Homelessness is a lifestyle choice according to Suella!

silverlining48

Many homeless people were in care, I knew quite a number who joined the military at 16 when they were discharged from care.
It’s well known that children in care rarely succeed in the education system. This is often due to frequent moves to new areas and changes in foster carers. When care finishes there is little support and people often struggle for many reasons. Life gets chaotic and they may become homeless, or end up in and out of prison. It’s all very sad.
CvD66 I hope your son gets some help. Single adults have more problems with housing. The sale of council housing with huge discounts has a lot to answer fir.

It's appalling that children are discharged from care at 16. I left home when I was 19 to move live and work in London. I did in the secure knowledge that my parents were there in the bank ground to support me if I needed help. I didn't.

Many 16 year olds appear to be worldly wise, but they aren't. They're still children and need help and support.

I did wonder about children in care because I was of the opinion that they were out on their own once they reach a certain age. I left home at 17 and made a right mess of my life. It’s pure luck that I ended up with a house, husband and children. I went into town with some lads that, unknown to me were shoplifting. That could have ended badly. Pure luck that I didn’t get pregnant during my hippy years. Ok that might have been my lifestyle choice but I was just downright naive. Wonder how many homeless men are the result of marriage breakdowns? And I thought ex servicemen don’t get the support they need when they leave the army? Is that another life choice?

Not such a mess MayBee but we were lucky, some aren’t. I left home at 17 to live in London too, but wasn’t alone in the world, not that I had or expected any help from family . I coped, if I had no money left for gas or electricity I went without.

To be fair I stopped work 20 years ago, so maybe, hopefully, children have until 18, but so many can’t/don’t cope and given the frequent changes in their childhood it’s not surprising.

CvD66

Germanshepherdsmum & grannygravy - to dismiss 271,000 people as having addiction problems or not wanting to be part of society, are both sweeping generalisations. This problem cannot be dismissed merely as being the homeless person's fault although that is what Ms Braverman would have you believe!

I said that for some homeless people it’s the way to choose to live. Do you not understand the word ‘some’?

But Braverman has sowed the seeds now. Homeless people aren’t homeless because society has failed them. It’s their choice. Or they’re foreigners.

Not sure deciding to be homeless is something some people actively choose, , it’s more that life gets in the way, things happen including mental health and drug issues.
Some people with a bad start cope better than others,

Braverman is a disgrace.

Dinahmo

silverlining48

Many homeless people were in care, I knew quite a number who joined the military at 16 when they were discharged from care.
It’s well known that children in care rarely succeed in the education system. This is often due to frequent moves to new areas and changes in foster carers. When care finishes there is little support and people often struggle for many reasons. Life gets chaotic and they may become homeless, or end up in and out of prison. It’s all very sad.
CvD66 I hope your son gets some help. Single adults have more problems with housing. The sale of council housing with huge discounts has a lot to answer fir.

It's appalling that children are discharged from care at 16. I left home when I was 19 to move live and work in London. I did in the secure knowledge that my parents were there in the bank ground to support me if I needed help. I didn't.

Many 16 year olds appear to be worldly wise, but they aren't. They're still children and need help and support.

It’s not 16 any more. My friend fosters teenagers and pretty sure it’s 19 now.

Correction. It’s 18 but they can access support until they are 25.
Some of my friend’s foster kids have gone on to Uni and others have really been supported very well to find employment and nice, modern flats.

For those who are genuinely interested in what works to help the homeless, here is a twitter posting from a MP that has handled this issue well:
5 years ago Milton Keynes was dubbed ‘tent city’ by the media. Today, no one needs to sleep rough on our streets. How did we do this?
For starters we didn’t make tents a civil offence. Tents are a symptom, not the cause. Firstly you need somewhere that people can go so we built a shelter on the top floor of the old bus station. On the ground floor we brought together all voluntary and statutory services
So everyone has a warm and safe bed for the night and in the morning, they have access to all the services they might need from a cuppa and a friend to a GP and mental health services. This was no easy feat to get all homeless services to work together but it creates success
People who sleep rough lead chaotic lives and are very vulnerable to exploitation. They often have mental health conditions and self medicate to survive. Having services under one roof means they do not fall between the gaps and are treated as a whole person
The hairdressers and laundry means they can regain self respect. The number of people who have gone on from the Old Bus Station into employment and their own place is incredible because of the hard work of staff and volunteers
We still get many who do not succeed but we are there to catch them again. If you have been living on the streets for years, one night in a shelter is not going to solve all your problems. It takes persistence, patience and understanding
We still have some people that refuse to come in. 16 at last count to be precise. They are well known to the Council and are visited everyday to ask if they will accept help. My hope is one day they will. But if we force them, we are setting them up to fail.
Instead we need to support them. We need to remain humble and not treat them like children. Homelessness can happen to any of us. We must not forget this
So making tents a civil offence, creating a record is not the way to end rough sleeping Suella Braverman. Bringing together services both statutory and voluntary to embrace someone and help them up is the only road to success.
Let’s talk more about the underlying problems: lack of mental health provision, cuts in addiction treatment, lack of affordable housing and many other issues this government has made worse over 13 years in power

CvD66

Thank you for that interesting and informative post.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Government has found a better way - blame the victim.

CvD66 thank you. What an inspiring read.

Primrose, thanks for your accurate summary of the provision for care leavers. It was long recognised that children who remain in their birth families get support into adult life. Local Authorities have After Care teams who offer practical, emotional and financial support. It’s far from perfect but it’s there.
I’m aware of people in their 50’s who are still in positive contact with their foster carers, or with a social worker they shared good relationships with

As for Suella, I think if her as Cruella. A lifestyle choice! Mental health problems aren’t a lifestyle choice. Thatcher, selling council homes, refusing to allow councils to invest the money from sales in building housing for affordable rents. All political choices

The sale of council housing with huge discounts has a lot to answer for
Should never have been introduced.

I worked with drug addicts/alcoholics for a number of years. I found the majority wanted what we all want- a home, a job , a relationship, people to love them and people they could love, some money. I met very, very few who didn't want a home.

For MayBee70 … homeless people can claim benefits. They need a ‘ care of ‘ address. Usually the job centre or a hostel address. Of course problems can arise if the person moves around a lot.

CvD66

For those who are genuinely interested in what works to help the homeless, here is a twitter posting from a MP that has handled this issue well:
5 years ago Milton Keynes was dubbed ‘tent city’ by the media. Today, no one needs to sleep rough on our streets. How did we do this?
For starters we didn’t make tents a civil offence. Tents are a symptom, not the cause. Firstly you need somewhere that people can go so we built a shelter on the top floor of the old bus station. On the ground floor we brought together all voluntary and statutory services
So everyone has a warm and safe bed for the night and in the morning, they have access to all the services they might need from a cuppa and a friend to a GP and mental health services. This was no easy feat to get all homeless services to work together but it creates success
People who sleep rough lead chaotic lives and are very vulnerable to exploitation. They often have mental health conditions and self medicate to survive. Having services under one roof means they do not fall between the gaps and are treated as a whole person
The hairdressers and laundry means they can regain self respect. The number of people who have gone on from the Old Bus Station into employment and their own place is incredible because of the hard work of staff and volunteers
We still get many who do not succeed but we are there to catch them again. If you have been living on the streets for years, one night in a shelter is not going to solve all your problems. It takes persistence, patience and understanding
We still have some people that refuse to come in. 16 at last count to be precise. They are well known to the Council and are visited everyday to ask if they will accept help. My hope is one day they will. But if we force them, we are setting them up to fail.
Instead we need to support them. We need to remain humble and not treat them like children. Homelessness can happen to any of us. We must not forget this
So making tents a civil offence, creating a record is not the way to end rough sleeping Suella Braverman. Bringing together services both statutory and voluntary to embrace someone and help them up is the only road to success.
Let’s talk more about the underlying problems: lack of mental health provision, cuts in addiction treatment, lack of affordable housing and many other issues this government has made worse over 13 years in power

This such a good example of how things can work. CvD66's last paragraph sums up what I think so well.

People often blame homeless people for having drug or alcohol problems. If I were homeless I would have the same problems. Being cold, in pain, hungry, frightened, lonely, destitute... what is the easiest cheapest way not to feel these any more? A couple of bottles of cheap cider, or a drug will get you through the night. If you have nothing left it's hard to see further than the next few hours.

I've been involved locally with a food service that gives a hot meal every day to anyone in need. I've often been told that it's pointless, or it's their fault because they take drugs and alcohol and we shouldn't be feeding them. Surely people addicted will be more likely to beat their addiction once they have a safe, warm, clean place to stay and a full belly? How can anyone expect them to kick their addiction without these things?

The example CvD66 gave above about how homelessness can be turned around shows that the answer is not removing even more of their few belongings (tents) but thinking about how to help them get out of their tents and into homes.

Just imagine being homeless in the recent storms. Some cheap alcohol or drug just stops you feeling the cold and wet, while at the same time putting you in danger of frostbite or worse. For goodness sake it is a 'lifestyle choice' for a vanishingly tiny minority!

choughdancer, absolutely agree with you. The increase in homelessness, drug and alcohol problems goes hand in glove with Thatcher’s right to buy and the austerity started by Cameron

Braverman referred to foreigners in her disgusting outburst about tent dwellers. She wants to make the link between homelessness and immigrants to stir up right wing voters ahead of the next General Election. We have a duty to refugees which the Tories would like to forget.

MayBee70

She’s comparing the UK with San Francisco which does have a problem with rough sleepers. But the problem with San Francisco is it’s part of a country that doesn’t have a NHS or, from what I can gather, a social care system. Has it occurred to her that this country, thanks to her government, is going the same way as America. I still can’t get my head around her comments. As Home Secretary she’s making Priti Patel look like Mother Theresa. I was told recently but haven’t checked the validity if it that, when a refugee is granted settled status they then have 7 days to find new accommodation etc. I don’t know how much help (if any) they receive. As James O’Brien said, there’s a problem with homeless people living in tents so this governments solution is ‘take away the tents’! Almost unbelievable. And this woman is a Buddhist!

That's quite an achievement - making Patel look like Mother Theresa. I wonder what that does for Patel's chances of becoming the next Tory Leader when Sunak goes.

CvD66

For those who are genuinely interested in what works to help the homeless, here is a twitter posting from a MP that has handled this issue well:
5 years ago Milton Keynes was dubbed ‘tent city’ by the media. Today, no one needs to sleep rough on our streets. How did we do this?
For starters we didn’t make tents a civil offence. Tents are a symptom, not the cause. Firstly you need somewhere that people can go so we built a shelter on the top floor of the old bus station. On the ground floor we brought together all voluntary and statutory services
So everyone has a warm and safe bed for the night and in the morning, they have access to all the services they might need from a cuppa and a friend to a GP and mental health services. This was no easy feat to get all homeless services to work together but it creates success
People who sleep rough lead chaotic lives and are very vulnerable to exploitation. They often have mental health conditions and self medicate to survive. Having services under one roof means they do not fall between the gaps and are treated as a whole person
The hairdressers and laundry means they can regain self respect. The number of people who have gone on from the Old Bus Station into employment and their own place is incredible because of the hard work of staff and volunteers
We still get many who do not succeed but we are there to catch them again. If you have been living on the streets for years, one night in a shelter is not going to solve all your problems. It takes persistence, patience and understanding
We still have some people that refuse to come in. 16 at last count to be precise. They are well known to the Council and are visited everyday to ask if they will accept help. My hope is one day they will. But if we force them, we are setting them up to fail.
Instead we need to support them. We need to remain humble and not treat them like children. Homelessness can happen to any of us. We must not forget this
So making tents a civil offence, creating a record is not the way to end rough sleeping Suella Braverman. Bringing together services both statutory and voluntary to embrace someone and help them up is the only road to success.
Let’s talk more about the underlying problems: lack of mental health provision, cuts in addiction treatment, lack of affordable housing and many other issues this government has made worse over 13 years in power

Thank you for copying and pasting the twitter post I flagged up 6 hours previously, and linked to, but that no-one could be bothered to read...

All to further her ambition to be leader of Tory Party and to keep the immigrant story on the front pages.
As you say she is a Buddhist . How she can be I don't know, but I do know that her ideas are not mine.

Surely lack of AFFORDABLE HOUSING is at the root of many homelessness problems? That and addiction and mental health issues. Real help us VERY limited for all these issues due to lack of government intervention or spending. I have no idea how to fix it, nor obviously have many successive governments and not just Tory ones. We need more affordable housing, in fact housing in general. Again, no government have ever fulfilled their promises on that one and I don’t expect the next government, probably Labour, under Starmer, will manage it either. As a country we are failing our people, And just how do those in favour of mass immigration, often for economic purposes, propose we house and care for them when many of our own citizens are homeless, poor and disenfranchised? Or are we all happy to pay a great deal more through taxation, which may well be mismanaged anyways?

Seriously who would choose to be homelesss! People who say this is the case have no idea of the reality of life for those struggling. Its looking more and more like we are going down the path of America with entire families living in their car ( if they can afford a car )

Tory supporter then GrannyGravy??