In a tough and provocative article, Big Issue founder John Bird argues that the present homeless policy is utterly useless and the only 'cure' for most is compulsory treatment in mental hospitals...

I know a fair bit about homelessness. It's a condition I've experienced first hand as both a child and an adult. My first period of homelessness came at the age of five when my family were down and out in what were then the slums of Notting Hill, London.

I've slept rough and in shelters and, having pulled myself out of that hole, 15 years ago I publicly bound myself to the problem of homelessness by founding The Big Issue magazine.

It isn't something I've ever had the luxury of taking lightly, or liberally.

It is something on which I have strong opinions. Last year Channel 4 asked if I would be interested in making a programme and they assured me that the take on homelessness would be mine and mine alone.

The resulting film will be shown on Friday, and I'm confidently predicting a lot of people taking exception to what I've got to say.

But you know what? I don't care. I'm past bothering with being polite and tiptoeing round the less-than-comfortable facts of a problem that affects hundreds of thousands of people in this country.

The way that the Government - and the plethora of charities creating what can only be described as the homeless industry - 'treats' this problem is just plain wrong.

The system isn't curing anything. At best it's masking the real nature and extent of the problem.

At worst it's drip-feeding the decline of individuals who are stuck in the homeless trap and kept there by the very system that's supposed to be helping them.

Imagine your doctor telling you that you are seriously ill. He books you into hospital for an operation. You go in, are shown to your bed and are asked what you want for supper.

The next day you sit by your bed, now familiar with the hospital and its regime. You wait patiently.

The next day is followed by another. Nothing happens. The days turn into weeks; and then months.

And one day a nurse says: "Tomorrow you are going home." "But I thought I was seriously ill," you say in surprise. "Oh, you are," she replies, "But our budget doesn't extend to curing you. This is all we can afford." Insane?

Yes. But this is what happens every day in the lives of the homeless. The majority of hostels can deal with whatever crisis has brought another person through their doors.

 

There is no excuse for anyone to be homeless, there is shelters and YMCA's and voluntary organisations and so on so there is no need for a single person to be homeless in this country, plus beggars if they didn't spend the money on cider and drugs could spend it on a B+B or whatever, no sympathy for the homeless from me

Exacley, all they have to do is have a wash, a shave, stop drinking all the time get themselves to the job centre and find a job or Get some qualifications if they have none which would enable them to get a job lol

i really hate homeless people.

 

As usual he pops up with a point with absolutely no merit whatsoever -_-

I'm not too fond of YMCA type places, the one in my town is basically just a well run brothel full of lazy teenagers who can't be bothered to get off their asses and get a job, rather than people who actually need a place. 'm sure it's not like that in all places, but still, it's pretty sucky.

They're proper strict if your a big issue seller

 

If you've got all your $h!t in a tesco's carrier bag it's not allowed to be on show but where can they put it apart from the bin?