More people are now being found sleeping rough
THE true extent of Jersey’s homelessness problem has been revealed by a special JEP report.
A steep rise in the number of people using the Island’s homeless shelters – which are full to bursting point – is being blamed on the credit crunch, while Islanders are still regularly being found sleeping rough.
And many of the new admissions to the shelters are people the Shelter Trust has never met before.
As well as running three homeless shelters, the charity also regularly patrols the streets to find and care for homeless people. Last week it invited the JEP to see it in action.
• Full report in today’s Jersey Evening Post
Article posted on 18th February, 2010 - 2.59pm
72 Article Comments
How can they say that the recession is making people homeless. Last time i went past a shelter it was emptying out with drunks, people on drugs/fresh out of jail or just people that dont want to work. blame the people not the recession.
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It’s a sad state of affairs that an island that squanders so much wealth can have people sleeping rough.
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It is not surprising what the exorbitant price of things over here now IMHO. I only expect this situation to get much worse.
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Come on, I have said this before, a new purpose built shelter should be constructed upon the proposed site of the town park. The area would then have some worthwhile use. Each time I see these unfortunates I think, there but for the grace of God go I; and I am a lapsed atheist. The basic needs of the less fortunate are often forgotten by the fortunate in their quests for unneeded luxuries.
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Mr suffering,Iwonder how long you stood outside any shelter, did the drunks,druggies or people who he reckons dont want to work,have this stamped on their faces ,have you or did you ask what happened to them to bring about their misfortune,maybe you should try walking a mile in their shoes.
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Shame on jersey.
Makes no difference what brought them to this sad situation they need help and help now.
They may have drunk and squandered away their lives,so what?
With all the so called wealth in jersey they should have built more hostels and flats for the homeless.
Don,t they even care that these unfortunate souls could freeze
to death in this weather?
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I worked with a homeless charity a few years back in Brighton. It’s so easy to say they are drunks and wasters, but what people fail to appreciate is that their lives on the street is pretty terrible. Invariably this leads to alcohol because it’s the only available thing in life that numbs their depression. I met some intelligent, warm people that had been the victims of awful bad luck. Yes, some of them brought things upon themselves, but not everyone had. I get quite angry at sweeping statements like #1 mr suffering
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I hope those States employees demanding above inflation wage rises, look at these poor people sleeping rough on the street. All you guys have to do is tighten your belts for a few years; have a few less evenings out, wait a bit before getting that new T.V. Those sleeping on the street may be ill, out of work and obviously homeless.
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Mr Suffering – Do you ever stop to think that there but for the grace of God goes any one of us, our family or friends. A lot of people do become homeless through no fault of their own and it is a very shallow mind that automatically tars all homeless people with the ‘addict/lazy/no-gooder’ brush.
Even people with issues deserve a roof over their heads at night and a warm place and welcoming people who are not judgemental of them. Homelessness should not be a problem in an Island that likes to portray itself as affluent and not suffering the problems as the UK.
The Shelters do excellent work for which a lot of people should be very grateful.
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in 1972 when i moved to the island people were deported if found homeless despite having jobs in jersey, it is a criminal offence to be destitute in jersey ! According to a certain website. How the times do not change despite being 2010. Jersey has a obligation to the people who contribute to the economy.
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People should not be sleeping on the streets, in 2010. I remember reading in 1955 a JEP account of old people being turned out of their hovels in town by the land lord in Jersey, because they were old and could not work.
Please tell me this dose not happen in Jersey in 2010.
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@ bella #6
“…With all the so called wealth in jersey they should have built more hostels and flats for the homeless…”
As well meaning as your sentiment is, simply building more accomodation is not the answer.
Many people who find themselves homeless do so because they choose to step away from society, and family and their homes.
Their reasons are more often personal than financial.
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Theres homeless people on the island?
ha ha unlucky, but i cant see a reason they couldn’t sort themselves out? even get the most basic job possible, the job centers there for a reason. I have no pity for homeless people.
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Mr Suffering #1
Perhaps Mr Suffering you should try looking a little closer at Jersey, just scratch the veneer and you will find: child poverty; homelessness; unemployment; inadequate social housing; pensioners struggling to make ends meet; alcoholics; drug addicts; single parent families. Not all residents of Jersey live a prosperous, rosy lifestyle.
Many Islanders are on the breadline through job loss, bad luck or wrong life choice and now, as we have seen today in the JEP, many more have tipped over onto the street of Jersey. We are supposed to be a civil society and can not just turn away from people in desperate need, no matter whose fault it is.
The Shelter Trust has always done a marvelous job in Jersey with very limited resources, it is now, when Islanders need it the most, that the States of Jersey should look at how it is funded and give more support. The States need to look after their poor, disadvantaged residents as equally as they look after their rich residents.
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mr suffering, i was once homeless, not a drunk or a drugie, theres ppl who live in the shelters that do work trying to re build there lives,ppl who have lost there familys, and ppl with many other reasons, of why they are pennyless…. without the help of the shelter staff i wouldnt be where i am with my life now, its a shame that some ppl, who have no option but to sleep rough, might not get the same help.
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piston broke 4. bella 6.
I couldn’t agree more. Strangely enough, on the seeing the picture the same words came to mind: There but for the grace of God go I…and I, too, am an atheist.
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So long as the “Jersey celebrities” are alright, with there faces constantly plastered into dull chav magazines,and even more gut wrenching when the “how wonderfull i am” property supplements are forced through our letterbox each month.
These poor souls are “faceless” and lost in a void
how about “featuring them” in the magazines and property monthly instead of the champagne charlies. Surely that would be a worthy cause instead of the boring “Ronge Rovaire” driving numbties.
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What planet are you living in Mr Suffering???? People are made homeless for various reasons and not just because they are drunks/druggies etc……I suggest that you take a long hard look at yourself and your principals as but for the fgrace of god go you or I !!
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I,ve worked with a lot of these people with drink problems in hospitals and found a lot of them drink to forget bad experiences in their lives
It mostly happens to the poor and they lose hope and try to bring a little happiness in their lives.
Most of them don,t care if the drink kills them,they just live for the day.
We were sent to AA meetings,to listen to their tales of woe and what they did.
These were recovering alcoholics and most admitted they would give anything to stay sober.
At st.Saviours hosp all aftershave and perfumes was banned in wards as they contained alcohol and one swig was enough to start them back to the road to ruin.
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JPSpecial does not feel sorry for the homeless.He even laughs at them.Like Mr Suffering, this person believes that the homeless are to blame for their predicament. Tarnishing everyone with the same brush is inadequate and inappropriate.
There is a correlation between the recession and increased levels of homelessness because people lose their jobs – and consequently their homes – if they do not find employment in the short term.
There are over a thousand registered unemployed in Jersey – finding that much needed job to keep a roof over a family’s head isn’t that easy!
I don’t expect a recently unemployed person will get much sympathy from your average ruthless landlord or mortgage provider; magnanimity is not normally their middle name…
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JPspecial I dont know if you can see, further than your own nose, I sincerely hope that your life will be so perfect that misfortune never befalls you.
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Hey, you just have to accept that I’m insensitive just like a lot of other 19-year-olds samuel oneill i thank you for your blessing! Poor people are poor for a reason.
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Sorry i forgot to say i dont care what the reason is.
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Darren
You are so right. And as you worked in Brighton you’d probably know about that well respected ex ITV news reader/reporter who fell on hard times and ended up there on the streets. Some very un-christian sentiments from Jersey’s equivalent of the Neo-Cons.
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During my 30 + years in policing, I often came across homeless people. Whilst a number of them were criminals many were not and were folk who were down on their luck through mental illness, including addiction alcohol. (Despite what many say, alcoholism really is an illness).
Some I met had been professional people – one had been a qualified accountant. They ended up on the street following some traumatic experience in their lives and just went off the rails.
Irrespective of what J.P.Special thinks, many – if not all – these people need to be cared for
and not condemned to sleeping outside in the elements, with little or no food.
Have a little more compassion J.P., it’s good for the soul.
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JPSpecial
Three seperate posts on a subject you do not care about?
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I had intended to make various poingnant comments (aimed at JPSpecial and Mr Suffering) to point out that no-one actualy chooses, or would choose, to live that kind of life. Then I remembered an old maxim…
Never argue with an idiot.
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Well judging by most of the comments i have come to the idea alcohol is one of the main reasons for a lot of there problems. Yet again alcohol seem to cause a lot of misery on the island and we still have no states plan on how to tackle alcohol misuse in the island, from young to old, rich or poor peple are being let down!
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JP Special …
Judge not, lest you may be judged yourself
Being homeless does not make one a bad person, being callous, self centred, heartless and full of hatered does!
Just one single event can alter ones future forever, for good or worse …
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As long as the states don’t offer help to the people who deserve and need it this problem will carry on getting worse.
I’m soon to be made redundant and will not be getting a big pay off so when I asked social if I could get any help (Job seekers allowance) I was told that because my partner earns a reasonable wage (less than the states view as the average wage) and not enough to pay all bills and the rent they could not / would not help me. I’m not really sure what they expect people like me to do but unless we address this as a real problem now we have no hope.
The last thing I want is to become homeless but it is a real possibility I have no debt and do not live outside my means I have paid my stamp all my working live and have not asked the states for anything before, so whilst our overpaid politicians are taking home there fat pay packets I face a very worrying time ahead.
Lets hope people that think like JPSpecial are the minority in this Island and the spirit of the Jersey people is show again by all of us giving time to help others less fortunate.
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…and what makes this situation even worse is all the unsold flats and (some) neglected country houses lying empty!
Is there any such thing as “squatters rights” in Jersey?
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Mr Suffering and JPSpecial – Have either of you ever heard of John Bird? Probably not, but he had been a rough sleeper and was instrumental in launching The Big Issue.
It may enlighten you a bit to read the website of the above and realise that not all people are homeless through any fault of their own.
AN EXTRACT FROM THE HISTORY OF THE BIG ISSUE-
The Big Issue was launched in 1991 by Gordon Roddick and A. John Bird in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of London. Roddick, who also co-founded The Body Shop, was inspired by a newspaper called Street News, which was sold on the streets of New York. Upon his return from America he enlisted the help of Bird, who had experience in the print trade and who had himself slept rough.
Learn and understand you two and hope you are never in such a dark place.
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JP special-if you really are only nineteen you have no idea what might happen to you in your life and you might one day find yourself in a similar position to some of these people who are homeless. Life can be very hard for some people, much harder than for others.Mr Suffering-you’ve obviously had a very easy ride through life so far but not everybody is so fortunate.
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I used to volunteer with a homeless charity every other weekend. I met some incredibly smart, kind, funny people who had fallen on very tough times. Not everyone has family or friends that can help them or that even care, not everyone has people that will help out when they lose their job. It’s so easy to pass judgement, I guess it would hurt too much to know just how badly we (society) let people down.
People don’t ‘walk away’ because they want to try something new, they ‘walk away’ because they are in real distress, they walk away with nothing to go to, hardly indicative of a clear mind. When you meet people who have ‘walked away’ the signs of mental illness in their previous life are often clear, hindsight is 20-20. I agree that there but for the grace of God go I.
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I had a tour around the homeless shelters in St Helier about 6 years ago or so. I don’t know if it’s changed much but a more depressing place I have never been. It would probably give me a lot to blot out.
Homelessness and substance abuse goes hand in hand. Some of the homeless where I am at the moment you see sniffing at various substances tipex glue etc to get them through the day, it’s the chemical of choice for the homeless children here. You can’t say that is their fault.
We have no say in who we are born to or where, but there but the grace of good luck go you or I. And to be honest without a well off family, fancy education and good old fashion jersey neopotism it might have been me.
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BS Deluxe 31.
Re: “…and what makes this situation even worse is all the unsold flats and (some) neglected country houses lying empty!
Is there any such thing as “squatters rights” in Jersey?”
That is a very shrewd thought and an extremely interesting question, anyone know the answer?
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#28 Alcoholism is often self-medication for mental illness. Alcoholism rates in the UK and Jersey would be less if mental health services were more effective and the public dropped their pathetic attitude towards mental illness.
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JP special insensitive 19 year old? you have not seen life there is hope for you yet .
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Ivor Arthur Brain. Yes let’s blame the states workers for the rise in homeless people – that’s like saying you get paid too much in the finance industry and as a result lots of people have to sleep on the streets as there is not enough money in the island.
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classic, some of the comments on this subject are quite amusing and pointless (yes my own included) the fact of the matter is that nothing will change.
My reason for commenting on this story is to post how little most people care also I have had an easy life and I love it, why should I care that other people disagree with my opinions. Now, where can we deport the homeless to? My life may end up with me being homeless but…that is a risk i am willing to accept. And I wont ask for your help….well maybe but I am a hypocrit. Dont smoke
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Please do not forget that whilst we must have some sympathy with these people. The taxpayer is paying a lot of money towards them anyway, the vast majority are on full sickness benefits as well as their handsome welfare handouts for booze on tap. When they do appear before the courts if they get in trouble they get sent to La Moye at a cost of over £1000 per week (It would be cheaper to put them up in a luxury hotel).
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Whilst I have sympathy for the homeless of Jersey having been homeless twice in my life I feel some of the comments placed by people here are self gratifying only. Some have had the nerve to place comments of a derogatory fashion and although I may not agree with their words I commend them for their honesty.
Those of you who scream “shame” at the wealth of the island and claim sentiment for those who are less fortunate than yourself. Those who call for more aid and facilities for these unfortunate people. I call on you all to meet at the shelter in St Helier on Wenesday morning at 7 am. There I wish to see you all take one person who has nowhere to live and offer them the chance to live with you until they are able to move on. Offer them a bed, even a sofa. Hot meals and a base for them to rebuild the life that you say they want to have back.
I somehow doubt that there will be much of a turnout by you. You are all happy to call out the injustices of life from your easy chair on your expensive laptop but as soon as you would be asked to pit your money where your mouth is I would expect a deathly silence in return from you.
Please do not judge the younger generation like JPSpecial when none of you will stand up and be counted.
Or… Prove me wrong and be there on Wednesday morning. I won’t be therebecause my priority is with my own family, but then I’m not claiming to care like you are
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do u actually think they get there whole benefits to spend on drink, they pay to stay in the shelters!!!
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Michael 42.
Your outburst is understandable, as you, unfortunately, have lived through the worst nightmare of all: homelessness. However, the current problem cannot be solved by simply putting someone up for a few nights, or by shoving a banknote into the hand of someone who has hit ‘hard times’. Today’s problem involves getting people with serious problems ‘back on track’, something only professionals can do.
On two separate occasions in the past, I opened my door to people who were heading for the streets, but both were alcohol/drug abuse-free…and those were different times. Both of them simply needed somewhere to stay while they found a job and got some money together to get back into the game. Tragically, many of today’s homeless have alcohol/drug related problems and need expert care as well as food and a roof over their heads. Looking after these people is a mega-task which must be undertaken by professionals trained in abuse and neglect prevention.
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Humbug.
There have been hobo’s on the streets of Jersey for years. In fact ever since I can remember and probably since the law against being a vagrant was repealed. These down and outs are also commonly seen in our town parks quaffing large amounts of high octane alcohol paid for by the tax payers money. A drain on society and a blight on our landscape. Bring back the workhouse for these miscreants, workshy dossers.
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#BW 44 well said.
I,ve put up people as well who Couldn’T find anywhere to stay for a night or two,only for them not bother looking for anywhere else and in the end I did all the searching for them and they were reluctant to move out.
I stopped putting any-one up after one did a moonlight flit and robbed my in the process while I was at work.
I decided to be no more mrs nice guy after that.
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44 Born Warrior
Agreed – what they need is professional help. Instead, all we do is glibly hand them cash, helping neither them nor ourselves by doing so. Terminal alcoholics such as the ones seen on the Parade will simply get as far as the nearest off-licence.
It really doesn’t help the situation when they are given free sandwiches and soup, as it just means their hunger is sated and thus more cash left to spend on their habit. Surely food vouchers would be a better idea? I know some of them would sell these on for cash but it would cut down the problem considerably I’d bet.
45 Mr Scrooge – I’d also agree with you here. If professional help is available but not taken up then they should indeed be forced to work if they want any of our ratepayers money.
Might even make them feel good about themselves for having earned their beer money.
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Ah Tobias young man. Wise words.
These tramp hugging do gooders would find time better spent hosing down these vagrants before marching them off to work for their beer money like the rest of us.
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Tobias #47
I think you have rounded it up perfectly.
They need help to help themselves.
JPSpecial
We were all young and invincible once, carry on enjoying life while you can.
The yoke of responsibility will creep up on you one day.
Till then, keep prodding us less we forget how enjoyable blissful ignorance was.
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I’m not surprised by some people’s comments. Nobody in Jersey cares about the homeless! This is why we have a quallies system, it’s so we can look down our noses at anybody lacking in status.
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With UK policies creeping in it will only get worse – I saw a well healed gentleman shout GET A JOB at an unconscious tramp only recently.
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What a confused society we are. There are those who dismiss the homeless as a waste of space with no gumption and no desire to make a life and living for themselves whilst others seek to assist and help the less fortunate within our society.
I have seen the road from both sides. I was a highly paid professional but I succumbed to the pressure of my job by turning to alcohol to get me through the day. i kept this up for about two years – I was bloody good at my job – but eventually I feel apart and lost family and home.
Having never before needed the services of social care in the Island I was appalled to discover how little the States do – all of the help which is availabe to people on hard times seems to come from charitable institutions.
I have been fortunate and have made a new life for myself but I have personal knowledge of others who have ended their lives because they could not see a future for themselves.
The Island of Jersey has many things in its favour and has some very caring people amongst its population – please (the States and people of the Island) give them the support and encouragment which they deserve.
People fall on hard times for a variety of reasons – don’t judge others blithly if you don’t know the full circumstances.
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#51 “I saw a well healed gentleman …”
Just come out of the hospital, presumably!
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#50 Carly
That may seem a bit harsh, but you make a good point. We don’t give a damn about residents having to live in appalling living conditions (just because they don’t have quallies), so we’re hardly going to give a monkeys about people living in shelters or bus stops are we?
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Whata bundle of fun J. Lamborrari is, does not object to anyones opinion as long as it is the same as .Get out more mate.
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Andy #51 saw a “well healed gentleman”.
A round of applause to our doctors and nurses folks..
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Grey belly is quite right, people fall on hard times for a variety of reasons. With regard to this particular news story, the question is how many people are homeless because of the current recession rather than any other reason? Homelessness is a deeply complex issue, and relating it to The Recession is too simplistic and lazy.
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On the Mainland when building planning permission is granted ,Developers have to fund the infrastruture to support the development such as contributions to schools,doctors surgeries,social housing, roads etc.
Perhaps the same could apply here to developers to erect and support “projects” as designated by the planning dept such as shelters ,which stuggle to raise support for the most needy in our society.
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Self righteousness is a heady narcotic itself,to attempt to adorn oneself with feelings of superiority and make denegrating comments on folks when you have not been where they are is ignorance plain and simple,do these drunk people seem appealing..? mostly not, for when ones self respect is gone along with hope,base behaviour takes over,it would be a mistake to mix up being soft and foolish with firm help,I am not advocating featherbedding wasters,but those with addictions,broken homes ,dreams and minds are people,someones brother, son, dad..and while their behaviour can be unpleasant,thinking,”well I would never let that happen to me” or “I would never behave like that” You don’t know,you really don’t till faced with whatever,and fooling yourself that you wouldn’t is not only self deluding but a false comfort….. for there but for the grace of……go us all.
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truthseeker #59
I am sure a lot of posters on this thread have had heavy traumatic experiences, also I am sure some have experienced hardships that some of these park people haven’t even dreamed (nightmared) about.
As much as I agree we need to help them help themselves, don’t belittle the many that square their shoulders grit their teeth and get on and up without resorting to the drug/alcohol induced community funded self pity enjoyed (yes enjoyed by some of these humans)When they give up trying to better themselves IMO that’s when we give up on them.
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Carly and Ginger – enough with the quallies arguing. We are a small island 9 miles by 5 – we do not have any immigration laws – unlike everywhere else in the world. We let anybody come in and work… we can’t let everybody buy a house though as there simply isn’t enough space.
Sub standard conditions? maybe you should get a better paid job and live in better non qualified accomidation? I waited my 12 years to get my A-H qualifications but because i studied hard and got a got job i could afford to stay in in excellent flats until that time -one of them even had a jacuzzi!
you live in sub standard accomidation because you can’t afford better, and you can’t afford better because you haven’t got the skills to be in a high paid job. Sorry to be harsh but non local people complaining about their standard of living make me sick! Sub standard flats exist in the qualified sector too.. if you don’t like it then you have two choices 1) go home or 2) study with your own money and come back wealthy enough to afford the luxeries you obviously think you deserve.
As for the homeless – they should be divided when they come in to the shelters – A group for drunks/druggies who need professional help and a group for people that are not on any substances and who will probably make the most of any resources we are able to give them. We can then have two shelters – and the one not looking after the alcoholic/drug dependants will not have to have all of the additional professional help meaning it costs less to the tax payer and we get an additional shelter!
I have total sympathy for the person above who has not been given any support by the system despite paying for it for years and never getting anything back. This happened to me when my husband was let go – luckily he got another job before things became too bad – fingers crossed for you!
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#61 Lula
I am Jersey born & bred. You’ve slightly missed the point, I was suggesting we are an island completely built on status. If you have no quallies, you are forced to live in accommodation which is often pretty poor. Therefore, somebody with no home at all is never going to get treated with anything other than contempt.
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PJG 60
I find myself agreeing with you…for once
Some people forget that it’s not easy for most people to get up every day, working all hours in a job they hate with people they don’t necessarily like, getting taxed to the hilt and generally ripped off with other necessary fees and charges for services associated with having to work (such as parking, childcare etc etc). These same people would probably think we should be grateful for being in this position!
Responsibility is a huge burden to some and can be extremely stressful.
Some…and I say some (meaning not all)…of these homeless people have simply opted for the easy option of giving up!
I am often envious of the workshy , benefit grabbers who seem to have more and enjoy their lives more because they can do what they want and when they want. There are days when I would like to take the easy option too, but I have more self respect than that.
Maybe some of these homeless people do need a wake up call and some others need help, but this is not an inner city slum or poverty stricken 3rd world country…this is Jersey.
There are plenty of jobs in Jersey if people look hard enough. Maybe some jobs are not attractive but as they say “beggars can’t be choosers”. If the hard working Polish and Portuguese can work the fields, doing the jobs no-one else wants and can live in cramped, sub-standard accommodation then why can’t the homeless………surely this option is better than living on the streets?
So why don’t these homeless people get a grip and start taking reponsibility for themselves…..like the rest of us do!
The very least the government can do is make them do some kind of community work to “earn” their handouts.
Why should I slave away to pay taxes for some numb nut to drink themselves into a stupor everyday?
Life is tough…get over it!
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Ginger – poor accomidation is due to price – not quallies. A friend of mine has jersey quals but unfortunately works as a waiter… so his place is smaller, rougher and not well kept in comparison to my old apartment which was non quals but modern and even had a caretaker.
A British person can not just fly over to Italy for example and get a job and a house in Italy you have to work for free for 6 weeks minimum (living off tips) and it takes the legal department a minimum of 6 months to process your application to get a proper place to live (Other than a shelter which you may be able to get into providing you’re fluent in italian and have connections). If you try moving to the US you will be given a visa and when it expires you have to go home – there is nothing like that over here and the icing on the cake is when the states spend tax payers money teaching these people English! I wouldn’t dare move to a country if I couldn’t speak the language! it’s not fair and it would not be tolerated anywhere else. Standards of accommodation are NOT based on whether or not you have quals – it’s whether or not you can afford to live here and if you can’t then go back home! If a local person can’t afford to live on their own in a decent place they stay with their parents otherwise they deal with a grotty sub standard flat… its life – rich get better houses poor have to make do… nothing to do with residency but everything to do with ambition, inteligence and luck in getting a well paid job.
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BS Deluxe – HURRAH!!! give these benefit beggers a job clearing seaweed from the beaches! That always needs doing! My brother has been unemployed for almost a year- he is applying for absolutely everything and he has to prove that to social security or he doesn’t get any money (his £90 a week, 50 of which goes towards renting a sofa to sleep on) – he works voluntarily in charity shops 3 days a week as he wants to work and wants to be a productive member of society and that gives him some self respect back as being unemployed and homeless can be a killer.. There are plenty of volunteer jobs that the states could give people in return for their benefits i mean after all – we the working people are paying for those dossers to sit on their butts and do nothing – its time they worked for US!
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Just for the record I concur entirely with Lula, BS Deluxe and PJG above.
Give the slackers some obligatory work before they get their hand-outs.
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Lula….the system is a sick joke.
My fiancee was made redundant and although she had contributed her taxes and social security for many years they said she was ineligible to claim unemployment (or any other) benefit whilst she was looking for a job. On top of this she was still expected to pay her monthly contributiosn to Soc Sec…..without any income!!
We managed to persuade them to waive this, but why should we have to when others are spending OUR money (like you say) to sit on their butts.
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whilst i understand that mental illness can be a factor contributing to alcoholism/homelessness, and there then must be help and sympathy extended, what i do get seriously annoyed by is the dereliction of the area in which these unfortunates congregate.
as a town resident, not a stones throw from the parade, i am really fed up of the obscene language often used – right in earshot of the childrens playground, not to mention drunks urinating in the street and vomiting in my doorway, and empty tins all around.
not a particularly pleasant environment for my young children to endure.
illness is one thing – making a public nuisance of yourself is another.
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Lula – your examples of Italy are rubbish. What about footballers that join Italian clubs? A British player could sign for a Milan club and be living on Lake Como within days.
I notice an earlier poster making comments about some of the homeless being foreign. The problem is, that we don’t do enough to scrutinise immigrants and their financial status. Anybody can come here with next to nothing in their pockets, if things don’t work out for them and they end up with no job or money – they are knackered, they have nowhere to go.
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Darren 69
In reference to your footy players….the same thing happens in Jersey….they are called 1 1 k’s here.
I’m sure Lula was referring to Mr and Mrs Average though
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I assure you it is that difficult if not worse in Italy – my husband grew up there as a foreigner and decided to try and move there when he was 19. He’s fluent in Italian had great job prospects but as I said their system makes it impossible for immigration. House prices are so high you usually have three generation houses and i can guarantee that the locals are a lot less tolerant of foreigners who commit crimes or become a nuisence… I think we should adopt some of their policies to be frank or even the Australian plicy of you have to have a minimum of AU$50,000 in your account we need to do something – we’re a small island and this is just getting ridiculous!
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Lukas, although I accept and agree with much of what you have said you’re last post appears to have gone a bit off track. You might find that a lot of people think the house prices are too high here for anyone to move here. In fact ithink the property may be a bit more expensive here than it is in Italy.
If you feel that people should be means tested before being able to come to Jersey via their bank balance then I guess you must have had decent savings before you yourself moved here. I would hate to think that after a comment like that you had actually came here with little yourself. I did. When I arrived 10 years ago I didn’t have 2 quid to rub together. Now I own a home and have a family here.
The problem with widespread means testing is that sometimes you allow indesireables in just because theyay have a few quid and turn decent hard working individuals away even though they may offer something substantial to the community
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