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

[HotStuff669 10]

Regardless of why they are on the streets, and that can be debated forever, they are a blight on streets in cities all over Europe. We want to attract tourists to our cities and this is what they will see.

[ECCOnoob 1,053]

Just watching 'Homeless and working' a Channel 4 Dispatches programme, (Monday 23rd July 8.0pm.) Even for me it's a n eyeopener.

 

According to this, 33,000 people in full time work are cirrently homeless, a 73% increase since 2013.

 

Most of them are in low paid work and many are in London although it's not exclusive to this area. And it is real homelessness where they are bunking down on the street.

 

So much for, 'It's their own fault - they should get a job!'

 

Anyone interested might want to watch it. As I said it's a real eye opener.

 

The report from shelter actually says that there are 33,000 in temporary accommodation not the same as street homeless.

 

It also shows that the highest proportion in fact 60% are in London - which begs the question - why the hell are they are all down there? Move somewhere cheaper.

 

Think it should also be mentioned the stats show that one of lowest numbers of homelessness was recorded in Yorkshire and Humberside. Even better news for our region is that the report also shows that the North East actually shows a DECREASE in the number of "working homeless" since 2013.

 

Stats are great when you give full facts and context as oppose merely the attention grabbing headline arn't they.

Edited July 23, 2018 by ECCOnoob

[The Joker 10]

It also shows that the highest proportion in fact 60% are in London - which begs the question - why the hell are they are all down there? Move somewhere cheaper.

 

They are.

 

Haven’t you heard all these godawful cockney accents when you visit one of our nice council estates?

 

They’re so high-pitched, they can strip paint

[Anna B 1,417]

It sounds like the usual channel 4 sensational documentary. I can't see why anyone in full time work at minimum wage wouldn't want to use some of that to rent a room. Even at London rates. I suppose there is a 'cost savings' argument...but that's a lifestlye choice.

 

So try watching the programme. You might learn something. A lot to do with availability, deposits + first months rent and the regularity / security of low paid work.

[kidley 48]

So try watching the programme. You might learn something. A lot to do with availability, deposits + first months rent and the regularity / security of low paid work.

 

you mean they are alot worse off than those that dont work?

[Anna B 1,417]

you mean they are alot worse off than those that dont work?

 

No, I mean work (especially low paid, unreliable work) is not necessarily the magic bullet people seem to think it is. Not any more.

 

---------- Post added 23-07-2018 at 23:08 ----------

 

I think we're going round in circles here.

 

If you engage with the system, you will get housing benefit. You will be housed while you don't have work. If you are working and struggling to pay your rent, everything will be done to try and prevent you becoming homeless. In the unlikely event it DOES happen, you go to the council. They are duty bound to provide you with emergency accommodation.

 

There is the odd case where a problem may arise. It's rare. There is no need for anyone to be homeless, providing they engage with charities and the system that is in place (i.e. turn up to meetings and co-operate).

 

There are sanctions yes. There has been austerity and cutbacks. There is STILL a very good system in place to prevent homelessness. It's not perfect - but it is very good.

 

When someone gives money to a beggar they are giving them money for drugs or alcohol. That's it. That is the only place that money goes - other than the hands of any exploitative gang members, of which I can assure you there are also many operating in the city.

 

They myth that people are begging "for a hot drink and a warm bed" simply needs to be busted- yet nothing seems to be able to do this. There have been promotional campaigns, talks, awareness stands in the city centre...anything charities can think of. Still the message doesn't get through for some reason.

 

Why? I don't know.

 

Please don't be under any illusions though....giving money to beggars is doing nothing but furthering their decline.

 

If people want to do something - speak to them, direct them to charities (most will say "they do nothing for you there" or "they banned me" as a way to end the conversation), or buy a Big Issue. Be aware that drug addicts will happily say and do anything if it means getting the next fix - that's the insidious evil of addiction.

 

Until people stop giving, they will never choose to go down the route of getting support, or even acknowledging they have a problem.

 

No they are not. If someone is homeless because they couldn't pay their rent (for whatever reason,) they are deemed to have made themselves homeless, and are not entitled to any help from the housing people.

 

There are a number of other similarly tricky get out clauses that absolve the council of any responsibility, and they will hunt around until they find one to get you off their books.

 

Once again you won't know these things unless you have come up against them. I have. The information the government and auhorities give out is no longer true, and certainly not borne out on the ground.

 

What do you think the government and council cuts are actually doing? People are often aghast when they discover for themselves how services have diminished. They are no longer there when they need them.

[paula4sheff 10]

No, I mean work (especially low paid, unreliable work) is not necessarily the magic bullet people seem to think it is. Not any more.

 

---------- Post added 23-07-2018 at 23:08 ----------

 

 

No they are not. If someone is homeless because they couldn't pay their rent (for whatever reason,) they are deemed to have made themselves homeless, and are not entitled to any help from the housing people.

 

There are a number of other similarly tricky get out clauses that absolve the council of any responsibility, and they will hunt around until they find one to get you off their books.

 

Once again you won't know these things unless you have come up against them. I have. The information the government and auhorities give out is no longer true, and certainly not borne out on the ground.

 

What do you think the government and council cuts are actually doing? People are often aghast when they discover for themselves how services have diminished. They are no longer there when they need them.

 

That's simply not true at all. You're only 'intentionally homeless' if you didn't pay the rent but could afford to i.e. deliberately spent your money on other things that aren't food or bill related.

 

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/homelessness/rules/intentionally_homeless

 

I agree that there are dirty tricks the council will happily play to get out of their responsibility though - but if you engage with the system totally, its quite hard for them to find any way of doing this.

[Martin C 85]

(... someone is homeless because they couldn't pay their rent (for whatever reason,)

 

If I hadn't paid my mortgage (for whatever reason, at any point) for 25 years I would have almost certainly become (technically at least) "homeless". Such is life. I wouldn't have thought that everyone else (taxpayers anyway) should chip in to put a roof over my head.

[Cyclone 10]

So you'd expect to have to live on the street and you think that as a society it's okay if we let that happen to people?

 

---------- Post added 24-07-2018 at 07:27 ----------

 

Surely reporting it and 'passing it up the chain' so to speak is? Or at least documenting things?

 

What are their powers? I have no idea really.

 

They have no powers. None. No powers. They are civilians.

[Eccy Beach 11]

You won't solve what is in essence a social/health issue by using the police.

 

The police do go out and engage with rough sleepers but unless they're committing an offence or there's a warrant out for their arrest for something else, other than move them on and signpost them to support services, there's little the police can do.

 

Having personally been involved in that work in a previous job I can tell you most genuinely homeless people who engaged with services were in temporary accommodation that night and subsequently found permanent accommodation.

 

Those with more complex needs but who engaged with services might take longer to rehouse, leaving you with a minority of rough sleepers who for whatever reason don't want to engage with services.

[woodmally 10]

You won't solve what is in essence a social/health issue by using the police.

 

The police do go out and engage with rough sleepers but unless they're committing an offence or there's a warrant out for their arrest for something else, other than move them on and signpost them to support services, there's little the police can do.

 

Having personally been involved in that work in a previous job I can tell you most genuinely homeless people who engaged with services were in temporary accommodation that night and subsequently found permanent accommodation.

 

Those with more complex needs but who engaged with services might take longer to rehouse, leaving you with a minority of rough sleepers who for whatever reason don't want to engage with services.

 

Can they not stop and search them. I would bet your bottom dollar that some of them will have spice on them.

[Eccy Beach 11]

Can they not stop and search them. I would bet your bottom dollar that some of them will have spice on them.

 

You need to reason to stop and search someone - is sleeping rough a reason? I'm sure that's a whole new can of worms to get into.

 

And isn't spice a legal high?