Homeless children

[Kizzy]

'The number of children who are homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas will hit an eight-year year high of more than 120,000, according to analysis by a leading housing charity.

Shelter said the figure was the highest since 2007 when 133,000 children were in temporary accommodation, and 12% up on a year ago.

“Because of the rising cost and shortage of housing, coupled with budget cuts, councils are finding it difficult to find suitable, settled homes for families,” it said in its Desperate to Escape report. “Consequently, more and more families are stuck in temporary accommodation, unable to move on.”

The charity added together government data for England, Scotland and Wales for the second quarter of 2016. It said 121,455 children were in temporary housing across the country, of whom 12,903 were in emergency accommodation, including B&Bs and hostels. The latter figure was more than doubled the 5,731 recorded five years ago. Other types of temporary accommodation include houses and flats offered by councils while they find permanent lodgings for people they have accepted as homeless.'

Horrifying picture of the UK today, I predicted a cull and I really believe this is what we are seeing happen today, huge swathes of people are being cut away and cast adrift in our own med of poverty.
It's set to get worse, will there be a breaking point for the public?
On question time this week the question 'Have we lost our compassion'? was asked, are we desensitised to stories of suffering both at home and abroad that we can't feel it is acutely as we used to.

Personally I don't think we do.



https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/03/child-homelessness-christmas-eight-year-high-shelter-12000-children-temporary-accommodation

[Vicky.]

Bedroom tax is to blame for a fair bit of this. I know a family currently living in a B+B as they couldn't afford to pay the extra for their 'spare' room but there were no properties to downsize to (as most council places are 3 bed+ , some 2, next to no 1s) so they were eventually evicted and now live in a B&B which I imagine costs a lot more to the public purse. Especially given their previous house has now sat empty for over a year. Ridiculous tbh

[Kizzy]

Bedroom tax is to blame for a fair bit of this. I know a family currently living in a B+B as they couldn't afford to pay the extra for their 'spare' room but there were no properties to downsize to (as most council places are 3 bed+ , some 2, next to no 1s) so they were eventually evicted and now live in a B&B which I imagine costs a lot more to the public purse. Especially given their previous house has now sat empty for over a year. Ridiculous tbh

Totally, only yesterday in the commons it was raised that the housing benefit bill has gone up 4 billion since 09/10!

How can they say that is working?.... :/

[Alf]

Well the best thing to do is to bring over more children from Calais.

[arista]

Well the best thing to do is to bring over more children from Calais.



No they are the Lucky ones that get homes

[the truth]

OPEN BORDERS for 20 yrs are obviously a massive part of this, the failure to build social housing too plus the insane decision to pay housing benefits direct to tennants has meant landlords wont rent them houses anymore...vast areas of britian becoming industrial dustbowls left behind drugs booze unemploymenr crime and homelessness too...also the barmy liberal drugs culture is also a massive part of the homeless problem

[Kizzy]

I am more inclined to believe Vickys explanation in relation to the most recent homeless explosion under the current govt in particular.

[kirklancaster]

OPEN BORDERS for 20 yrs are obviously a massive part of this, the failure to build social housing too plus the insane decision to pay housing benefits direct to tennants has meant landlords wont rent them houses anymore...vast areas of britian becoming industrial dustbowls left behind drugs booze unemploymenr crime and homelessness too...also the barmy liberal drugs culture is also a massive part of the homeless problem

:clap1::clap1::clap1: More truth from The TRUTH.

[joeysteele]

Bedroom tax is to blame for a fair bit of this. I know a family currently living in a B+B as they couldn't afford to pay the extra for their 'spare' room but there were no properties to downsize to (as most council places are 3 bed+ , some 2, next to no 1s) so they were eventually evicted and now live in a B&B which I imagine costs a lot more to the public purse. Especially given their previous house has now sat empty for over a year. Ridiculous tbh

It is definitely a major factor Vicky.
What you mention as to the family in your post is happening all the time now,shocking.

[UserSince2005]

Its probably going to be a cold winter, poor little mites. make sure they get blankets.

[Brillopad]

'The number of children who are homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas will hit an eight-year year high of more than 120,000, according to analysis by a leading housing charity.

Shelter said the figure was the highest since 2007 when 133,000 children were in temporary accommodation, and 12% up on a year ago.

“Because of the rising cost and shortage of housing, coupled with budget cuts, councils are finding it difficult to find suitable, settled homes for families,” it said in its Desperate to Escape report. “Consequently, more and more families are stuck in temporary accommodation, unable to move on.”

The charity added together government data for England, Scotland and Wales for the second quarter of 2016. It said 121,455 children were in temporary housing across the country, of whom 12,903 were in emergency accommodation, including B&Bs and hostels. The latter figure was more than doubled the 5,731 recorded five years ago. Other types of temporary accommodation include houses and flats offered by councils while they find permanent lodgings for people they have accepted as homeless.'

Horrifying picture of the UK today, I predicted a cull and I really believe this is what we are seeing happen today, huge swathes of people are being cut away and cast adrift in our own med of poverty.
It's set to get worse, will there be a breaking point for the public?
On question time this week the question 'Have we lost our compassion'? was asked, are we desensitised to stories of suffering both at home and abroad that we can't feel it is acutely as we used to.

Personally I don't think we do.



https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/03/child-homelessness-christmas-eight-year-high-shelter-12000-children-temporary-accommodation

And you can't see the correlation between this and open borders and allowing migrants in who lie about their age.

More desperate children currently in the care system will suffer as a result of such misplaced sympathy. Care should begin at home.

[user104658]

And you can't see the correlation between this and open borders and allowing migrants in who lie about their age.

More desperate children currently in the care system will suffer as a result of such misplaced sympathy. Care should begin at home.

The vast majority of these children are "native" British kids. Don't (falsely) make it into an immigration issue to distract from the fact that our current social policies and economic austerity policies are crippling hundreds of thousands of children for life.

[Brillopad]

The vast majority of these children are "native" British kids. Don't (falsely) make it into an immigration issue to distract from the fact that our current social policies and economic austerity policies are crippling hundreds of thousands of children for life.

I'm not saying it is purely an immigration issue, but clearly this is adding significant pressure to an already struggling system.

Common sense has to come into play as we simply can't cope with taking in more people, especially those that abuse our generosity with lies, no matter how desperate. The whole thing will collapse - then what?

[user104658]

I'm not saying it is purely an immigration issue, but clearly this is adding significant pressure to an already struggling system.

Common sense has to come into play as we simply can't cope with taking in more people, especially those that abuse our generosity with lies, no matter how desperate. The whole thing will collapse - then what?

I agree that there are obviously limited resources, but I don't think it's particularly helpful to lump two issues (a refugee crisis and home-grown social poverty) together like this and hope to come up with a meaningful answer. Finding homes for refugee children is a totally different issues to the generation-upon-generation social deprivation of our own people that leads to homeless British kids. In both cases, just "finding them homes" is really putting a sticking plaster on a deep, infected wound... the true solutions to each problem run much deeper but are completely different.

[jaxie]

I agree that there are obviously limited resources, but I don't think it's particularly helpful to lump two issues (a refugee crisis and home-grown social poverty) together like this and hope to come up with a meaningful answer. Finding homes for refugee children is a totally different issues to the generation-upon-generation social deprivation of our own people that leads to homeless British kids. In both cases, just "finding them homes" is really putting a sticking plaster on a deep, infected wound... the true solutions to each problem run much deeper but are completely different.

It's not really lumping together two issues is it though? They are related in the sense that a strain on resources through unchecked migration does affect those already struggling at home. And unchecked migration does force down wages which doesn't help the poor. These are sad facts of life, not views on migration.

[Brillopad]

I agree that there are obviously limited resources, but I don't think it's particularly helpful to lump two issues (a refugee crisis and home-grown social poverty) together like this and hope to come up with a meaningful answer. Finding homes for refugee children is a totally different issues to the generation-upon-generation social deprivation of our own people that leads to homeless British kids. In both cases, just "finding them homes" is really putting a sticking plaster on a deep, infected wound... the true solutions to each problem run much deeper but are completely different.

They may be different issues but one is nevertheless impacting on the other. We simply cannot help everyone and should concentrate on those already here.

There is no doubt in my mind that genuine refugees will travel to the first safe country, not travel further to get to Britain for economic benefit.

[Parmy]

Grandparents must be a right bunch of *****.

[Kizzy]

And you can't see the correlation between this and open borders and allowing migrants in who lie about their age.

More desperate children currently in the care system will suffer as a result of such misplaced sympathy. Care should begin at home.

Take this UKIP ethos to another thread, I'm not getting bogged down with this.

There is no correlation, there are 1000s of factors that impact , to pinpoint one is scaremongering claptrap.

[Ammi]

..I have to say, I don't see the correlation with this article/thread and open borders...I was going to comment on a contributory factor of homeless children being the lack of mental healthcare and social service care being a big thing but then realised this is about families..(with children obviously..)...being in temporary housing, so homeless and more than ever before...see that's the thing really for me, it never is so far as my personal experiences an 'either/or' thing...do we invest and focus on those who need now and who are already resident here...focus on that because 'that' will lose out with immigration...'that' doesn't get any investment either..it's just for me a redundant reasoning of any government to say ...well we wouldn't be able to help and address more if...'...when so little help and addressing is even considered without allowing more immigrants into the country.../anyways that was more again off topic because as I say, I don't see the correlation at all with the concern of so many families in temporary/B&B housing.../children need stability in their lives and that's a priority that seems to be slipping away...

[Brillopad]

[QUOTE=Kizzy;9048298]Take this UKIP ethos to another thread, I'm not getting bogged down with this.

There is no correlation, there are 1000s of factors that impact , to pinpoint one is scaremongering claptrap

Like it or not dumping hundreds/thousands of migrant 'children' on to an already struggling system makes a bad situation worse. Cannot deny it.

[Kizzy]

[QUOTE=Kizzy;9048298]Take this UKIP ethos to another thread, I'm not getting bogged down with this.

There is no correlation, there are 1000s of factors that impact , to pinpoint one is scaremongering claptrap

Like it or not dumping hundreds/thousands of migrant 'children' on to an already struggling system makes a bad situation worse. Cannot deny it.

Define 'struggling'.

[Brillopad]

[QUOTE=Brillopad;9048837]

Define 'struggling'.

Really, does it need 'defining'? Thought it was pretty self-explanatory.

:shrug:

[kirklancaster]

'The number of children who are homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas will hit an eight-year year high of more than 120,000, according to analysis by a leading housing charity.

Shelter said the figure was the highest since 2007 when 133,000 children were in temporary accommodation, and 12% up on a year ago.

“Because of the rising cost and shortage of housing, coupled with budget cuts, councils are finding it difficult to find suitable, settled homes for families,” it said in its Desperate to Escape report. “Consequently, more and more families are stuck in temporary accommodation, unable to move on.”

The charity added together government data for England, Scotland and Wales for the second quarter of 2016. It said 121,455 children were in temporary housing across the country, of whom 12,903 were in emergency accommodation, including B&Bs and hostels. The latter figure was more than doubled the 5,731 recorded five years ago. Other types of temporary accommodation include houses and flats offered by councils while they find permanent lodgings for people they have accepted as homeless.'

Horrifying picture of the UK today, I predicted a cull and I really believe this is what we are seeing happen today, huge swathes of people are being cut away and cast adrift in our own med of poverty.
It's set to get worse, will there be a breaking point for the public?
On question time this week the question 'Have we lost our compassion'? was asked, are we desensitised to stories of suffering both at home and abroad that we can't feel it is acutely as we used to.

Personally I don't think we do.



https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/03/child-homelessness-christmas-eight-year-high-shelter-12000-children-temporary-accommodation

There is so much wrong with this sensationalised article, it is not really up for debate.

1) None of these 'children' and their parents or parent, are REALLY 'Homeless' are they?

They may be living in temporary accommodation which is far from ideal, but they are being housed in Flats, Houses, and even Bed and Breakfast accommodation, NOT sleeping under cardboard under any Railway viaducts, or huddled under old rags in High Street shop doorways on a freezing cold night.

2) Where is there any definition of just WHAT is classed as a 'child' for the purposes of this report?

Does it include 16, 17, or 18 year olds?

3) Where is there any breakdown of just WHO these children are?

Are any Economic Migrants and their children included in the total figures of this report?

4) How many cases are there included in the total figures of this report, of Parent(s) who have been in receipt of Housing Benefits with which to pay their rent, but have NOT paid their rent and amassed substantial arrears which have ultimately led to them - and their poor children - being evicted?

5) How many Parent(s) are there included in the total figures of this report who have persistently breached one or more of their Tenancy Conditions which has ultimately led to them - and their poor children - being evicted?

Alcoholics, Gamblers, Drug Addicts, who are inclined to spend their rent money feeding their addictions, and just plain inadequate parents who simply CANNOT budget, as well as pigs who trash their rented homes - all end up being evicted eventually, and it is the local council who is then faced with having to find these people alternative accommodation whenever there are innocent children involved.

But, such people HAVE made themselves VOLUNTARILY HOMELESS by their own actions, and still others have done so repeatedly.

Now, I am not saying that ALL the cases in this report are as the above, and not even saying that anything but a small minority MAY be, but there really is not enough detail in this report to justify flying off the handle screaming about 'Heartless Britain' and other tosh.

As I said, these children are NOT REALLY homeless. They have been found accommodation by the authorities and are NOT sleeping on the streets.

And that fact alone speaks volumes about whether this country 'cares' or not.

[smudgie]

There is so much wrong with this sensationalised article, it is not really up for debate.

1) None of these 'children' and their parents or parent, are REALLY 'Homeless' are they?

They may be living in temporary accommodation which is far from ideal, but they are being housed in Flats, Houses, and even Bed and Breakfast accommodation, NOT sleeping under cardboard under any Railway viaducts, or huddled under old rags in High Street shop doorways on a freezing cold night.

2) Where is there any definition of just WHAT is classed as a 'child' for the purposes of this report?

Does it include 16, 17, or 18 year olds?

3) Where is there any breakdown of just WHO these children are?

Are any Economic Migrants and their children included in the total figures of this report?

4) How many cases are there included in the total figures of this report, of Parent(s) who have been in receipt of Housing Benefits with which to pay their rent, but have NOT paid their rent and amassed substantial arrears which have ultimately led to them - and their poor children - being evicted?

5) How many Parent(s) are there included in the total figures of this report who have persistently breached one or more of their Tenancy Conditions which has ultimately led to them - and their poor children - being evicted?

Alcoholics, Gamblers, Drug Addicts, who are inclined to spend their rent money feeding their addictions, and just plain inadequate parents who simply CANNOT budget, as well as pigs who trash their rented homes - all end up being evicted eventually, and it is the local council who is then faced with having to find these people alternative accommodation whenever there are innocent children involved.

But, such people HAVE made themselves VOLUNTARILY HOMELESS by their own actions, and still others have done so repeatedly.

Now, I am not saying that ALL the cases in this report are as the above, and not even saying that anything but a small minority MAY be, but there really is not enough detail in this report to justify flying off the handle screaming about 'Heartless Britain' and other tosh.

As I said, these children are NOT REALLY homeless. They have been found accommodation by the authorities and are NOT sleeping on the streets.

And that fact alone speaks volumes about whether this country 'cares' or not.

Good post Kirk.
Homeless brings to mind people living on the streets, where as children are protected from this, be it a bed and breakfast, no place to call a home of their own in that sense, but not homeless.