Perry Perlmutter’s Post

We agree. It’s a sorry state of affairs when homeless charities have to hand out tents to help people survive. Surely government is "barking up the wrong tent" instead of addressing people with dignity and respect. Where is the survey that confirms homelessness as a lifestyle choice? RFS is pleased to help with providing furniture essentials once a place, a home, has been found. If you’ve been homeless or struggling with poverty and financial difficulties for a while, moving into a new place can be overwhelming. Especially with the hidden homeless and the cost of living crisis. Moving somewhere new is a lot of responsibility and it can be scary if you do not have money or people to help you get it shipshape. At the Scheme, we believe everyone deserves a cosy, safe home, and we aim to assist in making sure that you have something decent to sleep on, somewhere decent to sit, eat, live… Too many are finding things particularly tough financially and we want you all to know that you are not alone. The good news is that Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, housing associations and local charities offer grants to buy furniture with us, and you get a 25% discount.* *conditions apply. Find out more about how you can access grants and discounts at RFS here: 🌐 https://lnkd.in/ekMBZR9q 📞 0208 755 4665 📧 admin@RFSonline.co.uk 🌐 www.RFSonline.co.uk 📍 1a Fortescue Avenue, Twickenham TW2 5LS

The outcry over Suella Braverman's comments show the strong feelings and passion of the public, who want to see an end to homelessness. We saw this locally when 74% of the public disagreed with Leicestershire County Council's proposal to cease funding a specialist homeless service. Unfortunately the public are not being listened to. The public have compassion and want investment in homelessness services to prevent rough sleeping. In a cost of living crisis, this support is needed more than ever. With the final paper still proposing to cut homelessness funding going to Cabinet on the 24th November, please share your concerns and write to your Local MP and Local Councillors and show what the public want. Now is the time to come together to protect services for those in need. Whilst we appreciate councils are facing significant financial pressures, research from PwC shows that every £1 invested in specialist homeless support generates an estimated £2.80 in wider savings and benefits across departments. The short term savings gained will create longer term costs. Falcon Support Services are calling on Leicestershire County Council to fully assess the impact of this proposal and work together with Health, Social Care and Housing to find a collaborative solution that meets the health and wellbeing needs of those experiencing homelessness, as well as the need for Leicestershire County Council to make savings. #homelessness #leicestershire #charity #roughsleeping #fundingcuts #saveservices #homeless #leicestershirecountycouncil #health #haveavoice #tents #suellabraverman

Ahead of today's King's Speech, we hope that the Government is rethinking plans to 'ban' tents for homeless people and we wholeheartedly refute the suggestion that rough sleeping is a 'lifestyle choice'.    Homelessness is a significant fear and risk factor for women experiencing domestic abuse and often why they stay with their abuser. Most people who are street homeless are living in fear and we know from our annual Women's Rough Sleeping Census and last year’s report, ‘Making Women Count’, that experiences of violence and abuse are “near universal” for women who sleep rough.    There is a housing crisis in London that needs to be resolved with more social housing provision, affordable rents and support for people with multiple disadvantages. https://lnkd.in/eFWpe3Pt /https://lnkd.in/epizQ8Ma

I'm deeply troubled by the recent news about the Met Police discarding the tents and personal belongings of homeless individuals. These actions are not just inhumane, but they also highlight a grave misunderstanding of the challenges faced by those living on the streets. Homelessness is a complex issue, often intertwined with various social and personal difficulties. Instead of punitive measures that push these vulnerable members of our society further into despair, we need compassionate and constructive solutions. It's essential to provide support and resources to help them reintegrate into society, not strip away their last possessions and dignity. Let's raise our voices for empathy and effective change. Our community can do better, and we must advocate for policies that uplift rather than punish those who are already struggling. #HomelessnessAwareness #CompassionOverPunishment #SocialChange --- Feel free to adjust the tone and content to match your personal perspective and voice. https://lnkd.in/e_7bNiZP

Today SCOTUS is hearing oral arguments in a pivotal case for the rights of unhoused people called City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. In this case, members of the high court may decide whether so-called "camping bans" violate the constitutional rights of our unhoused neighbors. We know that between 10%-25% of unhoused people have pets and that criminalizing homelessness has a devastating impact on people, their pets, and the human-animal bond that we believe deserves our protection. So many of our partner organizations have shared stories of the heartbreak they witness when unhoused people are forced to give up a pet they love. That's why HASS stands with National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Low Income Housing Coalition and National Homeless Law Center in support of Homes Not Handcuffs and call to all policymakers to prioritize provision of services and humane responses to the crisis of homelessness in our country.  Read more about the case below. https://lnkd.in/eQ_5p7ja

With Florida’s House Bill 1365 & Senate Bill 1530 on the horizon, our community faces a pivotal moment. These proposals aim to restrict the ability of the homeless to sleep on public property, a change that could exacerbate health risks for nearly 26,000 individuals in need. This isn’t just about policy—it’s about protecting the well-being of our most vulnerable. Take action by reaching out to your legislators to voice your concern and push for comprehensive solutions that address the root causes of homelessness. Your advocacy can pave the way for policies that safeguard health and dignity for all. #ActNow #Homelessness #HealthEquity #FloridaLegislation #FLHealthJustice Florida Health Justice Project https://lnkd.in/efUa2By6.

"There is seriously a problem with a small section of society who think that people sleeping rough are an easy prey for some horrific crimes," says Matt Downie MBE, chief executive of Crisis.  It makes me both sad and angry that people who cannot even put a roof over their head suffer the additional fear of violence. In our so-called modern, wealthy, advanced, empathetic society. It's so easy for politicians to say the solution is more housing, and kick the can down the street. Thousands like Eve are facing horrendous situations every day, yet there is a solution if the government, councils and oter organisations would only consider investing in a flexible, cost-effective, manageable and reusable solution like Smart Shelta Ltd. That is what i find the saddest. #homelessness #safetyforroghsleepers https://lnkd.in/eTCdTTbM

"A strong body of evidence shows that when people are housed stably, they commit fewer survival crimes like theft, robbery, trespassing, loitering, and prostitution. Increasing access to rental housing in low-income neighborhoods has also been found to significantly reduce violent crime, and providing permanent housing subsidies is correlated with reduced rates of intimate partner violence." Check out this insightful piece from The Brookings Institution on creating safe places and safe sleeping for people experiencing homelessness. In light of the recent Grants Pass decision, the article highlights the importance of cost-effective and humane solutions to address homelessness without resorting to criminalization. https://hubs.la/Q02HR0cR0

With limited to no housing resources, inflation of rent and home loans coupled with salaries that do not reflect the rate of inflation to meet basic needs, the unhoused community is growing exponentially. Not to mention, we can no longer walk into an establishment and request to fill out a job application DURING the time the manager is onsite to have that impromptu conversation. Long gone are the days like we could do that. The only way to navigate a job application is to "pass" the algorithm test for your application to even meet the hiring managers platform. Though I see "please be patient with us, the whole nation is experiencing a shortage" signs at many establishments, the algorithm is still in place limiting those who WANT to work. Make it make sense. And challenging biases not everyone unhoused is uneducated. Not everyone who is unhoused has a diagnoses. YET, these factors should not and do not disqualify individuals from being treated with human decency or with accessing housing. Should the unhoused be reprimanded for the negative impact of, in my opinion, are multiple broken systems?

I am (sadly) unsurprised by the Supreme Court's recent decision here. But it is a particularly hideous and cruel reaction in the face of a widening wealth gap, affordable housing crisis, overdose crisis, banning equity and inclusion practices, anti-queer legislation...the list goes on and on. I've done a lot of advocacy and work with unhoused people over the years and can tell you that individual people choose to sleep outside for any number of reasons: lack of shelter beds, lack of safety, shelter rules that make it impossible for people who use drugs to enter the shelter, no community support...again, the list goes on and on. But it really boils down to systemic failures like lack of supportive housing, lack of affordable housing, lack of transitional housing, and shelters/warming centers etc that do not have the staffing capacity to meet the unique needs of people with complex trauma. The failure is on our poorly designed systems, not on individual people working in various parts of this broken system, and certainly not on individual people doing what they can to survive (is sleep not a basic human right?). I feel lucky to live in a community that is doing a lot to care for the needs of unhoused people and lucky to work alongside tireless advocates who care deeply about the needs of this population but not everyone is so lucky. This ruling will have ripple effects that will further malign an already stigmatized population that (rightfully) distrusts the many systems they must engage with in order to access care, a place to sleep, and so many other basic needs. I realize I'm (mostly) preaching to the choir by sharing these imperfectly formed thoughts with my network, but I encourage people to show up in your communities to advocate for the needs of unhoused people and see what your community is doing to provide services for unhoused people. It matters because unhoused people matter and do not deserve to be criminalized for poverty. Most of us are closer to homelessness than we are to millionaire status and I encourage us all to see this is OUR fight. We have to be in it together. https://lnkd.in/eJZ3yZmG