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.

Very few of the rough sleepers at our sites aren't of British origin
In Ireland homelessness has increased ten fold. Lots are Irish, the population has sky rocketed the rental market is cut throat.
Mainly young men were affected by it, now women are adding to the numbers.
There is 3000 children in homeless accommodation, the majority are Irish.
The limits for housing benefit don't match the rent unless you have lots of DC.
Reasons IMO are Supply demand of housing due to mass immigration, drug alcohol abuse? We don't have the luxury of blaming the Tories.
Our homeless crisis is massive.
There are tents pitched everywhere in outter areas, when I was a child you'd only see homeless in the city.
Now they sleep at the local shops.

I don't think you can just blame the torys for the problem. Yes austerity hasn't helped but they inherited a mess from the last labour government.

I was wondering this too - but I really am talking about a very steep rise from around 2010.

Of course I’m not “just noticing this now” - as I said, it appears to me to be getting much worse. I saw very few street sleepers 10 years ago. By 2015-16 I was seeing very many, and by this year it has increased again.

Additionally, some people cannot be housed . It's unfortunate, but some people have had housing, and have abused this.

I don’t deny this might be an issue for a few - but why would this have increased dramatically over the last 10 years? I don’t think this can explain the sharp rise in numbers of street sleepers.

“am sceptical about the illegal immigration argument. All of the homeless people I have spoken to (or overheard) in my city appear to be British. Same with most of those I have spoken to around King’s Cross Station in London.”

I have to say I’m amazed that you’ve found this. I used to live near Westminster Cathedral, where lots of homeless congregate as st Vincent de Paul is there- and they are overwhelmingly Eastern European and would’ve come in by coach from nearby Victoria. Obviously there is also a good chance they’re catholic, but it’s the same at kings X, where I temininate my journey every day?

Most of the people you see won’t necessarily be street sleepers (this isn’t so common) but are homeless and have nowhere to go during the day, using shelters at night.

I've worked with females released from prison (often for petty crimes such as shoplifting, we're not talking murderers) and they have been given a pack with a tent upon release.

This is shocking! You mean, they are expected to be homeless on release?

I have also read about young care leavers being given a tent by social services, as the best thing they can do for them in the situation. It’s horrifying.

It's on the rise everywhere i have been. Even my small south London burb has a fairly large homeless population whereas 5 years ago there was one or two regular guys that you saw often

It's to do with cuts across the board and i suspect a greater crack down in central London which has shifted people out

The demographic has clearly changed also, in Croydon where i work (not my aforementioned burb) the numbers of homeless have massively increased and it's an assortment of younger people and women without very obvious mental health issues but with equally obvious drug habits

This year instead of giving gifts in the family we're making up rucksacks to give to local homeless people

I was forced into homelessness because my landlady was a psycho who tried to stab me with 2 steak knives.

It's hard to get into hostels if you're over 25 and have no mental health issues.

Most of the people you see won’t necessarily be street sleepers (this isn’t so common) but are homeless and have nowhere to go during the day, using shelters at night.

See, I am surprised you’re saying this. I walk past the same people asleep in a doorway when I’m leaving the office at 11pm, and I see them again the next morning still curled up there before 6am (yes I do long days when I’m in London!)

Dottie I too live in Bournemouth and yes it is shocking to see shop doorways with sleeping bags etc left in shop doorways etc. I can’t imagine the horror of sleeping out in the cold and damp. And yes I agree with a pp, there are a lot more females Living on the streets these days.

I'm pretty amazed that people don't see the link between 'austerity' and increased poverty / homelessness.

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

I had a chat with a big issue seller once.

He had been homeless, had started selling the BI, built up a regular clientele and made enough to move into a shared flat and get back on his feet. BI rules are apparently you can keep selling until you find yourself other income, be it job, benefits etc.

Anyway he was really proud of himself, and wanted to show his regulars what they’d done for him. Trouble was, if he turned up for work showered, dressed nicely, clean shaven, looking like he was doing well, he barely sold anything as people assumed he was too well presented to be homeless and was on the scam.

Turn up in his homeless outfit, and he sold more, but then no one saw the difference schemes like the BI made...

Oh and one of the new homeless round Croydon is a friend from a former part of my life. Walking past and having him call out to me was a sobering moment

All this and people will still be voting conservative next month...

It’s interesting you say that Andy- Washington was famously cleaned of its homeless for the olympics- 2012 🤔

Op I am going to try and find the name of it but there is a fantastic memoir of a guy who was street homeless in central London for many years- he turned his life around with rehab and support from the princes trust and now runs a tree maintenance business.

He said every single street homeless in central London (and it was back then at least, a fairly small community) was an addict. Shelters were available but you can’t use drugs in them so addicts generally didn’t bother- they were also grim places with violence, robbery, rape etc.

Food was plentiful as the restaurants and hotels throw away so much but he barely needed to eat because he was a serious heroin addict. He didn’t have a home because of that- no way could he hold down a job or function normally. Besides his addiction cost many hundreds a day, so he would never have wasted money on rent or gas.

It works both ways- some people end up on the street and find drugs and for others their drug use makes them homeless, but it’s a huge part of the street sleeping you describe

It's hard to get into hostels if you're over 25 and have no mental health issues.

Yes, and someone upthread has said the streets might actually be safer than (some) hostels for young women!

There has been an enormous increase in London (despite what previous posters have said). There are streets and parks full of tents.

It’s a massive problem caused by austerity, the problems associated with universal credit, lack of mental health services, massive rises in house prices etc etc etc.

OP I don’t know why you sound so surprised and confused. This has been going on for years and you would need to walk around with your eyes closed not to notice it.

There are more homeless people now than 10 years ago because of tory welfare reforms. It's not just the homeless people on the streets, it's the homeless families with children in temporary accommodation as well. People can't afford the ever increasing private rents due to benefit cuts, the benefit cap, frozen benefits, bedroom tax, the 2 child limit, universal credit, benefit sanctions, etc. These are reasons for the increasing use of food banks as well. Those on benefits and the poor have been demonised by the tories, so even if they can afford to rent, most private landlords won't accept them.

As others have said, as a nation we should hang our heads in shame. It's utterly disgraceful. Mahatma Gandhi: The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.

I've worked with females released from prison (often for petty crimes such as shoplifting, we're not talking murderers) and they have been given a pack with a tent upon release. That's just appalling.

OP, it's for all the reasons given: the ideology of austerity, Universal Credit and people falling through the cracks in it, the gig economy and ditto, the cuts to health funding and other social services…

Someone I know who works at a shelter says the most shocking thing is how many people who have no home are in work. They come in in suits etc. Working full-time, and homeless. It's senseless, and it's a national shame IMO.

We moved to this city just under 4 years ago - I don't remember any in town center and none on way in.

Since then there are tents under bridges and on round abouts - people in tunnels and loads in town.

I think it started with Universal credit hitting area and has just kept growing and growing - and yes women as well. I image the cuts in other services haven't helped.

Two cities nearby are the same now - though it seemed to happend later in one.

I dont blame Tories. I blame David Cameron specifically. Just about every contributing factor mentioned on this was thread was his policy.

And yes Tory's put him there. But he sold the idea of the deserving poor and the undeserving poor and therefore it was fine to do whatever to the undeserving poor because they didnt deserve your help or pity. He made it acceptable.

@BillHadersNewWife

We have already seen the new workhouse.

This is from 2014

voxpoliticalonline.com/2014/11/28/the-first-of-the-new-workhouses/

It works both ways- some people end up on the street and find drugs and for others their drug use makes them homeless, but it’s a huge part of the street sleeping you describe

I’m sure this is true - but has there been a huge RISE in drug-taking and hence homelessness? It’s the dramatic increase I’m puzzling over, not the root causes of homelessness.

Before all the cuts, women had more chance of getting somewhere. Even if it was a hostel. But now there's next to no chance. And if you're living on the streets, constantly fearful for your safety, and with no idea how to break the cycle, wouldn't you end up drinking or taking drugs just to "forget" for a few hours? In all honesty, I would. How many of us pour a glass of wine because we've had a stressful day at work? And we have homes, food, families etc.

It’s complex, there are many reasons why a person ends up homeless, never just one and certainly not political.

Having worked with Glassdoor (a homelessness charity) I believe mental health issues are the main cause of homelessness.

To make it political is simplifying the problem and also being a bit advantageous in having a dig at the party in power.

The families in hubs have a night watchman and a curfew.
Those in B&B's and hotel accommodation are shifted often, many work, they have to pack up all their belongings if they are moved, they are given a list of available hotels that they must call themself, while keeping down a job.