Dickens
A good observation Terribull.
And you're right. the problem of homelessness is not specific to Britain.
When I lived in affluent Norway - it was evident they also had a problem similarly. Obviously, not on the same scale, nevertheless, the reasons for it were much the same as ours, insecure housing, poverty (in spite of a comprehensive welfare system) and addiction coupled with mental health problems.
I don't think removing the tents will do much to solve the problems. No-one wants 'tent cities' within their boundaries, but without the tents, won't there just be homeless people sprawled on the pavements etc on various bits of bedding, blankets and cardboard? The homeless won't just disappear, they have to 'live' somewhere and will simply go back to what they did before the tents became an option... shop doorways, alleyways, pavements, etc, etc.
Hostels won't take in addicts - and do the addicts even want to be in hostels anyway, so I appreciate it's a heck of a problem for any government to solve. But I don't think SB has chosen a particularly helpful way of beginning to deal with it.
It's a problem all over Europe so it might be a good idea to see what other countries are doing to deal with it. I know in Denmark they are using steel shipping containers as temporary housing modules, with outside 'community' areas. Which is probably one working solution... but what do you do if the homeless individuals are disruptive addicts? Such encampments would soon become problem areas.
I see Denmark, a much more prosperous country than ours,are using steel shipping containers for homeless people. In this country there was uproar when the Bibby Stockholme was to be used for the boat people. Not our own homeless, they don't count .
