Hackney Council to fine homeless people!!

[LeMaquis]

Why are people complaining and protesting about this. It is just a council being stupid. They aint going to get any money from homeless people it wont work. They have none thats why they are homeless.

 

Talk about answering your own question.

[SteveJ68]

They'll never pay. Better to invest in a water cannon.

 

 

Why would anyone want to do that?

[Anna B]

I used to be a support worker at a refuge for the homeless, and many of the people I spoke to felt safer sleeping on the street. Some had severe and enduring mental health problems, addicts, ex service personnel not adapting to life outside of the forces. Due to how they function in the world many find holding down tenancies extremely difficult.

Some may call that anti social - I call the attitude that you've expressed above anti social.

 

I agree. A recent TV programme 'Where am I going to sleep tonight?' followed half a dozen young homeless people. I would say that most of them had some level of mental health problem, and all of them would need help and support (and money) to maintain a tenancy successfully, (and I doubt they would get it, even if they were lucky enough to get a tenancy.)

 

It was interesting that even though they were sleeping rough in doorways and tents, even caves, not one of them was registered as homeless and didn't appear in any statistics. There downward trajectory often seemed to start with being sanctioned, although one boy had been homeless since he was 14, having been in care most of his life.

[gwhite78]

The homeless should be allowed to fine the council £1000 for been loony nasty jobsworths and not providing them with the support and homes they desperately need.

[Ms Macbeth]

The homeless should be allowed to fine the council £1000 for been loony nasty jobsworths and not providing them with the support and homes they desperately need.

 

And the 'loony nasty jobsworths' will find these homes where? Homelessness, as has been well evidenced, has no 'one size fits all' solution. Many genuinely homeless people are helped into housing, and given support to sustain tenancies. But they're unlikely to make the headlines.

 

I think these fines are a bad idea. However, if someone, with no long term connection to Hackney, or even to London, moves there without first having somewhere to live, is it that councils duty to give them a home? I would assume that some of those street homeless are not UK citizens, should they be housed? Or should money be made available to help them return home? Should British people with no connection to London be housed in the most expensive area in the UK, where even working people struggle to afford accommodation?

[Bonzo77]

And the 'loony nasty jobsworths' will find these homes where? Homelessness, as has been well evidenced, has no 'one size fits all' solution. Many genuinely homeless people are helped into housing, and given support to sustain tenancies. But they're unlikely to make the headlines.

 

I think these fines are a bad idea. However, if someone, with no long term connection to Hackney, or even to London, moves there without first having somewhere to live, is it that councils duty to give them a home? I would assume that some of those street homeless are not UK citizens, should they be housed? Or should money be made available to help them return home? Should British people with no connection to London be housed in the most expensive area in the UK, where even working people struggle to afford accommodation?

 

I'm pretty sure that London has tens of thousands of empty homes. Usually the ones that are sold off by the council to wealthy property developers who put a new B&Q kitchen and quadruple the rent.

[Berberis]

Which political party overwhelmingly controls this council? is it Labour by any chance? Oh look, yes it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_London_Borough_Council

 

If this had been a Tory council, we would have had the usual Nasty Torys fine homeless people blah blah blah.

[Cyclone]

Having actually READ the article and not just fallen for the sensationalist and inaccurate headline it says clearly that the proposed Order will cover a range activities deemed anti-social - including sleeping rough and begging.

 

The councillor has said that those who are GENUINELY in need will be referred to the relevant services. However, why the hell shouldn't there be a law to prevent repeat offenders, people who refuse to use such services, professional aggressive beggars, drunken idiots and many other morons cluttering up the streets without good reason.

In what way is sleeping rough anti-social?

[Vegas1]

In what way is sleeping rough anti-social?

 

Shall we invite all the homeless people to come and sleep on your doorstep then?

[gwhite78]

And the 'loony nasty jobsworths' will find these homes where? Homelessness, as has been well evidenced, has no 'one size fits all' solution. Many genuinely homeless people are helped into housing, and given support to sustain tenancies. But they're unlikely to make the headlines.

 

I think these fines are a bad idea. However, if someone, with no long term connection to Hackney, or even to London, moves there without first having somewhere to live, is it that councils duty to give them a home? I would assume that some of those street homeless are not UK citizens, should they be housed? Or should money be made available to help them return home? Should British people with no connection to London be housed in the most expensive area in the UK, where even working people struggle to afford accommodation?

 

As your post demonstrates it isn't lack of money that is the problem, it is the lack of love.

 

I'm from London and in the early 90's anyone could get a council flat on certain estates in boroughs Hackney and Tower Hamlets. Then Banksy moved in which made the district 'trendy' with annoying hipster types such as >

 

 

The council since has proceeded with various nasty anti-poor policies to gentrify them out.