Thursday 8 March 2018

Homelessness

As people who follow me on Facebook will know I have become troubled by homelessness. I used to be involved in a project in Notting Hill in the mid 1970s that provide some temporary accomodation to homeless people for 30p a night if they had it and sometimes some free food from friendly local restaurants.
 
Since 2010 there has been a huge increase in homelessness as least partially as a result of government policy. I have chatted a bit to homeless people and give the odd pound coin but I am no expert. And yet walking to chapel on Sundays I pass several rough sleepers and I know it aint right.
 
So I financially support Coffee4Craig which works on the streets of Manchester (and elsewhere); I have invested some of my savings with Green Pastures that houses homeless people; and I have just given money to We are Beam that crowd funds for the training of homeless people individually.
My efforts are a drop in the ocean no doubt and what we need is a change in government policy. The obvious solution (as practised in a few cities in the USA) is to house everyone and then see what their problems are since whatever caused them to rough sleep it can only makes things worse over time. Think shortened life and increased mental health issues.
 
So I reckon we need to light a candle rather than curse the darkness