I feel like giving homeless people cash would be a bad thing, But at least they are doing a study and have a good comparison which I expect will do much better.
> The other half will get additional help from Greater Change, whose support workers will discuss their financial problems then pay for items such as rent deposits, outstanding debts, work equipment, white goods, furniture or new clothes. They do not make direct transfers to avoid benefits being stopped due to a cash influx.
WantsToDieBadly on
Doesn’t every homeless support group and charity say this doesnt work?
Not to sound heartless but i expect to see more street drinkers with their rutgot cider.
[deleted] on
[removed]
Car-Nivore on
Will this not lead to more OD’ing on our streets and being found next morning in a shop doorway by staff opening up?
Would it not be better to spend the cash on safe areas, with clean equipment and some sort of medical overwatch for addicts to get high, etc?
Ok_Reply_2508 on
just give them a bag of smack cut out the middle man
DonGibon87 on
That’s the opposite of “give someone a fish and you feed him for a day, teach someone how to fish and you feed him for life”
Dwengo on
This is going to go down well. Most homeless people are drug users either as a result of being homeless or otherwise. Who can guess where that money is going?
Manor_park_E12 on
Or you know, you could stick them in hotels as they sort their lives out, just a thought.
LS2595 on
Give them access to food banks and fund them hotels or accommodation. We don’t mind paying a few quid or two extra if it’d helping put the homeless. All rich business should chip in to fund a scheme with the government. More then enough money to solve the problem.
ffekete on
“I’ll give you £20 to fuck off”
Narrator: they didn’t fuck off, they came back the next day for more
Firm-Distance on
I used to work as a constable in a large city centre – primarily on foot patrol.
A regular task was being called to deal with homeless individuals who were causing issues – such as fighting, screaming and shouting in the street, urinating in the street, stealing from shops – etc, etc.
Obviously over time you get to know them, their issues, their backgrounds – etc. Unfortunately *most* of them (if not all) have some sort of substance addiction – usually alcohol and/or heroin. If handed cash, by the admission of the ones I’d speak to – that would typically go straight on drugs and if it leaves them with £0 that’s fine because you can still get fed by:
* Stealing
* Attending charitable centres that provide free meals
* Waiting for various charitable outreach teams to come around with soup / sandwiches
* Sitting outside Tesco and waiting for someone to buy you a sandwich
Obviously from their perspective this makes sense – you *can* get free food by stealing or being given it. You cannot *really* get free drugs – and if you do get free drugs by stealing there’s a good chance you’re going to get stabbed/killed.
I really don’t think handing out cash to them is the answer based on my own experiences here – however, this is a trial and so I’d imagine by the end of the trial they’ll have a bit more data and be able to conclude *this does not work.*
szymonsta on
I’m all for it. Give them enough for 10 grams of heroin or whatever, we won’t have a homeless problem for long. /s
Yeah, giving people money does not imminently solve all their problems.
thisoilguy on
Business are struggling to get employees for minimum wage work and simple tasks, including seasonal farm jobs and hospitality jobs.
Government solution: promote unemployment and give cash to jobless and homeless.
Key_Kong on
The housing first model works for the homeless who are looking to get off the streets and back to a normal life.
SecretionAgentMan1 on
I’m going to give you some advice Claire. Scrape them off.
medevil_hillbillyMF on
They need support housing not 20 quid for white lightning
Smaxter84 on
Results just in… They buy drugs and booze with it
Thevanillafalcon on
I think if anything this is more likely to work now than in previous times. It’s obviously down to the individual but you will have people that would be homeless regardless of the current economic situation, the mentally ill, the addicts etc. this probably isn’t going to help them as they’re not capable of helping themselves.
However with the economy being so bad the last 5 years, I suspect there’s a lot of perfectly mentally okay people (apart from the stress of being homeless) that just need a leg up to get them out.
wagonwheels87 on
Weird how we need like 80% of people saying the same thing rather than a few intelligent folks putting forwards a reasonable argument and then others supporting them.
It’s also weird that they’re doing this and not improving local resources and amenities instead.
SkipperTheEyeChild1 on
They definitely won’t buy drugs or booze. They’ll probably put it in an isa. Genius!
berbatov1111 on
I don’t think this is the way to go. Absolutely spend the money on the homeless. Provide support with mental health, housing, jobseeking etc. Provide hot meals and give out warm clothing and blankets. Fund shelters. But simply handing out money is potentially very dangerous with drug and alcohol addiction rampant.
usedburgermeat on
Wouldn’t some kind of voucher card that can only be used to buy food make more sense?
AlanBrownSugar88 on
The problem is that crack is really moreish and they might accidentally run to Windsor.
VelvetDreamers on
For those excoriating the asylum seekers, they can be housed in hotels because they’re not drug addicts. Hotels, hostels, and homeless shelters have a no drugs policy that homeless addicts always violate and they’re rendered homeless by their own addiction.
Giving cash to addicts is futile and only perpetuates their addiction. You’re treating the symptoms of addiction and not the cause by alleviating the momentarily poverty.
Downtown_Letter_9853 on
They should give them vouchers for food. Not cash for drink and drugs.
jtthom on
The “take care of are own” crowd are surely going to be pleased, right? Right?
26 Comments
I feel like giving homeless people cash would be a bad thing, But at least they are doing a study and have a good comparison which I expect will do much better.
> The other half will get additional help from Greater Change, whose support workers will discuss their financial problems then pay for items such as rent deposits, outstanding debts, work equipment, white goods, furniture or new clothes. They do not make direct transfers to avoid benefits being stopped due to a cash influx.
Doesn’t every homeless support group and charity say this doesnt work?
Not to sound heartless but i expect to see more street drinkers with their rutgot cider.
[removed]
Will this not lead to more OD’ing on our streets and being found next morning in a shop doorway by staff opening up?
Would it not be better to spend the cash on safe areas, with clean equipment and some sort of medical overwatch for addicts to get high, etc?
just give them a bag of smack cut out the middle man
That’s the opposite of “give someone a fish and you feed him for a day, teach someone how to fish and you feed him for life”
This is going to go down well. Most homeless people are drug users either as a result of being homeless or otherwise. Who can guess where that money is going?
Or you know, you could stick them in hotels as they sort their lives out, just a thought.
Give them access to food banks and fund them hotels or accommodation. We don’t mind paying a few quid or two extra if it’d helping put the homeless. All rich business should chip in to fund a scheme with the government. More then enough money to solve the problem.
“I’ll give you £20 to fuck off”
Narrator: they didn’t fuck off, they came back the next day for more
I used to work as a constable in a large city centre – primarily on foot patrol.
A regular task was being called to deal with homeless individuals who were causing issues – such as fighting, screaming and shouting in the street, urinating in the street, stealing from shops – etc, etc.
Obviously over time you get to know them, their issues, their backgrounds – etc. Unfortunately *most* of them (if not all) have some sort of substance addiction – usually alcohol and/or heroin. If handed cash, by the admission of the ones I’d speak to – that would typically go straight on drugs and if it leaves them with £0 that’s fine because you can still get fed by:
* Stealing
* Attending charitable centres that provide free meals
* Waiting for various charitable outreach teams to come around with soup / sandwiches
* Sitting outside Tesco and waiting for someone to buy you a sandwich
Obviously from their perspective this makes sense – you *can* get free food by stealing or being given it. You cannot *really* get free drugs – and if you do get free drugs by stealing there’s a good chance you’re going to get stabbed/killed.
I really don’t think handing out cash to them is the answer based on my own experiences here – however, this is a trial and so I’d imagine by the end of the trial they’ll have a bit more data and be able to conclude *this does not work.*
I’m all for it. Give them enough for 10 grams of heroin or whatever, we won’t have a homeless problem for long. /s
Yeah, giving people money does not imminently solve all their problems.
Business are struggling to get employees for minimum wage work and simple tasks, including seasonal farm jobs and hospitality jobs.
Government solution: promote unemployment and give cash to jobless and homeless.
The housing first model works for the homeless who are looking to get off the streets and back to a normal life.
I’m going to give you some advice Claire. Scrape them off.
They need support housing not 20 quid for white lightning
Results just in… They buy drugs and booze with it
I think if anything this is more likely to work now than in previous times. It’s obviously down to the individual but you will have people that would be homeless regardless of the current economic situation, the mentally ill, the addicts etc. this probably isn’t going to help them as they’re not capable of helping themselves.
However with the economy being so bad the last 5 years, I suspect there’s a lot of perfectly mentally okay people (apart from the stress of being homeless) that just need a leg up to get them out.
Weird how we need like 80% of people saying the same thing rather than a few intelligent folks putting forwards a reasonable argument and then others supporting them.
It’s also weird that they’re doing this and not improving local resources and amenities instead.
They definitely won’t buy drugs or booze. They’ll probably put it in an isa. Genius!
I don’t think this is the way to go. Absolutely spend the money on the homeless. Provide support with mental health, housing, jobseeking etc. Provide hot meals and give out warm clothing and blankets. Fund shelters. But simply handing out money is potentially very dangerous with drug and alcohol addiction rampant.
Wouldn’t some kind of voucher card that can only be used to buy food make more sense?
The problem is that crack is really moreish and they might accidentally run to Windsor.
For those excoriating the asylum seekers, they can be housed in hotels because they’re not drug addicts. Hotels, hostels, and homeless shelters have a no drugs policy that homeless addicts always violate and they’re rendered homeless by their own addiction.
Giving cash to addicts is futile and only perpetuates their addiction. You’re treating the symptoms of addiction and not the cause by alleviating the momentarily poverty.
They should give them vouchers for food. Not cash for drink and drugs.
The “take care of are own” crowd are surely going to be pleased, right? Right?