You've Never Had It So Good....

gazter

Southend1 wrote: »

Don't forget though that many of us don't have the luxury of visiting other countries to see how well off we are. The three homeless guys who live in a doorway outside my office for example. Or the thousands of British families wondering whether to put the heating on for an hour or two or put some dinner on the table tonight. It's easy to think that hardship only exists in far away places, but you don't have to look very far to find it close to home either.

Homelessness is barely a third of what it was a decade ago, and unless some pretty peculiar circumstances exist, those homeless guys would be entitled to emergency housing provided by their local council.

gazter

tomterm8 wrote: »

Once sanctioned, housing benefit and council tax benefit stop unless someone knows enough to reapply for them at which point it can take months to get the money. In my experience, once sanctioned, people are becoming homeless and without deposit money are remaining so.

Sanctioned for not making an effort to find work. If we had a job we would get sanctioned for not turning up for work, or not paying our taxes.

There are no shortage of organisations that will put together a deposit for people who are homeless.

Homelessness is a third of what it was ten years ago, and is lower than it has been for all but three of the last thirty years.

Southend1

gazter wrote: »

Homelessness is barely a third of what it was a decade ago, and unless some pretty peculiar circumstances exist, those homeless guys would be entitled to emergency housing provided by their local council.

The number of rough sleepers is increasing - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/73200/Rough_Sleeping_Statistics_England_-_Autumn_2012.pdf.

I suspect one reason for this is cuts to support for those with mental health and/or addiction problems.

TruckerT

gazter wrote: »

Sanctioned for not making an effort to find work. If we had a job we would get sanctioned for not turning up for work, or not paying our taxes.

There are no shortage of organisations that will put together a deposit for people who are homeless.

Homelessness is a third of what it was ten years ago, and is lower than it has been for all but three of the last thirty years.

On another thread recently, we were told that a characteristic of advanced societies is a shrinking density of property occupation.

But, if it is true that our housing stock is not increasing whilst our population growth continues to be supplemented by immigration, then maybe we need a new definition of 'homeless' - does sofa-surfing count as having a home?

If I were to have my deposit funded by a charity, then what chance would I have of finding a decent place to live?

TruckerT

Graham_Devon

I just hate the saying "you have never had it so good".

Reason being, it's nearly always stated by someone doing better and who likely benefits from keeping you where you are or telling you what's better for you (as if from some kind of higher authority).

It's a bit like when Cyprus raided savings with the saying "this is best for you". It does not mean it had to be that way in the first place... What would have been really good for people would have been to look at the problems to start with.

So for that reason, I'm out

gazter

Southend1 wrote: »

The number of rough sleepers is increasing - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/73200/Rough_Sleeping_Statistics_England_-_Autumn_2012.pdf.

I suspect one reason for this is cuts to support for those with mental health and/or addiction problems.

Homelessness in 2010 was historically very very low. Actually the lowest for thirty years. It is not a barometer to say an increase from that low point is a bad thing.

gazter

TruckerT wrote: »

On another thread recently, we were told that a characteristic of advanced societies is a shrinking density of property occupation.

But, if it is true that our housing stock is not increasing whilst our population growth continues to be supplemented by immigration, then maybe we need a new definition of 'homeless' - does sofa-surfing count as having a home?

If I were to have my deposit funded by a charity, then what chance would I have of finding a decent place to live?

TruckerT

That would be up to a private landlord. Pretty much any BTL that accepts LHA will not really care how the deposit comes about.

TruckerT

gazter wrote: »

Homelessness in 2010 was historically very very low. Actually the lowest for thirty years. It is not a barometer to say an increase from that low point is a bad thing.

Please define homelessness.

TruckerT

TruckerT

gazter wrote: »

Pretty much any BTL that accepts LHA will not really care how the deposit comes about.

So, I repeat, will I be able to find a decent place to live?

TruckerT

Southend1

gazter wrote: »

Homelessness in 2010 was historically very very low. Actually the lowest for thirty years. It is not a barometer to say an increase from that low point is a bad thing.

I think if you speak to the individuals who make up the statistics you'll find that every case of homelessness is a tragedy and particularly bad in the case of rough sleepers. An increase of even one person is a bad thing.