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What Can Be Done About This?
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According to the homeless charity St Mungos, homeless people are dying at a rate of 1 every two weeks in the capital.
The proportion of those dying who are confirmed to have mental illnesses has risen from 29% in 2010 to 80% now, and the number of recorded rough-sleepers in England has increased 73% in the last 3 years.
Surely this is a national disgrace regarding our treatment of vulnerable people? What action do you think should be taken?
According to the homeless charity St Mungos, homeless people are dying at a rate of 1 every two weeks in the capital.
The proportion of those dying who are confirmed to have mental illnesses has risen from 29% in 2010 to 80% now, and the number of recorded rough-sleepers in England has increased 73% in the last 3 years.
Surely this is a national disgrace regarding our treatment of vulnerable people? What action do you think should be taken?
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Re: Cause of death
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Bureau of Investigative Journalism has a long list of individual cases here, with links to the sources. Causes of death include: overdoses, organ failure, pneumonia, trauma. At a glance, most of them seem to die in their sleep.
//Kromo, as a former police officer I used to come across people sleeping out and I can assure you that most of them when offered some accommodation refused it//
Sure, but there has been a very large short-term increase both in the numbers of rough sleepers and in the numbers of dying rough sleepers. Plus the nature of who dies appears to be changing: the dead are far more likely to be mentally ill now than they were 8 years ago. Surely if it's down to short-term changes then that means a fair chunk of these deaths must have been preventable?
https:/
Bureau of Investigative Journalism has a long list of individual cases here, with links to the sources. Causes of death include: overdoses, organ failure, pneumonia, trauma. At a glance, most of them seem to die in their sleep.
//Kromo, as a former police officer I used to come across people sleeping out and I can assure you that most of them when offered some accommodation refused it//
Sure, but there has been a very large short-term increase both in the numbers of rough sleepers and in the numbers of dying rough sleepers. Plus the nature of who dies appears to be changing: the dead are far more likely to be mentally ill now than they were 8 years ago. Surely if it's down to short-term changes then that means a fair chunk of these deaths must have been preventable?
But there were 6639 suicides in the UK in 2015 (amongst the "general public") and that is 18 a day.
And the figure is rising.
These are all also vulnerable people so why should we concentrate on rough sleepers / homeless people ?
I see rough sleepers in doorways in Birmingham near where I live.
A number of them seem to be high on glue sniffing or drugs or drink so probably would find it hard to fit in "normal" society (I am not saying they are all like this but quite a few are).
I also see a growing arrogance and aggressiveness amongst some rough sleepers that I find disturbing.
I sometimes go up to the centre of Birmingham early in the morning (7am onwards) to take photos of the architecture and the new buildings being built.
It is common to see groups of men sitting in Victoria Square at that time of the morning, drinking alcohol and behaving in a rather anti-social way.
Some of them even seem to "relish" their independence and their ability to rely on no one, which sadly comes across as a real arrogance.
I do see people buying food and drink for "homeless" people (and even giving them money) and I do think a number of people are now riding on the back of the "homeless" situation to just have no job and rely on other people to feed them.
I saw one "homeless" guy in my local town sitting in a doorway the other day . A person went up to him and said "do you want a coffee", "yes please he says, a latte".
The person went over to an up market coffee bar and bought him a coffee and took it back to him.
A few moments later a person came up with a pizza they had just bought from a local fast food pizza place.
Great I thought, just sit on your backside doing nothing and all these people rush to feed you.
Some of these people are just professional scroungers.
And the figure is rising.
These are all also vulnerable people so why should we concentrate on rough sleepers / homeless people ?
I see rough sleepers in doorways in Birmingham near where I live.
A number of them seem to be high on glue sniffing or drugs or drink so probably would find it hard to fit in "normal" society (I am not saying they are all like this but quite a few are).
I also see a growing arrogance and aggressiveness amongst some rough sleepers that I find disturbing.
I sometimes go up to the centre of Birmingham early in the morning (7am onwards) to take photos of the architecture and the new buildings being built.
It is common to see groups of men sitting in Victoria Square at that time of the morning, drinking alcohol and behaving in a rather anti-social way.
Some of them even seem to "relish" their independence and their ability to rely on no one, which sadly comes across as a real arrogance.
I do see people buying food and drink for "homeless" people (and even giving them money) and I do think a number of people are now riding on the back of the "homeless" situation to just have no job and rely on other people to feed them.
I saw one "homeless" guy in my local town sitting in a doorway the other day . A person went up to him and said "do you want a coffee", "yes please he says, a latte".
The person went over to an up market coffee bar and bought him a coffee and took it back to him.
A few moments later a person came up with a pizza they had just bought from a local fast food pizza place.
Great I thought, just sit on your backside doing nothing and all these people rush to feed you.
Some of these people are just professional scroungers.
//Kromo, Have you a solution?//
No, that's why I'm asking. If I was going to make guesses, though, the charity mentioned in the link says that access to emergency accommodation for homeless people has become much harder in the last 5 years, as has mental health support. That seems like a relatively easy problem to me - particularly if it makes the difference between life and death.
No, that's why I'm asking. If I was going to make guesses, though, the charity mentioned in the link says that access to emergency accommodation for homeless people has become much harder in the last 5 years, as has mental health support. That seems like a relatively easy problem to me - particularly if it makes the difference between life and death.
No, but you can make it easier for the ones who will accept accommodation to get it, instead of dying.
This is a very very high short-term increase we're talking about here, which suggests that the cause is also short-term. I suggest it's probably a good idea to nip that in the bud before it becomes a long-term one.
This is a very very high short-term increase we're talking about here, which suggests that the cause is also short-term. I suggest it's probably a good idea to nip that in the bud before it becomes a long-term one.
Kromo, you might want to have a look at this:-
https:/
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But that's not new. And it's not what any of the charities involved with the homeless (that I'm aware of, anyway) are describing.
Look at the names/faces of the dead uncovered by the BIJ:
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Vast majority of those people were British. Or seems so to me, anyway.
Look at the names/faces of the dead uncovered by the BIJ:
https:/
Vast majority of those people were British. Or seems so to me, anyway.
What exactly is the definition of "Mental Illness" ?
As Danny says many do not want to be helped and the increase in general homelessness is likely to be the influx of migrants from Eastern Europe who cannot find work or find it easier not to bother.
Before claiming a "National Disgrace" I would really like some independent thought and figures on this. Most come from groups with a vested interest so can be questionable at the very least.
As Danny says many do not want to be helped and the increase in general homelessness is likely to be the influx of migrants from Eastern Europe who cannot find work or find it easier not to bother.
Before claiming a "National Disgrace" I would really like some independent thought and figures on this. Most come from groups with a vested interest so can be questionable at the very least.
Those with mental illnesses should be taken into care; but we are told we are in austerity mode and have to raise taxes to pay for NHS etc. already so there must be a limit to what one can do. Besides isn't there an issue with rough sleepers not wanting a different life ? May be difficult to get them to change at all. ( A quick scan at previous answers seems that has been brought up.)
until fairly recently, I frequented the 24hr mcdonalds at king's cross for breakfast on a regular basis. all human life was here and as long as it wasn't too busy and they were discreet, the less fortunate were tolerated by the then management. I don't carry cash but I was quite happy to pass on my "loyalty" cards for free hot drinks. that changed recently and a new management regime has seen wholesale exclusions. I did for a time use the cards to but drinks and hand over outside, but that too has been stopped.
