On 27 Dec 2016 at 8:55am Metatron wrote:
Just dropped my son into Brighton at 8.00am and counted 19 Rough sleepers on the coldest morning of the year. Poor souls.
What's happening to Britain?
On 27 Dec 2016 at 10:12am Adele wrote:
Why didn't YOU buy them a few breakfasts then ?
On 27 Dec 2016 at 10:31am i'm alright Jack wrote:
For most of them, it's a lifestyle choice. Most are illegals or don't want to conform. There is help out there if they want it....most choose not to get it.
On 27 Dec 2016 at 10:34am Metatron wrote:
Sleeping out in icy conditions is a lifestyle choice?
On 27 Dec 2016 at 11:06am watcher wrote:
Precisely Metatron; people who make such comments are really victims in a different way of the destruction we are witnessing of a caring society.
The gross increase in rough sleeping is due in large part to the disintegration of mental health care in this country. Addiction often reflects self medication of pain and anguish. An increase in the number of heroin addicts and alcoholics is a bellwether of a dysfunctional society. They are no less worthy of care and respect than a City cocaine sniffer in an exclusive club in London. Addiction unless you are rich, imposes poverty and makes you an outcast. How many drinkers in Lewes pubs might be a step away from this?
Also and this is particularly true of men, the failure of a relationship can mean a sudden plummet into homelessness. For many of us there is actually quite
a thin line between homelessness and present 'security'(take a look at the huge housing problem). It is a political problem. The bankers go unpunished and our streets are littered with their victims through the consequent cruel idealogical robbing of society by Osborne, Cameron and co. They are the ones responsible for the dismantling of those services that are the bastions of a civilised society. Recent writing on child mental health shows that we have a tidal wave of vulnerability ready to hit us in the future.
On 27 Dec 2016 at 11:18am i'm alright jack wrote:
I deal with rough sleepers in Brighton on a daily basis. There is all the help they want out there should they choose to get it or are legally living in the country. Believe me on this one.
On 27 Dec 2016 at 11:49am Clifford wrote:
A wonderful place, Lewes Forum. You can always guarantee there are going to be some smug so-and-sos who are either going to kick people when they are down or pretend the problem doesn't really exist and that it's a 'lifestyle choice'. Let's hope your luck holds up, eh?
On 27 Dec 2016 at 11:57am i'm alright Jack wrote:
Truth hurt eh Clifford. I know the "problem" exists, read my post, i deal with them on a daily basis whilst you're tucked up in your 4 bed detached house in middle England Lewes.
On 27 Dec 2016 at 12:19pm @I'm alright Jack wrote:
Jack my partner and me had work that housing, homelessness, rough sleepers, etc etc
Our experience very much bears out what you've said.
Truth is something hand wringing but do nothing brigade find very hard to cope with
On 27 Dec 2016 at 12:46pm Jill wrote:
Jack, at least ur trying to deal with them. What does ur work involve?
On 27 Dec 2016 at 1:14pm RedHeartedCyclist wrote:
My heart goes out to them but it was always going to happen when the coalition government cancelled the ability for under 25's to claim housing benefit. I never knew how nasty' the nasty party' could be but I'm truly shocked. Lewes and surrounding towns you are bigger and better then these plutocrats to sink to their level of argument, they fear more what you can do or more importantly what you can make them do
On 27 Dec 2016 at 1:25pm Jill wrote:
Cyclist, what are u on about? ('they fear more what you can do or more importantly what you can make them do')
On 27 Dec 2016 at 1:30pm The people wrote:
Regardless on politics it is a very sad situation for those affected. Don't generalise about why people have to live like this, just be sympathetic whether on here or when you are out and about......
On 27 Dec 2016 at 1:39pm Jill wrote:
Jack, at least ur trying to deal with them. What does ur work involve?
On 27 Dec 2016 at 2:39pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
I also work with people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, but not in Brighton.
There may well be a fair amount of help in Brighton, but I can assure you there's very little in the rural districts of East Sussex. If you're a single adult without a disabling health condition, the best you can hope for is a loan for rent in advance/deposit. Then you have the struggle of finding somewhere you can afford, where the landlord/letting agent does not require a guarantor, and where they will accept people on benefits if you are not in work.
It's really grim out there for the single homeless. Not much better for families, either.
On 27 Dec 2016 at 3:00pm Clifford wrote:
i'm alright Jack wrote: 'Truth hurt eh Clifford.'
Are you sure it's not the truth you find difficulty deal with? Why do you think the number of homeless has gone up over the past few years? All 'illegals'?
On 27 Dec 2016 at 3:07pm Billy wrote:
I remember when people had pride and didn't think the world owed them a living. You can either sit on your backside waiting for something to happen or you can go out and make it happen. Anyone see that guy on TV the other day who lost all his limbs due to an infection? His disfigurement was so bad even his wife couldn't bear to be in the room with him. All he wanted to do was go back to work so he fought through everything and came out on top. That's the type of person who I would help.
On 27 Dec 2016 at 3:52pm One not so good man wrote:
You can't handle the truth.
On 28 Dec 2016 at 7:34am The people wrote:
Be ashamed all who have no sympathy....
On 28 Dec 2016 at 10:06am the bigger picture wrote:
to all who "think they are safe". YOU are all just a heart beat away from the other side of the fence, sit in your glass houses, throw your stones, and judge who you wish. but trust me all it takes is a twist of the status quo, and your world can turn upside down in the blink of an eye. from riches to rags can happen "very fast indeed". and sometimes there is nothing in the short term you can do to stop it!!. sure once you are there you can piece your world back to some kind of order, but it takes time and a "lot" of help. so my message to all those who think that rough sleepers are a "life style choice" or lazy scroungers or any other form of derogatory term you may wish to use. DONT be so short sighted, you may well get bitten.
On 28 Dec 2016 at 11:52am Adele wrote:
Over population. As the population rises, so do the percentages, even more left handed people than ever before.
On 28 Dec 2016 at 12:11pm Pedro wrote:
Its very sad how we have both a sharp rise in homeless, rough sleepers in our society, as well as an increase in unsympathetic ar5eh0les. What kind of people kick others when they are down (sometimes literally)? What does it say about them as an individual?
People don't all have the same life chances, even if one can highlight an anecdote or many suggesting otherwise. Humans, chances, opportunities are all presented differently and unequally, and sometimes with all the good will and effort in the world, one can sometimes just fall into misfortune (as "the bigger picture" above stated). If you don't want to help someone then fair enough, but you don't have to be a d1ck about it or treat them with contempt.
On 29 Dec 2016 at 7:36pm Tipex wrote:
"I'm all right Jack" - I hate to think how you "deal" with rough sleepers. Certainly not in a caring capacity where you try to understand the complex reasons why someone "choose" to sleep outdoors in freezing temperatures.
On 29 Dec 2016 at 10:44pm Pedro wrote:
@ southstreetet. Your mum looks childish.
On 1 Jan 2017 at 1:58pm Tunbridge wrote:
Of the Vulnerable people I know personally in Lewes, just over the past 2 weeks.
The tally is...
3 Dead.
3 sleeping rough in shop door ways.
The fact that it was Christmas makes no difference. In the summer there were 2 deaths, 7 people sleeping rough and two stabbings.
The only thing I could come up with outside the usual debate of who is worthy enough for compassion or who's job it is to give it, was that we need joined up services, capable of working with people with more that one issue and it needs to be local.
On 7 Jan 2017 at 1:08am Bilbo wrote:
2 ways of thinking about this in my opinion -
1: the government try to make out they care and want to help but they don't care aslong as they are happy in their big house's with £20+ breakfasts and claiming expenses back ( which noone needs to do) 'eat at home like everyone else' where as the only people that do help are the 'working class' I for one have given up to £20 to a gentleman in Brighton as he said that would get him a bed for the night, this don't sound like alot but to me £20 is quite alot but I was coming home to my house and he was not going anywhere other than the ground with a blanket, also I think that (some people might disagree with this) the UK having ex service on the streets Is terrible especially as I know 2 people who went to prison and got offered and given council flats to help them when they came out,
2: 2 of the people that say they are homeless and ask for money in Lewes actually live in the old farm house in landport, which also they would be entitled to job seekers if they were looking for work,
Some might disagree but this is my thought 