The royal wedding.

I echo his views. I wouldn't want MY wedding venue blighted by rough sleepers many of whom are there because they earn good money from begging. I read an article elsewhere about a man and his son who went to buy food and drink and took a rug out of his car to give to a girl (in Windsor) who was 'hungry and homeless'.
As he approached the place where she'd been begging, he saw her loading the boot of a fairly new car with all her cardboard signs, kut and caboodle, dog and pot of money. The male driver then whisked her away to the astonishment of the good samaritan and his son. All is not what it seems. They want money for drugs and booze, not a clean living environment and help into work. Their only 'friends' are others in similar circumstances. They rarely fit into what we deem to be 'normal' society.

*kit not kut.

Sadly there have always been huge inequalities between people, it is nothing new. We should all be thankful that 'There but for the grace of God go I' a saying that I was brought up with, despite the fact that my childhood was not particularly privileged. None the less it is a fact of life that there have always been homeless people, we used to call them tramps or vagrants. We do need more homeless shelters, and kitchens for these people, not to mention more houses built. The problem is there whether the homeless are moved off the streets for Harry's wedding or not, and we need solutions for all the time, not just when the world's eyes are focused on us.

I am sure the bride to be is familiar with the plight and scenes of the homeless in her own country with what we too observein the UK.
If she is as sympathetic to the poor, needy and homeless in the world as the media continually point out to us that she is then surely I cannot see as this would make any difference to her who will be on the streets on 'her day' and is without a doubt down to the snobbish ott attitude of this jumped up tory councillor.

One of the reasons for people being homeless is drug, alcohol or gambling dependency for which I have no sympathy for what so ever. It is also caused by not being able to afford high rents and house buying costs. The problem has been caused NOT by lack of house building but by allowing too many people to come into our country for the properties available thus causing too much demand for too little supply. Also, the generous benefit system encourages families to increase at someone else's expense or to split instead of them working together to sort out any problems in their relationships.

The socialist media though always likes to blame all the rich people or oldies living longer and having the audacious to live in a large detached property which they have worked hard to pay for while the poor just continue to breed. The world is overpopulated and that is the problem. If you cemented over the whole world the human race would expand to fill it and then we would all die because of lack of food and plants to balance the atmosphere. Unless human reproduction and immigration is severely curtailed there is NO hope for the future of the human race on this planet in any country. We are almost at the tipping point.

It’s just the same when various Countries host the Olympics. They all want to sweep the sad face of reality under the carpet and clear ghettos and slums. It’s the “Let’s all just pretend that it’s not happening mentality” instead of sorting out long term solutions.

Gillybob, I said if I were homeless.
I would know if I were.

quizqueen I hope you never fall off your pedestal because it's a long way down.

Not all beggars are homeless and not all homeless are beggars. Let your conscience decide who to help.

My local Morrisons is a bit out of town and before Christmas one Eastern European started sitting in his sleeping bag in the car park. Yesterday there were 5 rough sleepers sitting in the entrance, smoking roll ups and dithering in sleeping bags. I doubt they are homeless as apart from a sleeping bag they have no luggage at all.

I know that durhamjen. I meant how do "we" know whether someone is genuinely homeless or just taking advantage?

The example I gave of the man sitting outside my daughters coffee shop looked homeless . Apparently according to the police he was making between £100-£200 per day as it was a prime position for footfall.

Exactly Wilma

Which is why its best, imo, to give to charities who support and help the homeless, rather than directly to people on the street who may or may not be homeless.

If no one gave to beggars, there would be no point in begging, surely.

I'm sure there are 'beggars' in Windsor who are milking tourists for all they can get, but the councillor has shot himself in the foot; not only is it insulting to the genuine homeless, but he has highlighted the fact that his own Council is not dealing effectively with the problem. I can also envisage an organised protest by genuinely concerned people (and trouble-makers) on the day of the wedding.

I was shocked recently when my niece sent details of the salaries of charity CEO's.
I only ever give to Salvation Army hoping that donations are sold in their shops for the benefit of those who are really in need?

Do we not also have to have some sympathy for shop keepers? Windsor depends on tourism .

Not amusing to turn up to open your shop and have someone stoned and sleeping in the doorway , this happens often.

Where can all the homeless be housed? What of those who refuse accomodation, should they be forced into hostels?

Gillybob
Precisely! My friend has a flat not far from Royal Crescent in Bath. One of the more persistent itinerants was just leaving his pitch outside the Abbey and she followed him up the road, up through Queens Square where he turned off. She followed him slowly and saw him going into a flat just behind the Square. She did that several evenings when she left work and there is no doubt in her mind that he lives there and scrounges rather than earn a living and pay tax like the rest of us.

I have never seen so many beggars than I did during a recent trip to Edinburgh, although I appreciate most "touristy" cities will probably be similar or worse. All seemed to have cardboard signs with things like "It is my 30th birthday today and I am homeless" (if true)

I am a little ashamed to admit that I walked past most of them, albeit with a bit of a heavy heart, not sure how many were genuinely homeless people.

We also need to be aware that some homeless people 'sofa surf*, where friends and family let them sleep on the sofa for a while.

These people are still homeless, but they are not necessarily rough sleepers.

You only have to talk to people to find out if they are genuine or not. I tend to stop, ask their name, would they like something to eat or drink (homeless people can have allergies too) - if they turn that down and ask for cash instead I walk away. Those who accept food and a hot drink I invariably give cash to as well. I will often sit and talk with them whilst they eat and I have heard some very sad stories.

Not all beggars are homeless and not all homeless people beg. Oldwoman70 has it right when she suggests that a conversation with the person will help to identify why people are on the streets. I run a homelessness charity and can tell you that, more than anything, the homeless people I work with want to be acknowledged; they say being ignored contributes to feelings of helplessnesss and despair. Many homeless people are not street sleepers, but are 'sofa surfers' and a lot of these are women in their fifties!!! They go from friend to friend or stay with adult children in turn - often after a relationship breakdown when they've left home and assumed that the local council has a duty to house them. They don't!!

Yesterday I spent almost two hours with a local housing officer and a homeless mentally ill man who has no addictions and has never been behind with his rent - and because the 'system' doesn't have a protocol for his particular circumstances he has ZERO CHANCE of being housed.

Well it would be a nice gesture if the Windsor homeless were housed in time for the Royal Wedding at the Royal's expense - Harry has a few bob hasn't he?

I did think it was partly to do with security. Anything could be hidden in the sleeping bags and bags.

"I wouldn't want MY wedding venue blighted by rough sleepers..."

The people who have places to live don't stay out on the street all night. Rough sleepers usually have no where else to go. They are the poorest in our society.

How dare the poorest in society be on view when the richest in society drive by? They should do the decent thing and hide away so that their poverty doesn't cause offence.

with universal credit causing even more of a problem for people who depend on benefits SOME are begging to pay their bills..should we look down at them because they have hit hard times or think there but for the grace of "god" go I.? Or are you happier to see them lose what little they may have from a lifetime of low paid work and end up without a roof over their heads.Recent polls suggest a majority of people are only two wage packets away from trouble .I'm very glad its not some of you...but maybe I wouldn't be so smug....who lnows when it'll be YOUR turn for bad luck

Paperbackbutterfly the Eastern European beggars (probably Romanians) should be deported let them go beg in their own country.