68,000 homeless in Britain, and it's going to get worse

The trouble is society is getting more unequal, and those with high salaries are already hiking prices so that those on low wages are getting left behind. What happened so that some people can earn over £250,000, while the same people are arguing over raising the minimum wage by less than a pound?

People have been saying this for as long as people have been able to talk.

The trouble is society is getting more unequal, and those with high salaries are already hiking prices so that those on low wages are getting left behind. What happened so that some people can earn over £250,000, while the same people are arguing over raising the minimum wage by less than a pound?

Too general for me to comment Anna.

What happened so that some people can earn over £250,000, while the same people are arguing over raising the minimum wage by less than a pound?

Some people have always earned lots of money. That's no different now really.

The problem with the left argument about more wages more wages, is that people don't want to pay more for things.

I even know what you are going to say next, so I'll leave it at that.

I agree that reducing housing costs would be good, but there are houses and flats standing empty so you'd think market forces would bring the rents down, but that isn't happening. Rent controls seem to be the only answer short term, and more affordable house building long term. Maybe something could be done to reduce the amount necessary for a deposit too.

They would if the empty houses were in places where the work is.

I agree that reducing housing costs would be good, but there are houses and flats standing empty so you'd think market forces would bring the rents down, but that isn't happening. Rent controls seem to be the only answer short term, and more affordable house building long term. Maybe something could be done to reduce the amount necessary for a deposit too.

Rent controls are certainly not the only idea. In fact, now with the new payments where the landlord doesn't get the money directly, will make things worse.

It's easy to say 'landlords this and that', but if you owned a house and were renting it out, I can assure you, if the person wasn't paying the rent, and using human rights and legal issues to stay there, you'd soon change your tune.

As for affordable housing, yes I agree, but not governed by social housing, whereby some people get cheap housing and abuse it, while hard working people are paying huge mortgages. It's just too leftie and ideology for me.

Who is going to build all this cheap housing anyway? If min wage is £10, builders are going to wanting twice that.

There are 31 properties advertised on SCC 'First come first served'. Eligible applicants only need a live registration to apply. No waiting time or priority needed. Unfortunately most of the smaller properties are limited to older people, but there are two and three bedroomed properties, suitable for families, sitting empty, mainly in Gleadless Valley. There will be similar situations in other towns and cities where housing is still relatively affordable.

https://www.sheffieldpropertyshop.org.uk/PropertySearch/Results/1?Sender=ResultsPage&AttemptedLocationName=Sheffield+(Sheffield)&PreviousAttemptedLocationName=Sheffield+(Sheffield)&AttemptedLocationLongitude=-1.4685214886&AttemptedLocationLatitude=53.3825102071&SearchRadius=5&Location.Latitude=53.3825102071&Location.Longitude=-1.4685214886&Location.Name=Sheffield+(Sheffield)&SortOrder=0&PreviousSortOrder=0&PropertyID=&AllocationScheme=556&AdvertTypes=1&AccommodationTypes=0,1,2,3&AdvertisedDates=&_=1512804549750

The trouble is society is getting more unequal, and those with high salaries are already hiking prices so that those on low wages are getting left behind. What happened so that some people can earn over £250,000, while the same people are arguing over raising the minimum wage by less than a pound?

I dont think the gap between the poor and rich is the main issue; its that Conservative policies are deliberately causing hardship to force people into work. They see no other way, because work is good.

MP Heidi Allen fights back tears after Frank Field describes impact of universal credit

https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2017/dec/06/heidi-allen-mp-tears-frank-field-impact-of-universal-credit-video

Anybody who's interested might want to watch 'Hungry, Homeless and on Benefits' tonight, (Thursday 21st December) ITV 7.30pm.

"An investigation into why this festive season is going to be so hard for some families, with more people living in poverty, and homelessness figures rising."

Lets be clear - homeless does not necessary mean being on the streets.

Lets be clear - homeless does not necessary mean being on the streets.

No, it includes sofa surfing, living in hostels, temporary accommodation (family of 5 living in one room,) living in a garden shed, living in your car, and assorted equally distressing situations.

The trouble is society is getting more unequal, and those with high salaries are already hiking prices so that those on low wages are getting left behind. What happened so that some people can earn over £250,000, while the same people are arguing over raising the minimum wage by less than a pound?

Raising the minimum wage by nearly 10% is a cause for concern. Pay disparities exisit because not all jobs are equal.

You are absolutely correct some of us are argusing over the fact that some are getting a 10% raise whereas I am stuck on inflationary rises.

According to tonight's news there are now 68,000 homeless in Britain, a huge increase on previous figures.

 

In a country that is supposed to be the fifth richest in the world, I find that a disgraceful statistic. Also according to the news if the current government doesn't change its policies quickly, it's going to get a whole lot worse, predicting quarter of a million within 5 years..

 

In the same broadcast, news that in spite of increasing profits, Amazon is now paying less tax than ever, and it wasn't paying much in the first place.

 

...What is wrong with this country...?

too many immigrants coming in for the resources we have available, wait for the racist accusations to start ,very good article in the daily mail today.

No, it includes sofa surfing, living in hostels, temporary accommodation (family of 5 living in one room,) living in a garden shed, living in your car, and assorted equally distressing situations.

Distressing though those scenarios are, there is no single explanation.

Example: young people head off to London with nowhere to live in mind. How daft is that and whom else can they blame?

Distressing though those scenarios are, there is no single explanation.

Example: young people head off to London with nowhere to live in mind. How daft is that and whom else can they blame?

There was a discussion on Victoria Derbyshire this morning about the 'hidden homeless.' Three people who were chronic sofa surfers all had to leave home due to being turfed out of care, or breakdown of relationship with parents. None of them mentioned flouncing off down to London without thinking about where they were going to stay. Funny that. There must be loads of people who voluntarily give up a warm safe space where they are loved to live in London, without a seconds thought about where they going to sleep.

Obviously the homeless have no else but themselves to blame for being homeless.

There was a discussion on Victoria Derbyshire this morning about the 'hidden homeless.' Three people who were chronic sofa surfers all had to leave home due to being turfed out of care, or breakdown of relationship with parents. None of them mentioned flouncing off down to London without thinking about where they were going to stay. Funny that. There must be loads of people who voluntarily give up a warm safe space where they are loved to live in London, without a seconds thought about where they going to sleep.

Obviously the homeless have no else but themselves to blame for being homeless.

If you watched the aforementioned programme, none of them had run away to the bright lights of London, they were just ordinary people like you and me, living in different situations all over the country.

London had nothing to do with it, government cuts, on the other hand, certainly did.

I was in that there London this week, during the day and in the wee small hours driving out of it. The things you saw as an outsider I'm not sure registers with Londoners anymore.