Homelessness article

Winny_Pooh

Some sad stories here. The worst (aside from causes linked directly to Tory funding cuts) is reading about treatment at the hands of "normal people".

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/dec/16/homeless-in-2017-five-stories-can-happen-to-anyone?CMP=fb_gu

SteveRobinson

I've asked the family for no Christmas presents and sent a cheque to Shelter. No-one should be homeless and especially not at Christmas.

joeyowen

What I find crazy, is the amount of wealth at the top and how this can't find it's way down to help people who need it most.  People with millions upon millions, yet there are people homeless. It just doesn't add up.

However, the fact that people can piss on a homeless person is disgusting.  Money has nothing to do with that at all.  That is just people at their worst.

AlexC

When I lived in London I once spent several hours on Xmas eve in a doorway on The Strand with a homeless guy. I guess I was one of the ‘spoilt rich’ at the time and I was just helping him out. His story will stay with me forever and also the fact that he just didn’t want to spend the night in a shelter as he said they were just humiliating, disgusting places. Very sad. He was probably about the age I am now. I think of him every Xmas and hope he made it through and back on his feet.

jonnyburgo

How are we supposed to get excited about a royal wedding when people are freezing to death on the streets. Gross imbalance of wealth.

Teyeplayer

jonnyburgo said:

How are we supposed to get excited about a royal wedding when people are freezing to death on the streets. Gross imbalance of wealth.

Because at the risk of sounding like Karl Marx or a dedicated follower (which I am not) events like the royal wedding are there to distract the populace from such inequalities and problems close to home.

My [extremely] cynical side would suggest the rise in the numbers of homeless, crumbling nhs and the farce that is brexit negotiations, has left a desperate need for a high profile nondescript and frankly unimportant event with which to fog the focus of the general public.

This view aside, I believe it is always worth keeping in mind how close one is to being that person in the doorway, for many of us it is only a redundancy and few months of unemployment away.

menamestom

Teyeplayer said:

jonnyburgo said:

How are we supposed to get excited about a royal wedding when people are freezing to death on the streets. Gross imbalance of wealth.

Because at the risk of sounding like Karl Marx or a dedicated follower (which I am not) events like the royal wedding are there to distract the populace from such inequalities and problems close to home.

No doubt the government are already planning to do some dirty work or release some bad news on that date.   The news will feature no news whatsoever and anything they want to brush under the carpet will be quietly released safe in the knowledge nobody will report it or notice.

Teyeplayer

menamestom said:

Teyeplayer said:

jonnyburgo said:

How are we supposed to get excited about a royal wedding when people are freezing to death on the streets. Gross imbalance of wealth.

Because at the risk of sounding like Karl Marx or a dedicated follower (which I am not) events like the royal wedding are there to distract the populace from such inequalities and problems close to home.

No doubt the government are already planning to do some dirty work or release some bad news on that date.   The news will feature no news whatsoever and anything they want to brush under the carpet will be quietly released safe in the knowledge nobody will report it or notice.

I wouldn’t go so far as to buy into the conspiracy theorist drivel of corresponding events to legislation, it’s unrealistic and imo often made via very tenuous links. However, I do think the press coverage over crap like weddings distracts from the day-to-day drudgery of people’s lives and is a way of ensuring that the less critical members of the population stay that way.

Emp_Fab

Oh it's not drivel mate....  there is documented proof of governments doing exactly that on several occasions.  Google "Friday news dump" for info on how unflattering press releases are usually made on a Friday afternoon.

BRISTOL86

Teyeplayer said:

menamestom said:

Teyeplayer said:

jonnyburgo said:

How are we supposed to get excited about a royal wedding when people are freezing to death on the streets. Gross imbalance of wealth.

Because at the risk of sounding like Karl Marx or a dedicated follower (which I am not) events like the royal wedding are there to distract the populace from such inequalities and problems close to home.

No doubt the government are already planning to do some dirty work or release some bad news on that date.   The news will feature no news whatsoever and anything they want to brush under the carpet will be quietly released safe in the knowledge nobody will report it or notice.

I wouldn’t go so far as to buy into the conspiracy theorist drivel of corresponding events to legislation, it’s unrealistic and imo often made via very tenuous links. However, I do think the press coverage over crap like weddings distracts from the day-to-day drudgery of people’s lives and is a way of ensuring that the less critical members of the population stay that way.

It’s no conspiracy to say that ‘bad news’ reports are often deliberately released at times when their exposure will be minimised 

kaypeejay

joeyowen said:

What I find crazy, is the amount of wealth at the top and how this can't find it's way down to help people who need it most.  People with millions upon millions, yet there are people homeless. It just doesn't add up.

That’s trickle down economics for you. The great capitalist dream of giving masses of wealth to a small number of people and believing that it will then trickle down to the less rich. Unfortunately, they also give the rich tools that enable them to make sure the trickle down effect is kept to a minimum. 

usedtobe

Its truly frightening how close many of us are to being out on the street. A couple of bad choices, a couple of bit of bad luck, and there you are..

JezWynd

kaypeejay said:

joeyowen said:

What I find crazy, is the amount of wealth at the top and how this can't find it's way down to help people who need it most.  People with millions upon millions, yet there are people homeless. It just doesn't add up.

That’s trickle down economics for you. The great capitalist dream of giving masses of wealth to a small number of people and believing that it will then trickle down to the less rich. Unfortunately, they also give the rich tools that enable them to make sure the trickle down effect is kept to a minimum. 

How Trump sold the idea of trickle down wealth to america is a mystery when those at the top of the heap already have a gross imbalance in their favour with little sign of any willingness to share. The days of Victorian ideals of duty of care to those less fortunate are long gone and were largely down to a few individuals with religious inspired moral codes. Modern America's mantra of God helping those who help themselves is a neat way for the wealthy to feel good about themselves (as if they needed the encouragement).

Neill

I started my working life over 40 years ago in the homelessness section of a local authority housing department.  The Homeless Persons Act had just been passed, and back then we all confidently expected that homelessness would be pretty much eradicated within a decade.  After all we still had council houses, and we still built council houses, and it was entirely reasonable to expect that the housing shortage would be overcome in the forseeable future.  In fact the area where I worked at the time had almost no-one on the waiting list.  

Imagine going to your local council and being given the keys to a house or flat straightaway.

I can't begin to describe how I feel about the present day housing crisis, and it all started in 1979 with the election of the Thatcher government. 

I was having this conversation with a guy of similar vintage the other day, trying to recall just what was so wrong in the late 70's that the country voted en mass for a reactionary government.  Back then we had cheap housing, free education, NHS dentists, decent (and cheap) public transport, lots of great pubs, great music, and most of all, proper jobs and trade apprenticeships. 
Of course we did pay a lot of income tax, but it was really the deal with the devil - the sale of council houses - that caused working people to forsake their roots and vote Tory.  And yet even today folk just don't see it.  Many of those who complain their kids can't get a place of their own bought their own council houses at a ridiculous price,  
   
Sadly things are going to get worse, despite the government claiming that house building is on the increase, that's just smoke and mirrors.  I don't even see the Labour party offering a radical solution which is what it needs, something like a municipalisation  programme - that's how they are having to sort out the Grenfell Tower debacle.  

Kilgore

Bloody hell.
May 19th: Royal Wedding and the FA Cup Final.
Theresa must be declaring war. Time to dust off the Anderson shelter.

mellowsun

The problem is people vote for an increase in homelessness when they vote Tory.

Homelessness rose dramatically in the 80s and early 90s, then dropped significantly under Labour, and is now up 165% over the past 7 years.

Feel free to move this post to the Politics subforum.

menamestom

Teyeplayer said:

menamestom said:

Teyeplayer said:

jonnyburgo 

No doubt the government are already planning to do some dirty work or release some bad news on that date.   The news will feature no news whatsoever and anything they want to brush under the carpet will be quietly released safe in the knowledge nobody will report it or notice.

I wouldn’t go so far as to buy into the conspiracy theorist drivel of corresponding events to legislation, it’s unrealistic and imo often made via very tenuous links. However, I do think the press coverage over crap like weddings distracts from the day-to-day drudgery of people’s lives and is a way of ensuring that the less critical members of the population stay that way.

I wouldn’t say it’s a conspiracy, but more standard government PR releasing things on days when bad news will be further down the priority and get little or no coverage.   If they can hold onto something for a few weeks that would otherwise cause criticism, stands to reason they will hold onto it until a day when it will attract less attention.  

tampaxboo

Emp_Fab said:

Oh it's not drivel mate....  there is documented proof of governments doing exactly that on several occasions.  Google "Friday news dump" for info on how unflattering press releases are usually made on a Friday afternoon.

'Government confirms freeze on working age benefits minutes after Prince Harry wedding news revealed.'

"In a report published before the budget, the foundation warned the freeze would worsen inequality which would take an average of £715 away from the poorest third of households whereas the richest third looks set to gain £185 from other tax breaks (edited)...

... The news came just twenty minutes after Clarence House announced Prince Harry’s engagement to American actress Meghan Markle "

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/benefit-freeze-working-people-typical-family-300-real-terms-cut-inflation-a8079196.html

Jimbro66

SteveRobinson said:

I've asked the family for no Christmas presents and sent a cheque to Shelter. No-one should be homeless and especially not at Christmas.

Nice one Steve.

You know, we can all argue passionately about the causes of homelessness and who is to blame. Feelings run high. But the best thing we can do this week is dig deep in our pockets and get money off to the organisations helping the homeless through this bitterly cold spell and hopefully also cheer up their Christmas - Shelter, Crisis, Sally Army and others. All doing a great job while governments procrastinate.

lustycourtier

Emp_Fab said:

Oh it's not drivel mate....  there is documented proof of governments doing exactly that on several occasions.  Google "Friday news dump" for info on how unflattering press releases are usually made on a Friday afternoon.

On the day of the royal wedding being announced, it was also announced that all benefit rises will be frozen for 2 years. Funnily enough, it wasn’t big news 

tampaxboo

one thing i'm surprised about is how few homeless people try to break into places to find somewhere to sleep. i would if i was homeless. f*ck respecting the rules of civil society if civil society expects me to sleep on the pavement in a frost. social contract broken at that point.

as for shelters and help, every town has something going on which you can get involved at at many levels. donate money or things (food or warm outdoors kit) or just an hour of your time. i know some people in this thread are already doing great things. it's admirable.

when i could drive i did a food drop with a friend locally. they'd make soups and things at the shelter and we would do a run handing them out around town. took about an hour a night a couple of nights a week. easy and didn't cost us much to help. we were students so didn't have much to give, but we had a hatchback and an hour. feelgood was immense. very moving experience actually. with this cunty govt it's easy to feel helpless, but basic 'hands on' things can make a huge difference.

hot water bottle drives are a really good idea going around. here's one for brighton. you hold an event or ask for donations to buy bottles, then get local cafe's and places with steaming water on tap to offer to fill up as and when required. all night cafes or late night macdonalds. a little thing but can literally save a life.
https://www.facebook.com/Hot-Water-Bottle-Drive-Brighton-737123909727376/