Homeless man freezes to death in Birmingham

[Ghozer]

A friend me today about a girl who is homeless and eight months pregnant and sleeping rough in this bitterly cold weather, her baby will be adopted............Poor lass.

 

If this is in the UK, then most local councils will re-home a homeless pregnant woman without an issue...

 

that's the easiest way (other than be a refugee) to get a home, be pregnant...

[Bob Arctor]

If this is in the UK, then most local councils will re-home a homeless pregnant woman without an issue...

 

that's the easiest way (other than be a refugee) to get a home, be pregnant...

 

This is true, although Southwark will have a punt at refusing, given half the chance.

[Lex Luthor]

They do if the person is more vulnerable than the average person. But for some people just having a roof over their head isn't the issue, they need lots of support to deal with their problems. The chief exec of YMCA in Birmingham says that due to central government cuts they can now house and support fewer people with significant needs, which just leaves the streets.

 

According to the RT link in the article, Tory austerity policy is responsible for a 30% increase in homelessness. At least they've been good at growth in one area then. Nice one, Osborne, and for what?

[cgksheff]

Latest report from Crisis:

 

http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Homelessness_Monitor_England_2016_FINAL_(V12).pdf

 

Notable that the National Office for Statistics reports that some of the homeless figures from the government are not robust enough to be included with NOS data.

Edited December 5, 2016 by cgksheff

[El Cid]

Latest report from Crisis:

 

http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Homelessness_Monitor_England_2016_FINAL_(V12).pdf

 

Notable that the National Office for Statistics reports that some of the homeless figures from the government are not robust enough to be included with NOS data.

 

An ongoing rise in officially estimated rough sleeper numbers remained evident in 2014, with the national total up by 55 per cent since 2010.

 

A longer period of study would have been better.

[cressida]

R.I.P Person Unknown

 

ditto

 

and he may or may not have taken an overdose in preference to freezing to death - shameful:(

[ECCOnoob]

RIP to the victim but....

 

What was his circumstances for being on the street? What attempts did he take to seek accommodation? What services was he/had he been offered? Why did he not up such services? What accommodation was available to him? What illnesses or mental health conditions did he have? Was he undergoing any hospital treatment? Had he denied receiving support from any services? What income did he have? Was he able to fund any of his own accommodation? What family did he have? Why did they not give assistance if available? What steps had he taken to be responsible for his own actions?

 

....Therse are the sort of questions that need answering before this decends into another bashing of the government / local authorities or anyone else who can be passed the blame.

 

Until that happens all I will say again is RIP to the victim. Nobody else is going get an attack despite the charities and biased media trying to show otherwise.

[Bob Arctor]

RIP to the victim but....

 

What was his circumstances for being on the street? What attempts did he take to seek accommodation? What services was he/had he been offered? Why did he not up such services? What accommodation was available to him? What illnesses or mental health conditions did he have? Was he undergoing any hospital treatment? Had he denied receiving support from any services? What income did he have? Was he able to fund any of his own accommodation? What family did he have? Why did they not give assistance if available? What steps had he taken to be responsible for his own actions?

 

....Therse are the sort of questions that need answering before this decends into another bashing of the government / local authorities or anyone else who can be passed the blame.

 

Until that happens all I will say again is RIP to the victim. Nobody else is going get an attack despite the charities and biased media trying to show otherwise.

 

You should read the Guardian article about the same issue, it shows a really grim picture, not just about this man but about the situation generally. Homelessness is getting out of control and it requires government action.

[ECCOnoob]

I never said it doesnt but I would ask many of the same questions to those shock factor samples that the Guardian like to keep peddling out to sell their papers.

 

I am not denying that homelessness isnt an issue. I am not denying that the government needs to do more.

 

BUT, that does not mean that everyone tagged as homeless is on the street and it certainly does not mean that everyone on the street has no option to be there.

 

I like to look at the bigger picture beyond the newspaper sensationlism and finger pointing at the soft target authorities.

[Anna B]

Many of the agencies which should be helping are so overwhelmed with cases that they are looking for ways they can avoid responsibility and dismiss people's claims, ie find reasons not to help people, rather than help them. A quarter of a million homeless is not down to 'newspaper sensationalism,' that is the 'bigger picture.'

 

There was a recent documentary about this on TV which made it quite clear that this was a tactic, as well as anecdotal evidence. Help for mental health issues is virtually non existent, yet mental ill health is one of the biggest reasons for being unable to access help and results in homelessness. People are desperate, but not all get any help at all.

 

There are also many empty houses and buildings around the country, especially in London where no one has lived for years because rents are too high, but of course squatting is illegal. What has happened to 'market forces' when some landlords would rather leave their properties empty rather than charge an affordable rent?

Edited December 5, 2016 by Anna B