Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Homelessness in Britain
"There are several types of homeless person: a number have PhDs, many have been to university, and a few were successful businessmen, running anything from London pubs to sleek car-import firms in Barbados. They have suffered an emotional setback because their son's been killed in a road accident or their brewery has gone broke; self-confidence is their main problem. If support staff can get hold of them in the first few months, they'll be back at work within a year or two.
There are teenagers who have come out of care, or fallen out with their parents, and don't know how to cook an egg, let alone manage bills and accommodation. Ex-convicts and ex-army fall into the institutionalised bracket: take away the support after years of barrack life, and up to a quarter crumple downwards. Many homeless are alcoholics, gamblers, drug addicts - but it is difficult to know whether these things brought them low, or were taken up during the ruthlessly boring, cold hours spent wandering around city centres waiting until the night shelter opens again. Every now and then there's someone who likes to play at being homeless - then, eventually, the game becomes serious, and they die."
Stuart, A Life Backwards, by Alexander Masters
There's an amazing story about a man who smashed up houses because they had corners.
More blogs about politics.
