homeless people on doorstep

[LeggyLoo]

Recently a group of ?homeless people have been meeting on our doorstep and spending about an hour late at night (loudly) talking to each other, seemingly catching up? and swapping/taking drugs. This isn't every night, but has been becoming more frequent over the last month.

We've had 2 break ins in the last 3 months. I don't think it is this group of people responsible- just for context of feeling uneasy about strangers congregating outside our front door and bedroom window.

I am completely sympathetic for the situation they are in, particularly in winter and during a pandemic. I also understand that living in a city there will always be homeless people- in no way am I 'looking down on them' or blaming them for their situation (If you find this relevant, we also make a yearly donation to a local homeless charity- I know AIBU can be brutal...).
There are various parks close by (including one on our road) with benches where they could meet, but I'm not sure why they have chosen our house?? For this reason I don't want to tell them to go away as it seems mean in the circumstances.

But I also have a 1.5 year old DS who has been woken by them and scared by loud strangers' voices and hasn't wanted to be away from me even after they've left as he is scared.

Any idea what I can do?! Can I contact anyone? Should I approach them myself to ask them to move on? Let them get on with it and accept my doorstep has become some sort of meeting place?

The lazy out of date stereotype - that homeless people are without a stable home because of choice, or substance addiction and/or mental health issues, is encouraged by governments who wish to avoid providing help to vulnerable mentally ill people, and to also ignore, downplay, and deny, the real reasons why homelessness is increasing.

It’s a really bad situation that needs a frank national discussion.

@SheepandCow

The lazy out of date stereotype - that homeless people are without a stable home because of choice, or substance addiction and/or mental health issues, is encouraged by governments who wish to avoid providing help to vulnerable mentally ill people, and to also ignore, downplay, and deny, the real reasons why homelessness is increasing.

This has nothing to do with the OP. She’s not responsible for any of this and needs, for her own safety, to get them to move along. She’s already had two break-ins in the past few months! It’s a very unsafe situation.

@LeggyLoo

The donations are relevant because I was expecting to be told IABU and mean! But clearly I am not!

I have general strong feelings of guilt for things I shouldn't feel guilty for (only recently realised, and I am starting to work through some childhood issues to resolve these feelings). I didn't realise previously that this wasn't normal and is linked to feeling like I need to be overly polite.

I might have been harsh but I’m glad you recognise that those feelings of guilt (and thus being overly concerned about literal strangers when your family should be the only priority here) are not appropriate.

You didn’t do anything to cause it and you certainly cannot do anything to solve it. All you can do is protect yourself and your child.

I would phone the police the next time you see them at your door.

My FIL who is rather left wing would suggest that you invite them in for a cup of tea and try to get to know them.

@WoolieLiberal

My FIL who is rather left wing would suggest that you invite them in for a cup of tea and try to get to know them.

As a man, he can do something so reckless but I wouldn’t risk it especially with children around ...

@UsedUpUsername
I didn't say it was anything do with the OP, who I advised to contact police 101 and/or council.

Not really. We live in a street of terraced houses and there are homeless people sitting on front steps here too. Once I couldn’t leave my house because there was a homeless man I’ve seen around here many times passed out on my front step, propped up against my front door

Hmmm... in your previous post you sounded like you lived in a block of flats with an underground garage - and now you’re in a terraced house in the West End?

I’m obviously a lot more naive than I realised, I would 100% phone the police (non emergency number) if there was a homeless person outside my front door. I can’t believe this is ‘normal’, how sad

I’ve lived in London my whole life and can assure you this is absolutely not normal!

Hmmm... in your previous post you sounded like you lived in a block of flats with an underground garage - and now you’re in a terraced house in the West End?

Yes I’m in a terraced house in the west end. If you know this area you’ll know the streets of small Georgian houses that grew up as the city expanded westwards. Picture Soho. Georgian terraced housing. I live about a mile from there.

I didn’t say I lived in a flat with underground parking. I was reporting on issues going on in our residents association area.

Quite why you’ve taken such exception to my perfectly ordinary description of what happens round here I cannot imagine.

Picture Soho. Georgian terraced housing. I live about a mile from there.

So you live in Mayfair/Marylebone? Your terraced house must be worth a pretty penny!

Yes. They were built as workmen’s cottages. No workmen round here now...

But as discussed - it has at least its fair share of social problems. Absolutely open drug dealing, knife crime which is mostly gang related, Roma. There is an actual shanty town of Roma tents on Park Lane right now and for periods of time they will set up camp on the steps of our local primary school and have to be moved on in the morning by the caretaker before the children arrive.

There’s a lot to be said for living here. But the children have to learn to have their wits about them when they go to the shop for me - which wouldn’t happen in the same way in the suburbs which is where I grew up.