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Post by Admin on Sept 6, 2019 11:49:18 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 9, 2019 9:07:51 GMT
“People Are Homeless Because of the Failure of Our Capitalist Economy” AN INTERVIEW WITH DEAN PRESTON Dean Preston, a democratic socialist candidate for San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, has spent years fighting landlords and developers as a tenant organizer. Now, he explains in an interview, Preston is taking the fight to the city’s Democratic Party establishment. jacobinmag.com/2019/09/dean-preston-san-francisco-socialist-democrats
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Post by Admin on Sept 18, 2019 19:08:44 GMT
We're telling the stories of those who died homeless – here's why Hundreds of homeless people die on Britain’s streets every year. It’s time to recognise this as a societal failing – and to stop just passing by "Britain became a society in which those with nothing, and sometimes even those who worked for a wage, were housed in plastic Over the next few months (The Guardian) will be recounting the lives of homeless people who have recently died in the UK. These stories will focus on a variety of issues, including addiction (the biggest killer of homeless people), suicide (the second biggest killer), care (a hugely disproportionate number of homeless people have been in the care system), , post-traumatic stress disorder, domestic abuse, disability, prison.” www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/sep/17/were-telling-the-stories-of-those-who-died-homeless-heres-why
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Post by Admin on Oct 14, 2019 7:33:41 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 20, 2019 9:56:20 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 20, 2019 15:12:12 GMT
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Post by Admin on Dec 20, 2019 13:38:04 GMT
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Post by Admin on Dec 25, 2019 8:37:58 GMT
Christmas 2019: More than half a million homeless in America 24 December 2019 This Christmas approximately 568,000 people, a population equivalent to the state of Wyoming, will mark the holiday in homeless shelters, tent encampments or in the rough, all across the United States. Some of the homeless will not make it to Christmas as the death toll continues to mount. In Los Angeles County, a focal point of the social crisis, one thousand of the estimated 44,000 unsheltered homeless population have died in both 2018 and 2019, nearly three lives per day, side by side with the glitter of Hollywood and the wealth and privilege of Beverly Hills. www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/24/pers-d24.html
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Post by Admin on Dec 25, 2019 11:52:05 GMT
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Post by Admin on Feb 26, 2020 17:33:18 GMT
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Post by Admin on Mar 30, 2020 15:18:46 GMT
The homeless are no longer hidden The government have demanded the urgent rehousing of street sleepers. But why wasn't this done years ago? leftfootforward.org/2020/03/the-homeless-are-no-longer-hidden/Among the myriad of the government’s rushed announcements was that local councils were to house all rough sleepers by the end of the weekend just gone. It wouldn’t have been surprising for this announcement to go largely unnoticed, just as its intended beneficiaries have gone unnoticed for so long. However, it is such a drastic change of course from this Tory government, that it is something of a black swan even in these extraordinary times. To say, the homeless have been affected by austerity measures is something of an understatement. A group that was already maligned has become further abandoned to the margins of society since the Conservatives came to power. Over a decade, as deep cuts were made to vital provisions within local council budgets, the country’s number of rough sleepers has soared. Mark Fransham in the British Medical Journal states that the number of rough sleepers has gone from ‘1,768 in 2010 to 4,751 in 2017.’ Furthermore, the report suggests this is just the tip of the iceberg by adding that the hidden homeless in London alone are estimated at 225,000. These figures, despite the seriousness of the issue, have sadly fallen on deaf ears. The data also suggests something even more harrowing. Crisis has found that if you are a rough sleeper, compared with the general population, your average age of death drops from 77 to 47. That is the impact of austerity measures on the homeless – their lives are at great risk of ending very prematurely. Just as Boris Johnson once pledged to eradicate homelessness by 2012 and then subsequently never spoke of it again, so too were these figures ignored. It has become the norm to expect that a Conservative government will act with indifference to the most vulnerable in society. However, these are not normal times. The coronavirus pandemic has made many things which seemed unlikely, become perfectly reasonable to expect – typified by the chancellor’s measures renewing the safety net that had been hacked away for so long. It is in this new, malleable form, that the government has changed course again with the request that all rough sleepers be put into accommodation. Before congratulating this government on a moral and just decision, we should examine their reason for reaching such a decision. The reason loses its altruistic sheen upon further inspection, and it becomes glaringly obvious that this is a decision made out of a desire for self-preservation rather than genuine care. Austerity has meant that the NHS is clearly at risk of being overwhelmed. Therefore, the lockdown was an overdue response to stifle the development of the virus in the general population; however, the issue of rough sleepers means it was an imperfect solution. This is due to the potential for rough sleepers to contract the virus and become ‘super-spreaders’ themselves. If this were to happen, it would fuel an avalanche that would surely hit the NHS. Therefore, homelessness has become newly politicised – this group that had literally been confined to the shadows has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight. Even more concerning than the act’s motivation, is its lack of substance. To house what local councils have estimated as being 25,000 people in the space of a weekend, not only requires a herculean effort from councils but also requires massive funding. A housing department spokesperson said: “We are working intensively with councils and the sector to get everyone who is sleeping rough off the streets and into appropriate accommodation – backed by £1.6bn of additional funding for councils to respond to pressures during this national emergency.” However, it remains to be decided exactly how and how much of this fund will be dedicated to the task. Additionally, the government is yet to provide any form of logistical support – as councils are left with a potential shortage of locations due to unforeseen hotel closures. This ambiguity and lack of direction have left much of the realisation of this plan up in the air. Overall, the long overdue attention finally being paid to the plight of the homeless is welcome. However, it will take more than an ‘urgent request’ to solve an issue that has plagued Britain for decades. Funding and specific detail will be needed quickly to make this operation a success. If rough sleepers are housed, Boris and the Conservative party would make good on their uncharacteristic manifesto pledge to ‘end the blight of rough sleeping.’ If they do not, the consequences will undoubtedly be severe for all, not least the most vulnerable – the rough sleepers themselves. Isaac Oliver is a law graduate and long time Labour activist. As you’re here, we have something to ask you. What we do here to deliver real news is more important than ever. But there’s a problem: we need readers like you to chip in to help us survive. We deliver progressive, independent media, that challenges the right’s hateful rhetoric. Together we can find the stories that get lost. We’re not bankrolled by billionaire donors, but rely on readers chipping in whatever they can afford to protect our independence. What we do isn’t free, and we run on a shoestring. Can you help by chipping in as little as £1 a week to help us survive? Whatever you can donate, we’re so grateful - and we will ensure your money goes as far as possible to deliver hard-hitting news.
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Post by Admin on Jul 8, 2020 12:01:39 GMT
If you wanted to design a policy to create more crime when it could be avoided - this would be high on the list. Causing misery and homelessness should not be government policy. Incredible that it needs saying. Thousands of high-risk offenders in UK 'freed into homelessness' Report warns of reoffending risk as 3,713 ex-prisoners in England lack safe housing www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/08/thousands-of-high-risk-offenders-in-uk-freed-into-homelessnessThousands of high-risk convicted criminals, including those classed as violent and sexual offenders, were being released from prison in England into homelessness, increasing the likelihood of their reoffending, inspectors warned. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) said in a report that it was “particularly disturbed” to find that at least 3,713 people supervised by the National Probation Service, which is responsible for high-risk offenders, had left prison and become homeless from 2018 to 2019. Ministry of Justice figures show 11,435 people were released from prison into homelessness in 2018-19, and 4,742 homeless people started community sentences in the same period.
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Post by Admin on Jul 15, 2020 20:58:14 GMT
Ombudsman highlights where councils can improve services to homeless people Posted by June Knight 15th July 2020 2 min read welfareweekly.com/ombudsman-highlights-where-councils-can-improve-services-to-homeless-people/Local Govt and Care Ombudsman Page: Ombudsman highlights where councils can improve services to homeless people www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/news/2020/jul/ombudsman-highlights-where-councils-can-improve-services-to-homeless-peopleProblems with the way councils are meeting new housing duties are making some homeless people’s situation worse, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. In a new report published today, the Ombudsman examines the lessons that councils can learn from the first 50 cases it investigated under the Homelessness Reduction Act, introduced in 2018. While the cases are from before the Covid-19 pandemic, the guidance is all the more pertinent as temporary, emergency measures introduced to reduce homelessness during the peak come to an end. Problems identified in the new report include councils delaying helping people and difficulties in issuing Personalised Housing Plans – the documents which set out what has been agreed between the homeless person and local authority to address the problem. The Ombudsman also found simple communication issues, with people left unsure about the next steps they need to take, or not being told about their rights to challenge a council’s decision. The report highlights stories from the Ombudsman’s casework, and gives advice on how councils can take steps to avoid similar situations in their areas. Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “When people are in the very vulnerable position of being homeless or at risk of homelessness, even a small administrative failure can have a significant impact on their situation. “Our cases show that, while people are not being made homeless by councils failing to meet their new duties, their problems are very much compounded – and often left homeless for longer than they might have been, when councils do not get things right. “While we do see evidence of good practice up and down the country, I would urge all councils with responsibility for housing people in need to read my report and assess whether they can learn from it to make improvements to their own services.” The new Homelessness Reduction Act gave people who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness, new rights to services from councils. The Act’s aim was for councils to help more people earlier, to prevent homelessness as much as possible, and to help find accommodation for people who have become homeless. The Act was a significant change for councils. It increased the range of people they are expected to help and the type of services they must provide. In particular, it introduced assessments of people who ask for help, and new duties to help people retain or find accommodation. Article date: 15 July 2020
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Post by Admin on Jul 25, 2020 13:00:15 GMT
Homelessness proves capitalism is a 'blatant failure' - Jacinda Ardern www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/homelessness-proves-capitalism-is-a-blatant-failure-jacinda-ardern.htmlCapitalism is a "blatant failure" when it comes to housing the poor, says Jacinda Ardern. In the 37-year-old's first sit-down interview since becoming Prime Minister-elect, Ms Ardern said Kiwis are not "feeling the benefits of any form of posterity" and big changes were needed. "Wages are not keeping up with inflation, the cost of housing is outstripping most people's reach," she told The Nation's Lisa Owen. "What is the point of economic growth when we have some of the worst homelessness in the developed world?" The Government she's formed with New Zealand First, with support from the Greens on confidence and supply, would be an "active" one when it came to plugging capitalism's holes. "When you have a market economy, it all comes down to whether or not you acknowledge where the market has failed and where intervention is required. Has it failed our people in recent times? Yes. How can you claim you've been successful when you have growth roughly 3 percent, but you've got the worst homelessness in the developed world?" Ms Ardern said her Government wouldn't measure economic success just on things like GDP. "The measures for us have to change. We need to make sure we are looking at people's ability to actually have a meaningful life, an enjoyable life, where their work is enough to survive and support their families." Asked directly if capitalism had failed low-income Kiwis, Ms Ardern was unequivocal. "If you have hundreds of thousands of children living in homes without enough to survive, that's a blatant failure. What else could you describe it as?"
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Post by Admin on Aug 25, 2020 8:54:11 GMT
Rough sleeping: Arrests fall as police brand law 'archaic' By Laurence Sleator BBC Political Research Unit www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48310872Police have criticised a law allowing beggars and rough sleepers to be arrested, as figures reveal they are using their powers less. Arrests under the Vagrancy Act have halved over two years, data obtained by the BBC suggests. Forces have said they are "moving away" from the "archaic" law which charities say "criminalises" the homeless. The government said the law was under review. Figures from 33 police forces in England and Wales show a sharp fall in arrests between 2016 and 2018. There were 1,127 arrests in 2017-18, down from 2,220 in 2015-16. Almost 80% of the forces that provided data had reduced the number of arrests. 'Exacerbates problems' West Midlands Police said it had "consciously" moved away from using the Vagrancy Act to pursue more "meaningful solutions". Supt Ian Green said: "The Vagrancy Act is an archaic piece of legislation. "It often ends with people being given fines they can't afford to pay or being sent to prison, which only exacerbates their problems." West Midlands Police made 91 arrests under the Vagrancy Act in 2017-18 compared to 229 in 2015-16. However, police in Birmingham could be given other powers to disperse individuals and groups and issue fines. Councillors in Birmingham are due to discuss plans for a Public Space Protection Order on 4 June but the move has prompted protests from demonstrators who say it will treat "sleeping in a doorway and asking for a cup of tea" as a crime. The city council said complaints over crime and anti-social behaviour had increased "significantly" over the past 12 months and the order would protect the homeless as well as the wider public.
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