homeless man in wheelchair living outside harvester pub

[Burbage]

eddeal1 Wrote:

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> not one person has said i have room in my house i

> will take this human in.and try to help him.

There will be reasons for that. Although it would be nice to live like humans, those of us in London, and plenty of other places besides, must be realistic and understand that we live in an economy.

For that reason, taking someone in is a non-starter for the 60% of us renting, as the tenancy would almost certainly prohibit it. Some tenancies can be amended, I understand, by crossing a lettings agent's palm with silver, but councils are, despite the rumours, less easily swayed. For non-renters, permission would be needed from freeholders, mortgage lenders and/or insurance companies first, which may be expensive or unobtainable. It would also, for the sake of prudence, require the drafting of a lease and, even if no rent changed hands, potentially affect your benefits, television licence and water bills, depending on circumstance. It may also require require safety regulations to be complied with and, in some circumstances, the council to be informed.

In other words, it's a grand pain in the backside, and that's before you've considered how long you'd want this new relationship to last, and what you'd do if things got awkward. That doesn't just mean a thorough knowledge of eviction procedures, which it might be useful to acquire in any case, because if the authorities considered the person had made themself intentionally homeless, the council would no longer have the obligation to house them that it currently does (assuming, that is, that whoever it is was a Southwark resident previously, and it's not some other council that bears the responsibility) and you might do so, instead.

That is why homelessness charities exist. It is also why none of them ask the public to take strangers in.

[rendelharris]

eddeal1 Wrote:

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> not one person has said i have room in my house i

> will take this human in.and try to help him.

Have you?

[Pugwash]

General rule for people who are homeless, that they must have a link with the borough to whom they are applying to. For many it could be a long term patient at a GP surgery. In some councils you need to be living in the area for x amount of years. You need to take proof of identity and your connection with the borough, if you are accepted on to the council register ( along with over 14,000 others) you will need to bid for accommodation (via computer). The council can refer you to a Housing Charity/Association or if need urgent can place you in temporary accommodation which could be Lewisham, Bromley, Lambeth or even further. Then if you are lucky the Housing case worker will keep in touch with you to keep you informed of permanent accommodation.

Many homeless men are the product of relationship breakdowns, I have a family member who is likely to become homeless for this reason but we have offered a room to him if the situation arises.

[Blah Blah]

How pathetic that we are now in a society where bureacracy gets in the way of humanity Burbage. Helping anyone is always a risk, even helping family members, but what a poorer society we would be if everyone used bureaucracy as an excuse for not helping someone if they could.

It is an utter disgrace that anyone should be without shelter in this country.

I regularly volunteer for crisis Pugwash. You would be surprised at the numbers of older women who are homeless in their 50's too. But yes, breakdown of relationships, usually following job losses, are a common story of homeless men. And single men with no dependents are always bottom of social housing waiting lists in terms of priority too.

What we are desperately lacking in, is sheltered housing. Helping the homeless is not just about finding them shelter. It is also about reintegrating them into society.

[treehugger]

Have I read Gaynor's post correctly that this gentleman has no legs? Surely, surely, he must be a high priority for help? How can he possibly survive?

[Gaynor Hill]

Hi

Yes gentleman has no legs he been on the streets along time

I have emailed Sally army to see what I can do other than keep eye on him he has been in hostels before but did not like them

Gaynor

[Loz]

Gaynor, I'm sure you need no validation from me, but I have to say you are indeed an angel. It's easy to be cynical and either blame the government or blame the system or even blame the person themselves, but you are getting up, doing something and going out of your way to help someone who needs it. I take my virtual hat off to you.

I wish there were more in the world like you. I even wish I were more like you.

[kibris]

Today there is one and news week there will be 10 and there your hear people moaning about them

[Gaynor Hill]

Loz Wrote:

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> Gaynor, I'm sure you need no validation from me,

> but I have to say you are indeed an angel. It's

> easy to be cynical and either blame the government

> or blame the system or even blame the person

> themselves, but you are getting up, doing

> something and going out of your way to help

> someone who needs it. I take my virtual hat off to

> you.

>

> I wish there were more in the world like you. I

> even wish I were more like you.

Thank you for that I gave him a duvet Saturday and took frying pan which he needed and some food

[Deborina]

Its it so cold and he is sleeping and living there. There must be something that could be find for him

[ratty]

Well known to services including Southwark Street Population team I am informed.

[Susan]

Does anyone know if he is still there?

will bring him some hot food

Thanks

[Gaynor Hill]

Susan Wrote:

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> Does anyone know if he is still there?

> will bring him some hot food

> Thanks

Yes he's still there I took him a duvet on Saturday had long chat he's got a camping gas cooker top and saucepans. He's been on Street for a long time was in shelter accommodation but felt trapped for personal reasons

I was going down to see him again but my hubby had car crash just as we left him found out it's a right off

Will try and see him soon as do not live far away and will take him food Christmas day which is the worst of days to be alone

Hope this helps you

Gaynor

[moondancer]

You have the kindest of hearts, Gaynor, although it seems for you that no good deed goes unpunished, and hope you and your husband are not hurt at all, rotten luck, I am sorry.

[Gaynor Hill]

moondancer Wrote:

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> You have the kindest of hearts, Gaynor, although

> it seems for you that no good deed goes

> unpunished, and hope you and your husband are not

> hurt at all, rotten luck, I am sorry.

Thank you all ok in the big scheme of life it's only a car we lucky we can live without it thank goodness

Gaynor

[Blah Blah]

Gaynor Hill Wrote:

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> Susan Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Does anyone know if he is still there?

> > will bring him some hot food

> > Thanks

>

>

> Yes he's still there I took him a duvet on

> Saturday had long chat he's got a camping gas

> cooker top and saucepans. He's been on Street for

> a long time was in shelter accommodation but felt

> trapped for personal reasons

> I was going down to see him again but my hubby had

> car crash just as we left him found out it's a

> right off

> Will try and see him soon as do not live far away

> and will take him food Christmas day which is the

> worst of days to be alone

> Hope this helps you

> Gaynor

He might want to come to the Crisis day centre any day over Christmas in Bermondsey, where he can get hot meals and all kinds of other services and entertainment. Alternately there are residential Crisis centres open during Christmas week. They are not the same as hostels or sheltered accomodation and he can come and go as he pleases.

[Gaynor Hill]

Blah Blah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Gaynor Hill Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Susan Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Does anyone know if he is still there?

> > > will bring him some hot food

> > > Thanks

> >

> >

> > Yes he's still there I took him a duvet on

> > Saturday had long chat he's got a camping gas

> > cooker top and saucepans. He's been on Street

> for

> > a long time was in shelter accommodation but

> felt

> > trapped for personal reasons

> > I was going down to see him again but my hubby

> had

> > car crash just as we left him found out it's a

> > right off

> > Will try and see him soon as do not live far

> away

> > and will take him food Christmas day which is

> the

> > worst of days to be alone

> > Hope this helps you

> > Gaynor

>

> He might want to come to the Crisis day centre any

> day over Christmas in Bermondsey, where he can get

> hot meals and all kinds of other services and

> entertainment. Alternately there are residential

> Crisis centres open during Christmas week. They

> are not the same as hostels or sheltered

> accomodation and he can come and go as he pleases.

Hi

I will ask him I did say about the 3 weeks they do, he probably knows about all these things as he's been on the streets many years

Thanks for that though

Gaynor

[monica]

Gaynor you are an angel for helping the gentlemen, now I know he has the facilities to cook I will drop some shopping off for him. Unfortunately in this day and age, homelessness is quite common. Its on the news on a daily basis, as a community I think its a good idea we help this gentleman.

[Gaynor Hill]

monica Wrote:

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> Gaynor you are an angel for helping the gentlemen,

> now I know he has the facilities to cook I will

> drop some shopping off for him. Unfortunately in

> this day and age, homelessness is quite common.

> Its on the news on a daily basis, as a community I

> think its a good idea we help this gentleman.

Hi Monica

That's so kind of you I have not visited him since the car crash everything all up in the air for me at the moment hopefully I can see him next week. He has got some friends who built his little place and I hope he has managed to stay off the alcohol he was 6 days without it when I saw him.

Your very kind to help as long as he is warm,dry and has some food that's all we can do

Thanks again

Gaynor

[sabrina79]

If I m not wrong his has one leg and a wheelchair ....Somebody ,someone helped him to build a Tend where the ex pub is ...and today I saw they made a door with a wood panel . I don t know him and his story so it is not a fact But I think might he refused the house /place to stay because like stated before in those kind of places they are almost all with mental illness .and drug/alcohol dealers.

Sad to see this things happening still .he does not look like a dangerous or a person with mental illness problem .The tax we pay should helps people like him and not immigrate coming here for benefit only .. why don t we open a giving page to help him? or something like that ?

[lavender27]

Open up the old harvester as a homeless shelter, the poor guy who's there outside in the cold is waiting to get in.

[alice]

I like that post.

[hellosailor]

His name is Padraig (paddy).

I took him some stuff today, among other things some size large track suit bottoms because he needs the wlasticated waist so track suit bottoms are easiest for him. If anyone has any size large tracksuit bottoms then he would be grateful for more.

The owners of The Grove tavern / old harvester that he?s sleeping by have come to say that they want to move him on. He?s going into hosp to have an operation just before Christmas and is worried about his stuff being taken while he?s in there. I?ve offered to store it at mine while he?s in hospital but I worry that when he?s in having his op that the owners of the building will use it as an excuse to barricade up the den he?s made. He has some duvets but does anyone have a sleeping bag they could spare?

[Dohchos]

I gave him a sleeping bag today, not sure what else to do.

[kibris]

The more things you give him the longer he will stay there and not get help.