Re: The Homeless...

That's good Meg ours aren't quite as nice they are down back streets out of sight out of mind

Re: The Homeless...

Not all homeless people have mental health problems, or on drink or drugs. Most are men, although not all, as women are more likely to get help, especially if children are involved. Some are men who, after a divorce with the wife and children getting the home and often maintenance, the man is out on the street. Sometimes he can be expected to pay mortgage repayments on the house he no longer lives in, and so it goes on, until it becomes impossible for him to pay the money needed to rent privately, so he eventually becomes homeless and unemployed. There is virtually no hope ever for a man on his own to ever be allocated social housing. When I worked for the CAB we would have men living in their cars as they had nowhere to live coming to us for help, and recently there was a couple with a baby who were living in their car while waiting for some sort of help with accommodation. Don't know the full story here, but it was in the local paper.

The problem is for the most part too many people and not enough affordable housing. No address means no job, and then a problem getting benefits, although you still can. At one time, our local council would give a homeless person/couple who managed to find somewhere to live, a loan to help with the deposit, getting essential furniture if necessary. Not sure if they still do that with all the cuts to government funding.

Re: The Homeless...

I agree with most of what's been said, but I don't agree with mentally ill people being institutionalised, they need to be cared for and monitored not put away in "mental hospitals".

Re: The Homeless...

I've been thinking quite a bit about the homeless, and reading above I get the impression that many of those people do not want to be anything else. Even when they are offered an improvement to their lives, they opt to stay just the way they are.

Do you think this is because they feel unable to accept any responsibilities? Is it because they do not feel upto looking after themselves, or budgeting for a weeks food? Are they incapable of thinking about 'tomorrow'?
I'm not being critical here, please understand. I am simply trying to understand their mind.

Incidentally, do the homeless receive financial assistance from Social Services?

Some years back, I was working in a charity shop twice a week. A tramp walked in - a genuine tramp. Very politely, he asked if we could give him some replacement clothing.
We kitted that chap out from head to toe with good and warm clothing. I even went into a nearby shop and bought him some shreddies and socks. He changed in the back office, and came out much improved. I rang the local police station and asked if they could let him use their shower - and they did.

An hour later, he returned to the shop; the police had even given him a curry meal. The tramp was smiling, smart, and very grateful.
... and it warmed the cockles of my heart.

Re: The Homeless...

Thanks for that insight, Boots. I really had no idea.

I feel that this sort of thing goes on all around us, yet we mostly do not appreciate the facts.

Re: The Homeless...

We live very close to Brookwood hospital, they were not the best for mental health care and some in there should never have been put in there but when they opened the doors to care in the community it was a disaster for many of them. They cannot cope with society and do need hospital accommodation and not just to keep the society safe but to keep themselves safe too.
I am not saying lock people away for ever but there has to be help for those who need residential help.

There is a centre in the town where some get bed and breakfast but seeing them wandering around the area looking scared and bewildered makes me think some sort of residential situation is called for. David used to live next door to me when I was a child he had the mind of a 7 year old we were always told so we were encouraged to play with him as he had no malice in him, but it's so sad seeing him since his mum died she had plans he would go into residential care when she died and he did for a year or two but then it closed as care in the community was deemed best. He is in his early 60s now and still 7 years old inside, he doesn't understand why he is turned out at 8am and spends his day wandering round waiting to get back into safety of the B&B it's not humane treatment of a vulnerable person IMO.

Re: The Homeless...

You have to be very careful, some like to be homeless.
I befriended a chap who had been homeless for 30 years, he carried a backpack with a rolled up thin exercise mat on the top and a small tent if weather got wet.
He told me he was happy, probably happier than those that live like most of us.
He was clean and he was shaven, he has been everywhere in the UK, and the most generous are in Yorkshire and Lancashire, problem is now authorities have shut most public convenience and keeping clean is done in the open, like other bodily functions.
I asked him is he ate enough food and the answer was sufficient, churches and some decent folk give them food, I said to him would you like some fish and chips for tonight and gave him a £5, and yes he did spend it on fish and chips because he doesn't drink as most of you thought, he is actually a professional tramp.
So not all want to be living in a home.

Re: The Homeless...

g

That was the whole point of care in the community
It didn't work

Re: The Homeless...

I agree but he isn't typical of many I see.

Re: The Homeless...

Your story of David, Julie, is so sad.

At the end of the day, society does have the responsibility of caring for those who are unable to do so for themselves.

Unfortunately, it is all down to resources, which in turn is down to money.

The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
The dividing line between them gets wider with each generation.

In 2011, the United Kingdom spent 62.7 billion pounds on defence budgets.

I am not a pacifist - but it does make me wonder sometimes......