Beggars, homeless, street drinkers & drug users in Sheffield!

[Anna B 1,414]

Yes, we need a return to the utopia under Labour don't we, when everyone was employed and nobody was homeless......

 

Homeless households double under Labour

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1478930/Homeless-households-double-under-Labour.html

 

You really need to open your eyes Anna and stop blaming the Tories for everything.

 

I think you've rather missed the point here.

 

According to your quote, Under Labour the homeless were at least in temporary accommodation. Now we're talking about the number of people living on the streets, completely destitute.

 

Have you any idea the result of having your benefits / last penny taken off you? Or the number of people it's happening to?

[samssong 10]

I think you've rather missed the point here.

 

According to your quote, Under Labour the homeless were at least in temporary accommodation. Now we're talking about the number of people living on the streets, completely destitute.

 

Have you any idea the result of having your benefits / last penny taken off you? Or the number of people it's happening to?

 

The closure of mental hospitals has also caused many people to now be homeless .

 

Hundreds of folk lived in our own Middlewood hospital some of them although not seriously ill were however in need of a safe environment that was provided by this brilliant hospital.

 

It closed and nice new posh houses now stand on the site.

Why?

[hackey lad 3,980]

The closure of mental hospitals has also caused many people to now be homeless .

 

Hundreds of folk lived in our own Middlewood hospital some of them although not seriously ill were however in need of a safe environment that was provided by this brilliant hospital.

 

It closed and nice new posh houses now stand on the site.

Why?

 

I think it was the so called Care in the community project

[paula4sheff 10]

I know for a fact (I work in the vulnerable persons sector) that these people are not homeless. I work with many of them, and know most of them by name and their situation.

 

Most of them have issues (drug/drink dependency of course being the major ones) but they ARE NOT homeless. Any suggestion that they are is naive and ill informed.

 

We spend a huge amount of time trying to stop people giving them money. The money goes immediately on drugs or drink and prevents them seeking the support help and treatment they need. All the money does is support their drug/drink habits. It is impossible to get the message across to the public however that they are causing harm by giving money. People mean well and think they are doing the right thing- they aren't.

 

The city centre situation is ridiculous now. I encountered ten different people walking from the train to the centre. I won't divulge how much money these people are making a day, but it's significant. We also have a problem with people from outlying districts and areas actually travelling in to Sheffield now to beg, as it's so rife. The authorities are understaffed and overwhelmed by the problem. It will only stop when people realise they are doing the WRONG thing by giving anyone money.

 

If you want to help- donate to charities, support food banks, talk to people, volunteer- but please, please don't give money. You are simply supporting their habits and supporting drug dealers.

[pattricia 578]

I know for a fact (I work in the vulnerable persons sector) that these people are not homeless. I work with many of them, and know most of them by name and their situation.

 

Most of them have issues (drug/drink dependency of course being the major ones) but they ARE NOT homeless. Any suggestion that they are is naive and ill informed.

 

We spend a huge amount of time trying to stop people giving them money. The money goes immediately on drugs or drink and prevents them seeking the support help and treatment they need. All the money does is support their drug/drink habits. It is impossible to get the message across to the public however that they are causing harm by giving money. People mean well and think they are doing the right thing- they aren't.

 

The city centre situation is ridiculous now. I encountered ten different people walking from the train to the centre. I won't divulge how much money these people are making a day, but it's significant. We also have a problem with people from outlying districts and areas actually travelling in to Sheffield now to beg, as it's so rife. The authorities are understaffed and overwhelmed by the problem. It will only stop when people realise they are doing the WRONG thing by giving anyone money.

 

If you want to help- donate to charities, support food banks, talk to people, volunteer- but please, please don't give money. You are simply supporting their habits and supporting drug dealers.

 

This is the most sensible post I have seen about beggars Even South Yorkshire police have told people not to give these people money saying they are NOT homeless and live in hostels and are on benefits. The money collected goes straight on drugs or drink .

[lazarus 68]

The only homeless person I give money too is an older man who looks around the fifty mark, he never ever asks for money but when I see him I always give him a couple of quid, these other supposedly homeless people, smoke and have mobile phones. I saw one of them yesterday on the Moor, a foreign woman put a quid in his little paper cup which was quickly retrieved and put in his pocket just leaving a couple of pence in the bottom of his cup for the "feeling sorry" for him people to give him more money.

[pattricia 578]

The only homeless person I give money too is an older man who looks around the fifty mark, he never ever asks for money but when I see him I always give him a couple of quid, these other supposedly homeless people, smoke and have mobile phones. I saw one of them yesterday on the Moor, a foreign woman put a quid in his little paper cup which was quickly retrieved and put in his pocket just leaving a couple of pence in the bottom of his cup for the "feeling sorry" for him people to give him more money.

 

Yes I've seen a lot of them on mobiles also if they are homeless where are their sleeping bags ? I feel sorry for the dogs that some of them have as they look so sad just sleeping all day at the side of the beggars.

[Fudbeer 12]

I know for a fact (I work in the vulnerable persons sector) that these people are not homeless. I work with many of them, and know most of them by name and their situation.

 

Most of them have issues (drug/drink dependency of course being the major ones) but they ARE NOT homeless. Any suggestion that they are is naive and ill informed.

 

We spend a huge amount of time trying to stop people giving them money. The money goes immediately on drugs or drink and prevents them seeking the support help and treatment they need. All the money does is support their drug/drink habits. It is impossible to get the message across to the public however that they are causing harm by giving money. People mean well and think they are doing the right thing- they aren't.

 

The city centre situation is ridiculous now. I encountered ten different people walking from the train to the centre. I won't divulge how much money these people are making a day, but it's significant. We also have a problem with people from outlying districts and areas actually travelling in to Sheffield now to beg, as it's so rife. The authorities are understaffed and overwhelmed by the problem. It will only stop when people realise they are doing the WRONG thing by giving anyone money.

 

If you want to help- donate to charities, support food banks, talk to people, volunteer- but please, please don't give money. You are simply supporting their habits and supporting drug dealers.

 

Thanks useful and informative post.

 

I guess the more money they get begging the worse the situation gets.Students seem to be one of the groups most likely to give them money,maybe some education to those groups might be a good idea.

[sgtkate 10]

I know for a fact (I work in the vulnerable persons sector) that these people are not homeless. I work with many of them, and know most of them by name and their situation.

 

Most of them have issues (drug/drink dependency of course being the major ones) but they ARE NOT homeless. Any suggestion that they are is naive and ill informed.

 

We spend a huge amount of time trying to stop people giving them money. The money goes immediately on drugs or drink and prevents them seeking the support help and treatment they need. All the money does is support their drug/drink habits. It is impossible to get the message across to the public however that they are causing harm by giving money. People mean well and think they are doing the right thing- they aren't.

 

The city centre situation is ridiculous now. I encountered ten different people walking from the train to the centre. I won't divulge how much money these people are making a day, but it's significant. We also have a problem with people from outlying districts and areas actually travelling in to Sheffield now to beg, as it's so rife. The authorities are understaffed and overwhelmed by the problem. It will only stop when people realise they are doing the WRONG thing by giving anyone money.

 

If you want to help- donate to charities, support food banks, talk to people, volunteer- but please, please don't give money. You are simply supporting their habits and supporting drug dealers.

 

Paula, thank you for the informative post. What is your view on the Big Issue? I rarely give cash to beggars but I do try to buy the Big Issue every week.

[Ridgewalk 101]

I think there is a bit of confusion about the definition of homelessness. As I understand it if you live in a hostel or other temporary accommodation you are still classed as homeless. You may not be sleeping on the street but you're still considered homeless. As part of my work I occasionally visited certain B&B's in Burngreave where people were accommodated as a last resort and to be truthful I'd rather sleep on the street, I'm sure (I'd hope) that the people providing the accommodation were doing their best under difficult circumstances.

There were street homeless people in the 1970's as I used to work in a Night Shelter in Cambridge in 1976 with that population.

[paula4sheff 10]

Paula, thank you for the informative post. What is your view on the Big Issue? I rarely give cash to beggars but I do try to buy the Big Issue every week.

 

Big Issue is a great idea! Buying it helps a lot. It gives the vendors a sense of pride, and the people selling it are trying to turn their lives around and move in a positive direction. A lot of Big Issue vendors get very frustrated and angry at beggars, as they see it as people giving them a bad impression, which isn't fair.

 

It's also worth nothing that Big Issue vendors are given help and support with any issues they may have, and are encouraged to be polite and courteous. It's a very positive organisation. Buying a copy is a great way to help.

 

There's also a positive angle in that beggars seeing Big Issue vendors make money will think "that's a good idea" which is the first step towards engaging with support and help in a positive and constructive way.

[Ms Macbeth 75]

I bought the Big Issue for years as I think self help with support is a positive way to move forward. It started and developed as a means for homeless and vulnerably housed people to get back on their feet, and become independent.

 

I haven't bought it for a long time as I no longer think its used in the same way. Recently a judge ruled that selling the Big Issue does not constitute the level of self employment needed to claim Working Tax Credits. If that is stopped, I may buy it again.