[Livia]

Originally Posted by rusticgal

The sad thing with many homeless people is that they will have been given an opportunity and housing via their local council. Councils have an obligation. Sadly some of these homeless people are suffering with alcohol and drug addiction. The council pay these people rent money via UC leaving the individual to pay the landlord. Anyone with a drink or drug problem will spend this money on their addiction and consequently will be thrown out and find themselves homeless. Many abuse the system and the consequence is homelessness.
What these people need is support for their addiction...much of it is self help which many struggle with. The other alternative is putting themselves into a rehabilitation clinic but it costs a fortune so its not really an alternative.
These people need better support and help...and this country does not offer that kind of support sadly...they are left to get on with it.

Last time I was in Peterborough, have you ever been? It's like a foreign country, I was speaking to a homeless man, young, about 25 I guess, eloquent, likeable, not an alcoholic or a junkie... The council had told him they wouldn't help him because he has "no ties to the area". He was born in Peterborough and lived most of his life there. He tried his MP, he wouldn't help him either because he didn't live (which means, didn't have a residence) or work in the area. Peterborough has applied to become one of the areas of the country that will build new council houses just for illegals and for which the locals will not be eligible to apply.

When I walk through the centre of Chelmsford when I visit my niece, I find it hard to see all the young girls who are living on the street, it's hard to tell I know but they don't all look like junkies, they look like vulnerable young women who need help.

When marriages break up and men must leave the marital home, some slip into homelessness because they now have to provide toward two homes, it's gets harder, they slip into debt, they lose their home and consequently their job. So many people are a few pounds away from losing everything. I do understand that alcoholism and drug dependence is a factor in the number of homeless but it's not the whole story and those who aren't dependent on drugs or drink are always lumped in with those who are. Similarly the myth that being homeless is a "life choice".