The Homeless Problem - full documentary

Why do people become homeless? How many people does it affect? How does government legislation affect the provision for the homeless? There are over an estimated 300,000 homeless people in the UK and ‘Rough Sleepers’ the people we see on the streets only represent a very small percentage of the total number of people caught in this epidemic.

This film explores the complex reasons that lead to people finding themselves on the street and the difficulties in supporting them in light of the consequences of austerity policy.

With contributions from Dr Victoria Cooper, Dr Daniel McCulloch, Dr David Scott and Dr Mathijs Lucassen The Homeless Problem gather a wide range of expertise and first-hand testimonials from people that have experienced homelessness in a discussion that examines topics as wide-ranging as mental health to the relationship between homelessness and the criminal justice system.

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[tonyn]

what a very true comment. it only takes 2 lost paychecks to completely change your life, sitting in the job centers and going on your knees for benefits. whats happened to me. it really fu ks you up.

[ivanmayer]

I live in a block of flats in the UK. There's homeless people who sleep outside at the rear of the flats every night. They make alot of noise, and they take drugs and fight. They poo and wee just outside my bedroom window. I'm not criticising them. I'm just telling you what they do. If I give them money, they spend it on drugs. If I take my rubbish bags out to bin, they shout swear and ask me to give them more money. When I tell people all this, they think I'm a bad person because I criticising them. But I'm not criticising them. All this is what they do outside my flat. And I'm supposed to feel sorry for them? I'm supposed to feel empathy? You'll be surprised how quickly people's opinions change when it's their door step the homeless are sleeping on, weeing on, pooing on! If you feel sorry for them, go out and find one and let him sleep on your doorstep for a few nights!!!

[LabRat]

I feel sorry for the genuine homeless who were victims of circumstances and not the junkie chancers.

[johncorcoran]

Over 200 homeless people died in Toronto Canada alone last year. It is a significant symptom of an uncaring society

[mrjamesfu]

Great documentary, very informative

Holistic help for the homeless, with more support from the government to integrate these human beings back into society is necessary. These people can support the economy! The people which recover from these horrid situations seem so compassionate, you can see it in their eyes.

We all have the power to help this situation, even by just giving these people one minute of your time or a simple smile

[Wildman]

Once I had the misfortune of Being homeless I had two choices either a city park bench or a tent in the woods I chose the woods I had to be clever to survive a good example was when winter was right around the corner I needed to find a way to keep my tent warm I scavenged the woods around me looking for something I could use to heat my tent I got lucky I found a few iron pipes in some junk thrown over a hill and the iron pipes where exactly what I needed to heat my tent I already had a shallow fire pit about 6 ft from my tent so I dug a few trenches from the bottom of the fire pit to underneath where my tent was going to be I laid the iron pipe in the trenches and packed clay over the pipes outside inside I covered the pipes with river pebbles I set the tent back up and I made a rope frame over the tent to support sleeping bags and tarps when I started a fire in the fire pit the iron pipes got hot and I had radiant heat coming through the tent floor the bigger the fire the more heat I got and even when the fire went out the pipes would stay hot for a while longer I never had a cold day or night after that

[PhuketWord]

Thank you to all those dedicated individuals helping people get back on their feet. Giving housing and support is the best model and has been proven to work in other coutries.

[mariekatherine]

If a person is left alone without purpose or hope and no social support, unneeded, why live? There are needs more important than housing.

[silvialogan]

Being homeless is a problem that many people have and the government should do something about it so that they find proper shelter.

[carltonhouse]

Why this country have money to feed luxury royal families and refugees coming from the boats but no money for these homeless people??

[leafykille]

I'm homeless, I'm clean, I'm skilled, I'm responsible and I would like help, but no help is ever available.

[TC]

This is rubbish. They spoke on everything that's broken in the system but said nothing about a solution

[GeekanArtemis]

Far too many corporation's profiting from Homelessness, to ever fix the problem. A homeless human saved, is a customer lost! An another nail in a charities coffin!

[handleisGG]

They gave me an uninhabitable home and said if I didnt take it. Id make myself intentionally homeless, it has no hot water, central heating and the windows dont close causing damp and mold spores everywhere, the walls were holey aswell so im STUCK

[karlkuttup]

the true number of homeless in uk is wsy way higher id say 1 million folks easy, the hostels bed n breakfast, sofa surfing, temp accodamation shared houseing plus the folks on the streets plus teenagers comeing out of care homes growing every year

[susanwhitley]

A problem with homelessness, - but hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees given homes and places to stay immediately on arrival, including, but not exclusive to, four star hotels and free six bedroomed houses to Indians.

It doesn't wash with me I'm afraid, there are hundreds of office blocks purchased by Councils for investment purposes, paid for by taxpayers money, left empty, only to loose value - when they could have been converted into self catering units for the homeless. Not to mention the millions of pounds being funelled into offshore accounts.

We can spend money on Wars, we can spend money on immigrants, but we cannot provide good quality low cost accomodation for our own under privilidged. - Baffling and mind-boggling in the same breath. - Change is coming.

[lily_m]

Nobody in a country as wealthy as the UK should end up homeless. Instead of averting your eyes, buy the homeless a cup of tea or a sandwich, toiletries or fruit.

[ericchristen]

Its not the problem. Just a direct consequence of runaway greed and government corruption.

[HassanHosseini]

The same problem in U.S. In both countries powerholders still live in colonial era and do everything for retaing an already lost power. The people are deprived of most essential rights because it cost enormously to be worlds police and owner when it had already become multipolar.

[miplaylis]

And I'm guessing all the homeless people are still homeless