Rough sleeping in London

There should be places where rough sleepers can go during the day to get help. Referring people, even for SWEP, depends on Streetlink, who only go out at night. Members of the public are more likely to come across people during the day and the rough sleepers may not be in the same place at night as they are during the day. Also, Streetlink do not seem very effective at all. When you refer someone to them and describe the location in great detail, the confirmation email often shows a very different address. You then get a message the following day that they weren’t able to find the person. No wonder if you go to the wrong address and only check once! 

Londoners should be allowed to join social housing registers before getting to the point of imminent homelessness. They should also be allowed to join registers outside London despite not necessarily having a local connection. Also single people without children shouldn't be discriminated against and all homeless people should be considered priority need. More social housing is needed and should be the priority in new builds and it needs to include studios and 1 bedroom flats. Lifetime tenancies should end but renew the tenancy every few years as long as the tenant still can't afford to buy or comfortably private rent. End right to buy 

I lived in Helsinki for several years, and there was virtually no homelessness there. Everyone got housing, if necessary paid for out of general taxation. So why was the political will there?

Their view was that, for those who are temporarily in a bad situation, they can only get their life back on track if they have a place to live. At a minimum, you need an address for job applications, and a shower to clean yourself for job interviews. Those people — with help from government and the charity sector — can and do go on to live a self-sufficient life without lifelong dependency on the taxpayer.

A troubled minority will possibly never be able to sort themselves out (serious addiction, alcoholism, mental health issues). So why would we want to see those troubled people living on the streets? 
Isn’t the city more pleasant for everyone without rough sleepers? Isn’t that why we pay taxes?

London is obviously a much larger city, with its own problems. But I would urge the city authorities to concentrate on housing provision as the first priority. All other benefits are arguably secondary.

Government and not just London councils not doing enough. Blinded by politics and the economy.

There is more than I can explain here and others may have better ideas. I am saying this concerns single people.

Build or refurbish buildings like University accommadation. 
Single rooms with bed/storage/toilet/sink/shower , with large communal/eating spaces downstairs where help can be given for jobs addiction and repatriation back to their UK origins.

I would like to see advice hubs for housing, which can provide lists of fair rent landlords, cheap shared housing, hostels, emergency shelters, give advice about self-help groups such as housing cooperatives (& how to set them up!)

As a minimum finding safe alternative accommodation,  but ideally concentrate on preventing the problems that cause it - so more social housing, easier access to mental health support services and effective anti addiction services.  Must be possible to work out the major cause - if it’s eviction,  improve emergency housing services.  Then work through the causes

Ending rough sleeping in London means providing temporary safe accommodation where the homeless can be helped with mental, physical and educational advice in order to become independent, look after themselves and feel secure in life. 
I volunteer at a women’s night shelter run by The Glass Door charity. Seeing what I see there makes me certain that this sort of project really helps. The Mayor should start similar projects across the city and provide safe temporary bedsitting accommodation with rehabilitation staff. 

Social housing is almost none existent in Wandsworth. Most have been sold privately for profit. Also the social housing system prioritises women over men. I have been on the waiting list with a medical condition for 10 years, my sister with a similar medical condition has received 3 homes in that time. Absolutely zero differences in circumstances. I bet most genuine homeless people are men.

Last year, I discovered that a man was sleeping rough in my shed on the allotment.  I didn't want to leave him with nowhere to go, so I sent a message to the local rough sleeping website.  They replied that they needed more details, so I doubt that he got the help he needed. There wasn't a postcode or detailed address that I could give them.

This is a BIG problem in London at the moment

The mayor throws out a lot of PR and bluster about this but the reality is he has barely built anything. Comparing against arbitrary targets isn’t good enough. 
There is an epidemic of drugs in London at the moment, it seems as through drug dealing and possession is decriminalised. 
Some boroughs have very high concentrations of hostels and high needs accommodation in small areas, one such location is Earls Court. This has created a sub community of people with complex needs and addiction. It’s important every part of London takes its fair share. Putting a lot of people with complex needs in to a small area 

the adverts I’ve seen about rough sleeping recently seem more like an advert for the mayor of London than a way of getting the right help to people. I assume this is deliberate. You don’t need ‘Mayor of London’ in the largest text on the billboard when the actual help in the small print at the bottom. It’s a bit cynical and insulting really. 

Housing more widely is tough 

• We need to accept not everyone can live in certain areas of London; it’s not the end of the world if you have to move out. In previous generations this was normal. 
• Councils seem more keen to find a way to say no to people as opposed to helping with housing needs
• A lot of people are clearly trying to take what they possibly can out of the system.
  
  
  Time for some thorough reform of the system.