This shouldn't happen

[honeybee13]

If this is as reported, it's shameful. A homeless woman has given birth to premature twins outside Cambridge's richest college, Trinity.

 

Boris Johnson's new government should be looking at solving the homeless problem rather than tax cuts for extrememly wealthy people and companies.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/dec/26/rough-sleeper-gives-birth-to-twins-outside-cambridge-university

[hightail]

It shouldn't happen but it does.  This particular story hits the news so help will be forthcoming.  The real sadness is the unattractive people who need help just as much but stand no hope of getting it. 

[dx100uk]

its a world wide problem 

just look at say places like Denver [the real mr brandt show youtube]

 

they ticket a homeless persons

then when they go to plead or pay the ticket at court

they stall them there whilst they rush to where their tent and belonging are and take 'em down the municipal tip in the next county.

and then bill the person the costs too

 

all to build their massive courts and buildings..

 

dx

 

 

[brassnecked]

The situation is dire, apparrently in Wales there is going to be some positive action to assist homeless, but one problem found by outreach workers is some people will not accept help.  The spice Zombies around Wrexham bus staion are hard to reach.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/welsh-government-will-safeguard-homelessness-and-housing-support-funding/

 

Kier Starmer is also pushing the agenda

 

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/keir-starmer-housing-should-be-a-fundamental-human-right/

 

[hightail]

Those who need most help are always the hardest to reach, the least attractive and the easiest to blame for their problems.  Homelessness isn't just about not having a roof over your head, the most vulnerable need a comprehensive support system and for some that support has become drugs and/or the community which understands and accepts them.  It's a vicious downward spiral of circumstance and mental health problems - which we allow to happen. 

[fletch70]

It may be a world wide problem but much worse in what used to be called the first world I think. As some know I am on my jollies in Kyiv  and in 5 days have seen less homeless people than I see walking up the ramp by McDonalds in Birmingham. I’m not convinced it’s just down to the weather as it has been quite mild here. 
 

The new right and neo liberalism have a lot to answer for, small state=less support unless you can afford to pay extra for it. Then the ideology seeps into the public consciousness which makes people believe it’s the homeless people’s own fault. If they didn’t drink/smoke/inject/ gamble all their money away there would be no problem. Personally if my life was on the streets I think I could see the appeal of blotting it all out. 
 

Oh and the one nation Tories say isn’t it awful and then vote for Boris while many working class seem to think if it wasn’t for the EU migrants all these people would have a job and vote for Boris. I give up I really do. I would rather have a centre Blairite party in power than this lot. 

[unclebulgaria67]

Has been a really bad problem in many UK cities, particularly since 2010.

 

Recently have noticed that in the Bristol area, local Council and organisations are working together to improve the situation.  They have helped many people off the streets who were having problems and these are in secure accommodation receiving help. Many had addiction and mental health problems, which require long term help.

 

And I noticed that in Bristol the Police were also speaking to the homeless that are still around and checking how they were.

 

So there does seem to be early signs that action has started to be taken. I believe Government has recently increased funding to tackle homelessness and perhaps Councils are now using this.

[brassnecked]

the Universal Credit system also is a driver of homelessness, the 5 week wait is enough for one South Wales HA to issue eviction proceedings, as they will potentially have a month's arrears by the time a claim is sorted, and first payment at 5 weeks, they will  evict on 2 weeks arrears, Bedroom tax evictions also issue, not enough smaller housing for affected people to downsize to.   A development of single person Eco Units like the Beattie Passive based Home for one,  with dedicated support workers on hand to help people adapt from rough sleeping would be good.

here is a good example zero carbon, low cost of occupation:

 

http://beattiepassive.com/haus4one.php

 

Issue as always is money.

[honeybee13]

I wonder how much Cameron's Big Society idea played into this. He wanted to use the voluntary sector and 'empower' local people but all he seemed to do was cut budgets for benefits and leave people to it. How can people be empowered when the government hangs onto most of the money and dishes it out begrudgingly to local authorities?

 

They offloaded masses of work onto the CAB with a promise of extra funding and don't seem to have continued that either.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Society

[unclebulgaria67]

In my opinion, Cameron is to blame for many issues.  Most destructive 5 year term of any PM that I can remember.  And he walked away, after holding a referendum which he lost because he never properly made the case for the UK being in the EU.

 

Of course the budget deficit was too high in 2010, but it was starting to reduce from the peak in 2009.  And had different budget decisions been made  from 2010 to 2015, perhaps we would be in a better place. I think even Boris now says austerity was a mistake, as it is very expensive to fix the problems it caused.

[brassnecked]

Good points HB & UB, CAB appointments where I am are hens teeth, probably have a month or two wait.  As for CAB helping with UC claims, its not happening.  Cameron was a complete waste of space, but then Gideon was holding the purse strings.