London Homelessness

 

From the BBC News website: ‘The number of rough sleepers in London has risen by more than a fifth in the past year, the latest figures show.’

The BBC quotes a report by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) which says that people sleeping rough for the first time rose by more than twenty five percent.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66030583

There are lots of statistics given: ‘figures, released in a report commissioned and funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA), found that 10,053 people were seen sleeping on the streets between April 2022 and March 2023.

This figure was up by almost 21% from 8,329 in the same period a year before. First time rough sleepers in London rose to 6,391 – an almost 26% rise compared with 5,091 from the same period in 2021/22... some 2,084 people had been seen rough sleeping for at least two consecutive years.

After more than a year without sleeping rough, 1,578 people returned to the streets...the number of people in this situation increased by almost a third (31%) from 1,205 the previous year.’

There is recognition that this is an unacceptable situation; ‘Homelessness charity St Mungo's branded it a "tragic reflection" of the cost-of-living crisis and lack of affordable housing’. The Mayor of London described the rise as "extremely alarming"’.

Although the sincerity to alleviate and end this dire situation for all the individuals forced to live on the streets is accepted the ‘solutions’, as is too often the case within capitalism are of the sticking plaster variety treating the effect not the cause.

The Mayor of London: ‘despite previous progress, "extraordinary financial pressures are putting the poorest Londoners at growing risk of homelessness". His solution, ‘ he would like to be handed powers from the government to bring in rent controls’. Further, ‘ministers must "get a grip on the cost-of-living crisis and restore the social security safety net which stops people becoming trapped in a cycle of homelessness"’. And, "They (the government) must also invest in new council and genuinely affordable homes and restore London Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of market rents”’.

A government commitment had previously been made to end rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.

The CEO of St Mungo's underlined some of the issues which contributed toward homelessness: "The shrinking supply of affordable homes in the private rented sector, and the chronic undersupply of social housing, means people are struggling to find and keep somewhere to live... without "immediate intervention, the number of people sleeping rough will continue to rise".

It’s perhaps too much to ask that capitalism would be recognised as the underlying cause.

Does this Blog protesteth too much? Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Perhaps not on a par with Henry V’s Saint Crispin Day speech but stepping into the breech to eliminate the slay the dragon of homelessness (apologies for mixed metaphors. Ed.) comes Prince William to the rescue. Big sigh of relief. We can now all sleep safely in our beds. Well not if you’re homeless you can’t.

‘It’s a sad reality that in 2023 homelessness still exists. That is why Prince William and The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales have launched Homewards: a transformative five-year, locally led programme that will aim to demonstrate that together it’s possible to end homelessness – making it rare, brief and unrepeated’.

https://homewards.org.uk/

The Royal family own nineteen properties.

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/property/a29509536/royal-family-properties/

There does not seem to be a town, village or smaller area anywhere in the UK where homeless individuals will not now be found. Socialists are just as repulsed by this social ill as anyone.

Our solution is not more sticking plaster but a maddeningly simple one – abolish capitalism and replace it with a social system where goods and services are produced for use, not profit.