UK Homelessness

Original post by matt1001

This is bad

government figures show a 30% increase in the number of rough sleepers in one year. In the past five years, the number has more than doubled, rising 102% to 3,596 since 2010.

Why is the government not doing more to help?

We should start a petition

3500 sounds low to be honest but most people on the street have mental health issues and substance abuse problems

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Reply 8

Because the only fix to homelessness is housing them, which means that houses need to magic out of thin air. The most vulnerable are top of the housing list sorry but there has to be priorities. (Not that I agree were the overall budget for everything in the uk is going but council housing workers are doing the best they can)

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Reply 9

Original post by Failingstudent98

Because the only fix to homelessness is housing them, which means that houses need to magic out of thin air. The most vulnerable are top of the housing list sorry but there has to be priorities. (Not that I agree were the overall budget for everything in the uk is going but council housing workers are doing the best they can)

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Having more council homes won't fix homelessness at all.

If these people were registered in the list but couldn't get a house they would be in a bed and breakfast.

This is all about the availability of mental health care service and substance abuse programs

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Reply 10

Original post by paul514

Having more council homes won't fix homelessness at all.

If these people were registered in the list but couldn't get a house they would be in a bed and breakfast.

This is all about the availability of mental health care service and substance abuse programs

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They wouldn't be in a bed and breakfast, it doesn't work like that (unless they are vulnerable e.g. Have kids). Drug misuse services are available, that's not the issue, the issue is there is no support afterwards so they are over subscribed due to the number of people attending them multiple times. If you take a homeless person, put them on a support programme for X amount of weeks and they get clean just to throw them back out on the streets with the junkies that got them in the mess in this first place there was no point in the programme.

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Reply 11

KingKoala

9

Because we live in a selfish world, selfish people, selfish government.

Reply 12

L i b

19

Original post by paul514

Having more council homes won't fix homelessness at all.

If these people were registered in the list but couldn't get a house they would be in a bed and breakfast.

This is all about the availability of mental health care service and substance abuse programs

I agree with the main thrust of your point here, but in terms of mental health treatment, the choices are rather stark. It'd be virtually impossible for people with what we euphemistically term "chaotic lives" at such a level to engage in regular mental health treatment. Even getting them to a weekly appointment would be difficult.

So what we're basically talking about is institutionalisation. Reversing Care in the Community and moving away from the deinstitutionalised treatment of mental health that Western countries have been engaged in for decades. It would certainly have a significant impact on rough sleeping, but I'm not sure it would be a positive step in our understanding of mental health issues.

Reply 13

Original post by KingKoala

Because we live in a selfish world, selfish people, selfish government.

The government is run by a bunch of Eton school friends who grew up with a silver spoon, that's why they can't handle money for the benefit of the general population

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Reply 14

KingKoala

9

Original post by Failingstudent98

The government is run by a bunch of Eton school friends who grew up with a silver spoon, that's why they can't handle money for the benefit of the general population

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Very well put my friend, I am with you all the way :smile:

Reply 15

L i b

19

Original post by shreddingfish92

Is that 3,500 for the whole country? It seems like quite a low estimate to me.

There are very few actual rough sleepers. Some homeless people sleep rough for a few days before getting hostel accommodation or something similar, but most people you see begging on the street will not be sleeping there.

The long term rough sleepers are also very often the ones who have been excluded from hostel accommodation through drinking, violence, drug-use or something of that type.

Reply 16

Original post by L i b

I agree with the main thrust of your point here, but in terms of mental health treatment, the choices are rather stark. It'd be virtually impossible for people with what we euphemistically term "chaotic lives" at such a level to engage in regular mental health treatment. Even getting them to a weekly appointment would be difficult.

So what we're basically talking about is institutionalisation. Reversing Care in the Community and moving away from the deinstitutionalised treatment of mental health that Western countries have been engaged in for decades. It would certainly have a significant impact on rough sleeping, but I'm not sure it would be a positive step in our understanding of mental health issues.

That is true but not just with regards to homelessness that's the case for every person using NHS mental health services and support networks. It's all to do with funding which need to be taken out of admin and treating lifestyle diseases and go into services such as mental health support for the homeless

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Reply 17

Original post by L i b

I agree with the main thrust of your point here, but in terms of mental health treatment, the choices are rather stark. It'd be virtually impossible for people with what we euphemistically term "chaotic lives" at such a level to engage in regular mental health treatment. Even getting them to a weekly appointment would be difficult.

So what we're basically talking about is institutionalisation. Reversing Care in the Community and moving away from the deinstitutionalised treatment of mental health that Western countries have been engaged in for decades. It would certainly have a significant impact on rough sleeping, but I'm not sure it would be a positive step in our understanding of mental health issues.

Correct I am talking about facilities where the homeless would live for intensive mental health care and drug rehabilitation rather than support groups and a weekly appointment to see a counsellor which largely doesn't work for these people.

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Reply 18