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'Our housing shortage is the principal cause of poverty, homelessness, and it helps to increase crime.' OK, I've been homeless and I can say with some confiden

by dazc 6y ago

'Our housing shortage is the principal cause of poverty, homelessness, and it helps to increase crime.' OK, I've been homeless and I can say with some confidence that is not caused by a 'housing shortage'. Yes, housing can be expensive but, at the lower end, there is a great deal of state-subsidy. If you are already at the lower end then you're propably already living somehwere at the expense of the sate. The reason you end up homeless is because you make a series of bad decisons that result in you hitting the floor with a bump. The causes of this poor decision making are manyfold but shortage of housing isn't one of them.

kergonath 6y ago
Circumstances and dumb luck are almost as important as bad decisions, or much more depending on the situation. That said, I agree that the situation is much better for poor people in the UK than say in the US.
matthewmacleod 6y ago
Housing _is_ expensive – it's not really a matter of debate, even at the low end. By "state subsidy" I assume you mean council housing or equivalent. The current waiting list in my London borough says: "With over 24,000 people currently on the Council's housing waiting list, the wait for a property is a very long one. There is a severe shortage of all sizes of accommodation in the borough, and waiting times are usually measured in years." This does seem to be indicative of a shortage of housing. (Also, there are _loads_ of reasons you may end up homeless, and many of them are entirely unrelated to "poor decision making" – this is a dumb stereotype that helps to make the problem worse.)
- dazc 6y ago
  The people on the waiting list are already homeless, you are assuming? I would assume they are currently living somewhere which isn't as good or they are living with parents/sharing with friends, etc? Lots of privately rented property is also sunsidised, btw. I apologise for my dumb stereotyping, though I fail to see how I am making the problem worse? Do you have some experience yourself?

by dazc 6y ago

kergonath 6y ago

Circumstances and dumb luck are almost as important as bad decisions, or much more depending on the situation. That said, I agree that the situation is much better for poor people in the UK than say in the US.

matthewmacleod 6y ago

Housing _is_ expensive – it's not really a matter of debate, even at the low end. By "state subsidy" I assume you mean council housing or equivalent. The current waiting list in my London borough says: "With over 24,000 people currently on the Council's housing waiting list, the wait for a property is a very long one. There is a severe shortage of all sizes of accommodation in the borough, and waiting times are usually measured in years." This does seem to be indicative of a shortage of housing. (Also, there are _loads_ of reasons you may end up homeless, and many of them are entirely unrelated to "poor decision making" – this is a dumb stereotype that helps to make the problem worse.)

dazc 6y ago
The people on the waiting list are already homeless, you are assuming? I would assume they are currently living somewhere which isn't as good or they are living with parents/sharing with friends, etc? Lots of privately rented property is also sunsidised, btw. I apologise for my dumb stereotyping, though I fail to see how I am making the problem worse? Do you have some experience yourself?