Westminster council has announced a ban on sleeping in the streets, in expectation of a steep rise in the number of homeless people as a result of the housing benefit changes. Fearing a return of card board city it has also banned soup kitchens for the homeless. Those attending the opera will be saved the embarrassment of having to step over rough sleepers or having to ignore the requests of beggars.
Banning rough sleeping is an attempt to remove the homeless from sight not an attempt to end homelessness. Card board city was removed last time not by making it illegal to sleep on the streets but by offering more places in hostels and drop in centres. This was effective because it was linked with services to help people get back into main stream society. In some cases that was dealing with a drug and alcohol problem in other cases it was help with reading and writing to both improve self esteem and job prospects. In some cases the help and support started a process of reconciliation with families in other cases healing the scar of a childhood in care. Often it just provided a platform for getting your life back together.
Now these services are also being cut back due to the financial pressure on local authorities. The result will not be less rough sleepers but less well supported more desperate rough sleepers. And that is not embarrassing that’s disgusting.
Blair Mcpherson
Author of Equipping mangers for uncertain future published by www.russellhouse.co.uk