Reply With QuoteQuite a few I’ve spoken to in the past are from the valleys
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They probably all moved to Cardiff !!!Originally Posted by Jordi Culé
Quite a few I’ve spoken to in the past are from the valleys
I've spoken to a few people who avoid it like the plague, sad thing is then they're limited to where thay can actually get cover in the cold and wet.
I think it's looks a harsh thing to do but it's probably the best way to deal with it yes so I'd agree on a bigger scale operation in Cardiff..
I always remember my old dear telling me about a fella she met in Luton once who ended up on the streets after a fall out with his wife over working so long not seeing the family etc, ended up losing his family and eventually his business over time, never used to drink a lot but after a few months on the streets it was the only thing that worked to cover the pain so he started drinking daily, people think these people are addicts walking onto the streets I'd bet a large percentage aren't... Hence how he ended up talking to my mother she invited him over for a drink and to sit at their table as he was sat further down the street on his own, didn't ask for anything but accepted 2/3 pints off the group as they chatted away. Wouldn't accept cash when they left for their hotel.
Thing is people see the drink and assume the worst.
For each individual there are usually a myriad of issues that need addressing. Some are evident as a constant, some exacerbated by homelessness, some as a direct result of being homeless.
Rough sleeping on the rise the last few years and a decrease in services available don’t help.
I’m not up to date with stats but the average life span for homeless males was 45 in the UK a few years ago. 43 for women. It needs addressing.
Homelessness services wise there’s more provision available in Cardiff. Some homeless people move area due to not wishing to be found for one reason or another.
In regards to begging I suppose it’s a opportunity decision by some?
I'm not sure what the answer is or how to fix it but it does need fixing. Without searching and reading am article I skipped past and forgot to go back and read I think it was Finland that have kept on decreasing homelessness. Maybe a model to look at.. But our lot don't want to spend on that..
Housing First model?
Welsh Government have thrown a few quid at it. It’s intensive support for people with sometimes chronic issues. Favourable reports from pilot schemes. As an ex homelessness professional (loosely described), I’m not sure it’s the answer.
Did a Google after I posted and yes.
You're probably right. We have different social issues here.. I can picture the crack dens now..
Paris is outrageous for it
the area around the tower is fine, loads of police and its clean and tidy, but the walk back to the TGV was the worse i have ever seen for begging
then we got on the train and they were walking up and down the train begging, of course they spot a tourist and just keep on at them, made my girls feel really uneasy
Once saw a woman jacking up in the park by St John's church, it was 1 in the afternoon.
Also saw these 2 blokes asking for money just by St David's 2. They were making comments about the weather the previous night, but I was getting the impression they weren't homeless at all, but were just on the scrounge.
The only one I gave money to was a bloke that was always by St David's 2. It is pretty poor, or was the last time I went there which would have been late January.
I've worked a lot with young people / children on the streets in East Africa.
I would never recommend giving money to people begging on the street for a number reasons:
1) it sustains vulnerable people to remain on the street which ultimately will lead to them having more difficulties
2) people prefer cash rather than services (that can help them) so will nearly always be drawn to cash and away from services that can really need
3) sadly, when cash can be made, people / groups get organised and create it as an income stream
Studies have shown that giving to people on the streets creates more people on the streets. When people challenge me, telling me it's 'mean' not to give cash to people on the streets, I point out that by giving cash you are keeping them on the streets.
Supporting organisations that provide support services (the homelessness world cup in Cardiff was a great initiative) is much much better.
Agreed.
We need a way of addressing it.
When I was back in Cardiff last year I was speaking to some people from a homeless charity and from Cardiff council... the issue they have is that if they create a model in Cardiff with services to help people get off the street and things like counselling and referrals etc, that will pull people from other cities with lesser services.. So this is a case where the central government need to develop a national plan, with input from all cities and all charities.. so that we don't just push people on the streets around the country where the services are... sadly central governments commitment to addressing homelessness is non-existent and just leave it to local authorities without a single thought of the complexities I've touched on.
You and Jordi know what you're talking about, I can only nod in agreement as I really don't know what the fix is.
It is a shame that the government don't seem truly interested in sorting this. They have money for anti homeless devices in town centres and waste money on things that don't work that cost the earth.. So yes a nationwide plan where everything is done the same country wide would be a good start. Areas with a bigger problem are funded more etc.
I spent many years working with the homeless in Bradford, Oxford , Bridgend and Cardiff
This is the score
There is naff all money put into housing for homeless people , naff all money put in psychiatric and psychological support , naff all money put into addiction services
And under the conservatives since 2010 its got worse
Until this changes , nothing will change
That is depressing, does that mean that any creativity to at least alleviate the situation is killed at any brainstorming sessions because of the fear of increasing the problem?
These people don't vote Sludge, they only become an issue for Governments and Councils when handfuls of voters are complaining about having to walk past beggars. Most of the rest of us see the situation, sympathise, then go back to life without giving a second thought, I include myself in that.
My grandfather once told me, "you're only one bad day away from being there yourself". The pandemic is likely to create a lot more homeless people, and I am also fearful for people who may have ended up locked up with abusive parents/spouses/partners during lockdown. Which is why the actions of Cummings were particularly galling.
God forbid I give the Tories a get out but Housing & Homelessness policies are devolved powers.
Welsh Government have done a decent job with the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 but a lot of its objectives are hamstrung due to a lack of money, lack of access to available services (as you've touched on).
New models of working with homelessness are supported by Welsh Government but it'll be interesting to see if they're the answer or indeed sustainable.
Only an opinion.
how much money have they been given by Central government to deal with homelessness ?
Then we can start talking
Its no good devolving powers to Wales if the budget is cut
feggers
In fairness butt the Welsh Government found money to provide extra accommodation to rough sleepers during the pandemic. Whether there’s enough sustainable housing solutions on offer (there isn’t) is another thing? Whether or not they got the money to continue providing temporary accommodation is another question again?
A couple of years ago I found myself homeless after I walked out of a seriously abusive family members house. They were mentally and physically abusive towards me and I'd had enough as I was suicidal as a result (no addiction issues though). I went to Newport Council that morning to try and sort out emergency accommodation so I'd have a place to sleep that night. What I was told by the council horrified and appalled me. They basically said that because I'm a single white male with no children that I'd have to rough sleep on the streets as emergency accommodation was strictly kept for women and mothers as it's dangerous for women to rough sleep. I was told that because I was a man that I'd be able to cope with rough sleeping until I could sort out housing benefits and start bidding on flats etc... They actually put me in touch with someone who could provide a tent and sleeping bag for goodness sake.
Thankfully when an old friend I hadn't seen in a long time found out about my situation he let me stay at his place until everything could be sorted out. Thankfully everything is going well for me now and my life is pretty good at the moment, but that time in my life was awful. Newport Council are a disgrace. Judging by the amount of rough sleepers in the city center nothing has changed.
The whole process had made it clear to me that local councils cannot be bothered with sorting the problem of homelessness, they'd rather spend the money on vanity projects that cost a lot yet achieve very little.
I do feel really sorry for those who are rough sleeping due to mental health issues/abusive family, particularly when their own council don't seem to care about providing for the most vulnerable. Obviously it's a different story for addicts who don't want to change their lifestyle, it's their own fault for refusing treatment/rehab services that are available.
That sounds familiar. I didn't complete my A-levels as my disabled mother needed caring. Parents had divorced, negative equity on the house, it had to be sold. It was soon bought, so we applied for emergency housing. My mother was adviced to stay at a women's hostel as it would boost her chances of finding a place. When I asked about where I could stay, I was told to make my own provision and they wouldn't help me. Thankfully I was able to do so, but the council would have seen me on the street.
Geez, what an awful situation you and your mother found yourselves in back then. I always think "there for the grace of God go I". We just don't know what twists and turns lay ahead of us in life.
Glad to hear you came through it all in the end.
The stuff I saw on the streets of India was bad. Mumbai was on another level with homeless women sleeping on concrete strips between 6 lanes of traffic so no one could get to them, it was safer. In Goa, there was a place they could go to hire/borrow a new born baby for a day to beg and get more money off tourists. It’s a right eye opener and we only got to hear about what really goes in by getting to know Indian people who run small hotels/bars.
Welsh Goverment controls its own budgets, perhaps they should start at that pojnt,its funded through the Barnard agreed formulas , perhaps closer scrutiny of our own spending projects is needed and of course they have the gift to raise taxes to fund better health and social care ??
This is what we need to avoid 'Extra 30 Senedd members would cost around Ł12m'
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-wales-politics-53677704
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