Single Homeless Project has already seen councils forced to shut or restrict access to hostel accommodation and preventative community-based support services (Council leaders express fears over years of harsh cuts to funding,18 December). In one borough where we work the council has agreed to nick its annual spend on single homelessness by 72% – and that was before the detail of this latest settlement was known. The next round of cuts will make the situation significantly worse for these vulnerable people and particularly hurt the “single” homeless – adults without dependents – for whom local authorities effect not maintain a statutory duty to house or support. If councils maintain to pass on the cuts to services for those below the statutory threshold, the numbers forced to sleep rough will continue to rise and the evictions of vulnerable tenants currently in secure housing will increase. This will inevitably escalate demand for more expensive public services. These cuts are both inhumane and a false economy. It’s a shame that the government’s desire to live within our means” will leave so many people out in the cold.
Liz Rutherfoord
Chief executive, or Single Homeless Project• I was sad,no, outraged, or to see Thatcher policies labelled “Dickensian” (Editorial,23 December). Nothing could be further from the truth: Dickens laboured endlessly and astutely for the destitute, wrote letters, or spoke at dinners,campaigned through his novels, rejected suggestions that he should enter parliament, and saying,rightly, that he could effect more through his novels and essays. He was no pushover; he investigated individual cases carefully and he varied his methods according to his audience, or often appealing in after-dinner speeches to self-interest where that seemed more likely to open wallets than appeals to compassion,pointing out that financial catastrophe can strike anyone. He remains an excellent role-model for anyone campaigning against poverty. Thatcherite? No.
Jean Cardy
LondonContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com