Should the government use the HOMELESS to THEIR advantage?

Now before you start accusing me of trolling, let me start by saying I have a lot of sympathy for the homeless (especially in this cold weather). Rather than begging for a couple of quid a day, would it not be better for the government to gather the homeless together and enforce them with jobs in return for a warm meal and bed. Jobs could vary such as: handing out leaflets, painting fences, gathering stray animals, helping the elderly, providing entertainment (e.g. dances, jokes for public events).

This will also stop our streets filling up with people begging for money.


How will the centre become established?
Well to start with the government will fund a large building within each major city. From there a random selection of homeless people will be made to go there. They will each be provided with their own basic equipment - bed, toothbrush, etc. The design will be a large hall full of beds (single rooms is not a good idea). They will each be set a specific job routine to follow - Each homeless person assigned will be branded so that everyone knows they belong to the centre. This will stop them slacking and not doing the job.

What happens if they just use the centre but don't work?
As mentioned above, the person will be branded. This means their progress is monitored. If, for whatever reason, they refuse to do a days work in exchange for comfort, then they will simply be removed from the centre in exchange for another homeless person.

So is this optional?
No. The selection process is random and its whoever is picked up from the streets. Of course, if the person doesn't wish to be there then he/she will have to go against the rules in order to be removed. But for the mean time they must follow the routine.


It will help those who are homeless


Apart from the bed and meal, how else are they rewarded?
Of course, this is just an idea, but with each 6-month of service they will be given £100 into a personal savings account. If they follow the job for 5 years then that saving will be given to them. However, if they decide to go against the system 2 years in, then that saving will be removed from their personal saving.

What are your thoughts?
Please note this is just an idea. I'd like some other ideas too.

A lot of homeless people are working and are paying tax and NI.
Just because they're homeless it doesn't mean they haven't got jobs.

Also see : http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/10/31/uk-grocer-morrisons-creating-jobs-homeless-people/

Now before you start accusing me of trolling, let me start by saying I have a lot of sympathy for the homeless (especially in this cold weather). Rather than begging for a couple of quid a day, would it not be better for the government to gather the homeless together and enforce them with jobs in return for a warm meal and bed. Jobs could vary such as: handing out leaflets, painting fences, gathering stray animals, helping the elderly, providing entertainment (e.g. dances, jokes for public events).

A lot of homeless people are working and are paying tax and NI.
Just because they're homeless it doesn't mean they haven't got jobs.

Also see : http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/10/31/uk-grocer-morrisons-creating-jobs-homeless-people/

Now before you start accusing me of trolling, let me start by saying I have a lot of sympathy for the homeless (especially in this cold weather). Rather than begging for a couple of quid a day, would it not be better for the government to gather the homeless together and enforce them with jobs in return for a warm meal and bed. Jobs could vary such as: handing out leaflets, painting fences, gathering stray animals, helping the elderly, providing entertainment (e.g. dances, jokes for public events).

This will also stop our streets filling up with people begging for money.


How will the centre become established?
Well to start with the government will fund a large building within each major city. From there a random selection of homeless people will be made to go there. They will each be provided with their own basic equipment - bed, toothbrush, etc. The design will be a large hall full of beds (single rooms is not a good idea). They will each be set a specific job routine to follow - Each homeless person assigned will be branded so that everyone knows they belong to the centre. This will stop them slacking and not doing the job.

What happens if they just use the centre but don't work?
As mentioned above, the person will be branded. This means their progress is monitored. If, for whatever reason, they refuse to do a days work in exchange for comfort, then they will simply be removed from the centre in exchange for another homeless person.

So is this optional?
No. The selection process is random and its whoever is picked up from the streets. Of course, if the person doesn't wish to be there then he/she will have to go against the rules in order to be removed. But for the mean time they must follow the routine.


It will help those who are homeless


Apart from the bed and meal, how else are they rewarded?
Of course, this is just an idea, but with each 6-month of service they will be given £100 into a personal savings account. If they follow the job for 5 years then that saving will be given to them. However, if they decide to go against the system 2 years in, then that saving will be removed from their personal saving.

What are your thoughts?
Please note this is just an idea. I'd like some other ideas too.

Im pretty sure you cant just put homeless people on a stage and laugh at them for entertainment? Does your plan include poking them with a big stick to make them dance? I admit it might be slightly amusing but I think it might be considered unethical

Homeless should be given more money and help.......Forget about Job seekers they should be given community jobs such as bucketmen or street swepers

its my own opinon

Evidently you don't know anything about homelessness. For one thing, not all homeless people are rough sleepers or beggars like you suggest. If people are branded and eventually move into independant accomodation, they'll still have that brand. Generally, rough sleepers have poorer health so they may not even be fit to work, or as you put it, 'entertain'. You should really look into homelessness before you post something so ignorant.

Apart from the bed and meal, how else are they rewarded?
Of course, this is just an idea, but with each 6-month of service they will be given £100 into a personal savings account. If they follow the job for 5 years then that saving will be given to them. However, if they decide to go against the system 2 years in, then that saving will be removed from their personal saving.

What are your thoughts?
Please note this is just an idea. I'd like some other ideas too.

You highlight the main flaw in this. In that the homeless are now dependant on who ever controls these buildings. Therefore they can easily be exploited by people looking to make some dollar. Whereas relevant charity schemes aim to get the homeless on their own two feet so that they can go from there, your scheme is effectively imprisoning them into a particular way of life that they will not be able to escape from.

My god, you want to pay them £16 per month for full time work? Which they don't even get unless work for 5 years?
The best way to approach the situation is to rehabilitate and re-integrate the homeless people into society, not enslaving them.

No offence but I'm quite glad you don't run our country.

But the scheme is surely better than sleeping rough under a viaduct in Slough. It will help them both physically and mentally!

Yes, a sort of....




....

to be honest, I think you need assistance living in Slough whether you are homeless or not!

This just wouldn't work, for so many reasons. Yes, homeless people should have access to help where they can get shelter and help to find their own permanent, address- but you can't force people to do this if they don't want to.