Man Freezes to Death in His Car.

[GrannyMac]

I have come into contact with street homeless people when I worked in local authority housing.  Some really don't want the responsibility of a home, sorting out rent/benefits etc.  We had plenty of flats 20+ years ago, we had support staff, and still tenancies failed.  Some will take on a flat, then cause all sorts of problems in the neighbourhood.  Living odd hours, having lots of people in and out (who don't live there) noise, rubbish, then just leaving with no notice, leaving it uninhabitable.

Access to hostels when the weather is bad is enough for some, and there is really no simple answer as drugs, alcohol, mental health issues and a reluctance on the part of some to interact with any sort of official body are all in the mix.   

Of course, now, the oversupply of empty properties has dried up.  Demand went up, some were demolished, some sold to developers.

[JBR]

Sunak will believe its cheaper to let these poor people die than to help them, meanwhile illegal immigrants in nearby four star hotels are kept snug and well fed. They though are 'tomorrows' cheap labour for his Globalist providers!

Absolutely.  That is without doubt why the government is happily sending out the Border Farce to pick them up - as many as they can get!

A far preferable option, in my opinion, would be to encourage our own lazy sods (cf Les Battersby!) to work for a living by removing their generous handouts.  They should do this if any applicant for unemployment benefit refuses two suitable job offers.

I look back on the 1920s (not that I was here then) when many men were out of work and would do anything for a job.  Today, of course, to prevent employers taking advantage of the situation, we must have set minimum payments for most types of employment.

[Diasi]

I have come into contact with street homeless people when I worked in local authority housing.  Some really don't want the responsibility of a home, sorting out rent/benefits etc.  We had plenty of flats 20+ years ago, we had support staff, and still tenancies failed.  Some will take on a flat, then cause all sorts of problems in the neighbourhood.  Living odd hours, having lots of people in and out (who don't live there) noise, rubbish, then just leaving with no notice, leaving it uninhabitable.

Access to hostels when the weather is bad is enough for some, and there is really no simple answer as drugs, alcohol, mental health issues and a reluctance on the part of some to interact with any sort of official body are all in the mix. 

Of course, now, the oversupply of empty properties has dried up.  Demand went up, some were demolished, some sold to developers.

It wasn't an issue until Thatcher sold off the lunatic asylums that housed many of those with mental health issues & whereby the current ones are now living on the streets.

This was the only one of her policies with which I totally disagreed.

[dextrous63]

There seem to be an awful lot of disused buildings around, especially warehouses and office blocks.  Surely these could be forcibly requisitioned over the colder months and kitted out with basic amenities, and the heating turned off?  Giving the owners a financial benefit or some kind of tax relief whilst occupied wouldn't be unreasonable?

[Alex]

There seem to be an awful lot of disused buildings around, especially warehouses and office blocks.  Surely these could be forcibly requisitioned over the colder months and kitted out with basic amenities, and the heating turned off?  Giving the owners a financial benefit or some kind of tax relief whilst occupied wouldn't be unreasonable?

Yes Dex, move some of the dinghy boys in to the disused buildings and the homeless take their place in hotels.

[GrannyMac]

It wasn't an issue until Thatcher sold off the lunatic asylums that housed many of those with mental health issues & whereby the current ones are now living on the streets.

This was the only one of her policies with which I totally disagreed.

'Don't' care in the community.  You're right of course, although the asylums weren't always the best, they contained a lot of the issues.  

[dextrous63]

Yes Dex, move some of the dinghy boys in to the disused buildings and the homeless take their place in hotels.

I believe that China rents out islands for small fees.  Asylum seekers would be safe there while we process their applications.

[klondike]

We could build our own. Out of all the recycling we send overseas. Save them putting it in landfill.

[dextrous63]

We could build our own. Out of all the recycling we send overseas. Save them putting it in landfill.

There's the old joke about how Noah did that to get rid of all of the excrement piling up on the ark.  And there it remained until Columbus discovered it in 1492😬

[JBR]

Yes Dex, move some of the dinghy boys in to the disused buildings and the homeless take their place in hotels.

I'm sure that's the best option.
After all, the dinghy boys have been used to living in tents in France, so if our well-meaning politicians insist on providing them with something better (and encouraging more), disused buildings would be a good idea.
Even better, disused buildings with porous concrete floors and roofs...
and simply wait.