Independent Leyton Orient Forum

An interesting article on the BBC website about a mother and son who are homeless in London

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-50211901

An unusual story and one with no obvious solution

I honestly cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to live on the streets. What ever happened to these people that forced
them to become homeless. Possibly mental illness, family abuse or poverty, who knows. It certainly shows the adaptability of
of the human spirit to survive, come what may.

spen666 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:52 am An interesting article on the BBC website about a mother and son who are homeless in London

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-50211901

An unusual story and one with no obvious solution

The obvious solution is to start building
govt/council owned housing.

Chicken Dhansak wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:57 am I honestly cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to live on the streets. What ever happened to these people that forced
them to become homeless. Possibly mental illness, family abuse or poverty, who knows. It certainly shows the adaptability of
of the human spirit to survive, come what may.

I'll give you a 1st hand update after my eviction
case tomorrow.

Was adjourned from september & will probably be inforced within 7 days.

Chicken Dhansak wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:57 am I honestly cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to live on the streets. What ever happened to these people that forced
them to become homeless. Possibly mental illness, family abuse or poverty, who knows. It certainly shows the adaptability of
of the human spirit to survive, come what may.

Erm I may of read this wrong but they did have a flat but where evicted because of rent arrears and have been sleeping rough ever since they have also buffered any kind of help getting them off the streets including there own Somalian community
They doesn’t seem to be a drug/drink problem
Sounds like the local community are behind them though which is nice with free lifts to the mosque free food etc
Should they be forced to move into accommodation if they don’t want to?

tuffers#1 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 11:12 am

spen666 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:52 am An interesting article on the BBC website about a mother and son who are homeless in London

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-50211901

An unusual story and one with no obvious solution

The obvious solution is to start building
govt/council owned housing.

That is no solution to this story at all. The couple have been offered numerous properties but don't want them.

Building more homes won't change this couple's status


However, too look at it another way, does there need to be a solution. For this couple there doesn't appear to be a problem to solve

Zzzźzzzzzzzz

tuffers#1 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 11:12 am

spen666 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:52 am An interesting article on the BBC website about a mother and son who are homeless in London

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-50211901

An unusual story and one with no obvious solution

The obvious solution is to start building
govt/council owned housing.

Well done on not reading the article. They have been offered housing hundreds of times, including their original property.

You say 'Zzzzzzzzz' but spen's right.

Building more social housing and genuinely affordable accommodation should be the Govt's main priority, whoever ends up in charge - no argument there - but for this particular story, that almost certainly won't solve this situation. Had you actually read the article?

Proposition Joe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 1:50 pm You say 'Zzzzzzzzz' but spen's right.

Building more social housing and genuinely affordable accommodation should be the Govt's main priority, whoever ends up in charge - no argument there - but for this particular story, that almost certainly won't solve this situation. Had you actually read the article?

You don't know that won't solve this situation because nobody has actually been able to establish why they prefer to stay on the street.

I know you like arguing for the sake of it, but housing being unavailable isn't the issue here, so pray tell why simply building more houses would solve this couple's problem?

Obviously mental. The fact that they havent been declared mental yet will not surprise anybody with experience of the mental health services in this country.

Proposition Joe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:12 pm I know you like arguing for the sake of it, but housing being unavailable isn't the issue here, so pray tell why simply building more houses would solve this couple's problem?

I'm not arguing for the sake of it. I'm satirically channelling Spen.

Maybe the house they would prefer hasn't been offered to them or even been built yet.

spen's bad enough, I can't deal with people ripping him off too.

Disguise a council flat as a bench with tarpaulin over it.

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:14 pm Obviously mental. The fact that they havent been declared mental yet will not surprise anybody with experience of the mental health services in this country.

In fairness, if people don't engage with an assessment while not being quite mental enough to be sectioned, sometimes there's not much you can do diagnosis-wise.

Proposition Joe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:12 pm I know you like arguing for the sake of it, but housing being unavailable isn't the issue here, so pray tell why simply building more houses would solve this couple's problem?

What is the issue here? Why are they afraid to go back into social housing?

Proposition Joe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 2:15 pm spen's bad enough, I can't deal with people ripping him off too.

Fair enough. I was only trying to take some pressure off Tufft""""yyy who is single handedly arguing across many fronts.

I hadnt read it fully & was about to delete my comment
After i had , but everyone had jumped on it already,
Which is fair enough.

So i had to leave it there

I still think a shortage of housing encourages councils to force people out.

I remember a few years back the story of a fella in his late 60s
Who hadn't paid his rent or rates for 10+ years.

He wasnt forced out .
The council wrote off his debts against new mental health benefits
They had backdated for the 10+ years. Which covered the miniscule rent he paid.

Story was from the late 90s if i remember rightly, maybe around the balham area.

My point being , if More council homes are built , then there is less need for
What many are going through . People aren't readily evicted & left to deal with
whatever they are dealing with.

Im sure it will still be shot down by the
" yeah but theyve been offered "

Well that is kind of to late .

Mental health can focus an intense stubborness in its sufferers.

No arguments there really. The shortage of available Council accommodation no doubt, even if only perhaps subconsciously, encourages evictions so people on the waiting list can get moved on. Although on a side note, savage cuts to Local Authority budgets mean that Councils are even less able to wear arrears - they desperately need the money so in the short term, if you're not paying, they're under pressure to get you out - the kick to that is the cost of the eviction process and likely subsequent temporary accommodation (for the most vulnerable) often ends up costing far more than it would have done to either write off the arrears or put support in place to maintain the tenancy.

Wonder why they came to the UK in the first place.

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:16 pm Wonder why they came to the UK in the first place.

Free benches.

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:16 pm Wonder why they came to the UK in the first place.

Probably the weather.

Max B Gold wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:28 pm

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:16 pm Wonder why they came to the UK in the first place.

Probably the weather.

Wonder why they didn’t prefer the joys of Scotchland.

Disoriented wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:36 pm

Max B Gold wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:28 pm

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:16 pm Wonder why they came to the UK in the first place.

Probably the weather.

Wonder why they didn’t prefer the joys of Scotchland.

No idea but they are very welcome should they decide to come here.

Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!