulnerable people need 24 hours support in hostels with qualified staff.
Sure start /Youth workers all would make an impact earlier.
Are people willing to pay more in tax? Some are, many simply do not give two shits

I just watched the Dispatches programme about Amazon. At the end they said next weeks documentary is about homeless pregnant women.

It’s def on the rise here (SW).

Think a lot are ex forces and people who grew up in the “care” system, no affordable housing (Tories sold em off), addiction and austerity.

Good times in 2019 we still have people sleeping on our streets

Disgusting really -

The supportive housing our city built includes meals. I gather this alone makes a significant difference.

Sorry I meant not enough Council houses as the Tories sold em off

I think it's sad. But not much individuals can do. As a society, we need to give people a safe, warm place to sleep.
I watched a documentary on homeless people (not UK), and there was this man who actually had a job! He just couldn't afford any housing on his wage - big major city. Had to sleep rough or in shelters, washing was done in public toilets... don't think there are many around in the UK. It's shocking, and probably not that uncommon.