Homeless to have tents banned

[dubsie]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/04/suella-braverman-says-rough-sleeping-is-lifestyle-choice

No one wants to see people sleeping in tents in cities but what are homeless people meant to do. Given the choice I think I'd choose a tent over a shop door way or a park bench...and I don't think many people choose being homeless ....not a lifestyle choice for most people.

I think this is more the fact that people like this minister can't stand the sight of homeless people, it reminds them that their decisions have consequences

@usernamealreadytaken
if you want more tax money to go to particular services, work and pay tax so there’s more money to fund services.

I think I mentioned in my post that I used to work in the banking sector. Curiously I did pay tax when working there (and still do in my current role)
Sorry if I don't fit into your neat little feckless unemployed Labour voter box.

You see - we can all play silly games.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/media/press_release/at_least_271000_people_are_homeless_in_england_today

This is actually the opposite of the heartfelt, emotive plea you think it is.

The ‘scrap of canvas over their head in winter’ should not be an option at all. Never mind one that’s presented as the kind and lovely mindset.

Your post is romanticising the issues in every direction.

In reality, the argument should be that no one in this country should be sleeping in a tent (unless they have elected to go on a camping holiday).

I despair that some of the posters on here seem to have decided that objecting to having tents removed means people are OK with people sleeping in tents despite so many posters saying what is needed is policies to support people rough sleeping get out of it and policies to prevent it happenings in the first place.
Are they really so blinkered? Or are they stooges. Are they happy to encourage a diversion from yet another Tory MP being accused of rape?

But @hattie43 was responding to an entirely reasonable post from @Soapyspuds. Their choice of insulting tropes May have been unnecessary, but your perpetuating the tropes insults those who you package in to your box of insults.

How about parks rather than streets and shop doorways.

If you genuinely thinking spending time and money prosecuting charities for handing out tents is a good use of tax payers money and court time then you've lost your mind.

This is not a serious attempt to resolve the complex issues faced by homeless people.

This is a bag of a fag packet 'policy' that will never see the light of day beyond a few headlines over a weekend when the Conservative Party appears to have covered up sexual assaults.

But let's see if it goes in the Kings Speech. (I'm sure he'll be ruddy delighted given his support for Crisis.)

I think we’re actually agreeing on how to make improvements, so I’m really not sure why you choose to assume my statement is an insult, and assume my view of you is feckless just because of your political affiliation?

It is totally unsustainable but our birth rates are also very low now, except in the immigrant communities.

Large sectors just can't get the staff they need anymore, whether hospitality, health care or other sections.

I know someone with a full time job whose rented flat was sold (it was extremely cheap due to caretaker role that came with it, unrelated to his ft job). Due to paying off debt he was unable to afford anywhere else. Family wouldn't help due to remarriage. Housing authority offered him something so far away he wouldn't be able to afford petrol to work or to see son. Ended up in a tent. After a year has managed to buy a van.
Can happen to all sorts.
Agree about not having tents in high streets.
Wonder about pods. Japanese tiny living style. Pop up things with bed and loo. But yes SB is unreasonable without offering other solution.

An article posted earlier states that the biggest increase in homelessness they were seeing was in under 25s. The problem is the housing market is broken.

A decades long obsession with house prices, council houses not being built while most of it gets sold off. Most young people just can't afford to get on the housing ladder and they're beholden to private landlords, increasing rents and the looming threat of eviction.

How about moving them to parks
How about moving them into pods

How about addressing the cause of homelessness rather than normalising it?

Then parks will basically become unusable for other people including children. Used needles etc...

We need more solutions like this whether charity or government funded. Must be cheaper per head than hostel & HMO rents. Must be where the homeless are as many have links into their community. Relocating can just lead to more isolation and vulnerability.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-homeless-charity-gets-10-8407201

I work for a small LA, we have a large pot for return flights. Out of the hundreds seen and offered, 1 person had taken up the help.

They don’t want to go no matter what. They want their UK status, council property and ongoing benefits & free healthcare. I got one man out of a bin once, we showered, fed and went through his options. He chose to stay and go back to the bin while waiting on the above.

I don’t think people understand how bad a problem it is and the country just cannot afford it. There are entire estates where English is not spoken. The people off the boats think the streets are going to be paved with gold. They get very nasty when they realise they aren’t.

This level/style of migration benefits very few people - solicitors (getting rich off the eligibility cases and legal aid) the slum landlords (who are often from abroad themselves who offer shit rooms for benefit income) and shit employers (who can abuse these people for almost slave labour). And yet people campaign for it to continue. You need to get your head round the fact it’s not ‘workers’ or ‘contributors’ that are coming in massive numbers.

If we hadn't left the EU people coming in boats from France could be sent straight back. Now they can't, unless we do a deal with France that their asylum claims are processed there, but we don't want that either.

In reality we've got so many problems of our own and can't afford to take on the worlds.

According to schools etc, there is an epidemic of mental health issues in kids, these kids will be the next generation unable to cope in adulthood and potentially fall into this trap particularly with housing costs as they are. None of this is sustainable.
Mental health treatment provision needs massive investment
Housing policy needs overhaul.
Social services needs investment.

Tent cities are horrible, even seeing tents in Central London is horrible. But banning them now is similar to Turkmenistan leader's way of dealing with plague: instead of sorting out the reasons Turkmenistan has plague - extreme poverty and horrible condition his people are living with - he banned the word "plague". Boom, no plague!

First step should be the government funded provision of appropriate support and accommodation for homeless people. Then, when there is an option to have a safe and secure alternative, tents in cities can be banned. Not the other way round.

Oh come on, that is not the problem that Braverman is trying to solve. The problem she is working on is how to be next Conservative leader, although why anyone would want to after the car crash that the next election will be for them is a mystery.

My local council lists servicepeople to be a high-priority band. The idea that we leave veterans on the street is crap.

That’s way too sensible - and difficult.

Some of the replies on here make me despair..as someone who is in emergency accommodation with two children. There is nowhere to go. We are in a housing crisis of the worst kind. It is not of my own making. You feel powerless over your own life. I don't know what the answer is, I'm trying to keep my family safe. I work full time in care. I haven't took one day off because of this. There are many others like me.

There are entire estates where English is not spoken

Which estates @Fryingfairy ?

They don’t want to go no matter what. They want their UK status, council property and ongoing benefits & free healthcare

Or maybe they don't want to go because their situation in their home country would be worse than living in a tent in the UK?

Exactly.
Blaming people in tents and criminalising them does zero to solve the housing situation for you or others, but it creates an idea that others are to blame

I cant believe people are bring it back to the "bloody foreigners"... yes, there are homeless refugees in big cities, but the majority of homeless people I have encountered are white and obvs British. Even if they are foreign, they still should be able to have an alternative to sleeping in tents. I know councils dont have enough money to provide temporary accommodation, but its not because we are a poor country running out of funds, believe me.