Homelessness executive criticises charities/services over tents and on street food

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/VillageMagIRE/status/1451551092890869766

Have to say I agree with everything here. I have no doubt some of the volunteers are kind hearted who just want to help.

However, I am absolutely convinced they are being used as a political and financial tool to keep homelessness in full view of the public and homeless people on the streets in tents or eating food.

I think there needs to be a crack down on these services intentionally encouraging people to stay in tents or eat dinner on the street when there is accommodation available. Most may not be pleasant but it's a roof and heat.

Also the statement that most of the users of these services are not even homeless is bizarre as well.

One night of -10c this winter in Dublin and this charade will end in tragedy.

One eyed Jack

”Most may not be pleasant…” is an understatement 😂

Has it occurred to you that people who are homeless, would rather stay in a tent even if it drops to -20c, than stay in a hostel or homeless shelter?

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/hostels-arent-safe-campaigner-rejects-city-chief-owen-keegans-suggestion-homeless-tents-be-removed-40760071.html

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118060449#Comment_118060449

The homeless campaigner being Peter McVerry himself whose trust provides a large amount of homeless accommodation. Kinda contradictory.

Most of these on street food services appeared in the wake of Apollo House creating the illusion people were starving to death without them, there's always been food services provided in bro Lukes , MQI , crosscare community cafes , Penny Dinners , Mendicity etc.

Sweetemotion

Maybe people are tired of the large salaries, these so called charities pay themselves and would rather donate food than money.

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118060585#Comment_118060585

Oh I didn’t mean that anyone use PMVT as an example of anything, I was just making the point that the OP doesn’t appear to have considered the possibility that people who are homeless don’t want to use homeless services and would rather take the risk of perishing outside in the freezing cold.

I personally don’t see people providing charity to people who are homeless as a bad thing, but I can understand why the organisations which provide the services might see it as a bad thing, or the council might see homeless people living out in the open as a bad thing.

Jinglejangle69

Oh so those photos are staged.

Shock horror.

SEPT 23 1989

With all the money generated by businesses in that industry every year you could buy houses and apartments for all the true street sleeping homeless and solve the problem in one go

but then the industry ceases to exist

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118061665#Comment_118061665

They do , it's called housing first providing wrap round for roughsleepers.

It's particularly difficult to work with entrenched rough sleepers often needing multiple professionals and services to engage with the individual.

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062257#Comment_118062257

And your suggestion is ?

Brucie Bonus

Funny really. We are actually shaking our heads at shoddily run charities and the clientel and industry that has grown up around homelessness and the housing crisis. We'll question the bona fides of those using the services because some believe in some way it takes the blame off the politicians who created it all.

It's like during the black death giving out that some of the dead died of unrelated health issues and the numbers aren't accurate.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062379#Comment_118062379

You have just proven one of the points in the findings. Some use the homeless for political gain.

padd b1975

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062379#Comment_118062379

Yeah it's exactly like that.

Jesus wept!

Spanish Eyes

Is this allowed because the food is free or what? I don't think any food truck or stand can just set up anywhere in the cities, I always thought a permit was needed and health and food safety were checked.

Would be sorted in the morning if city councils demanded permits and FSAI approval and registration or whatever they do with inspection of food providers. I don't see what the issue is apart from a reluctance to do this. Maybe there is no requirement for this, which would explain why DRHE (under the aegis of DCC) have commented. I agree fully with all their comments, but who should bite the bullet here?

At the very least in the interim such activities should be moved off the main thoroughfares. That's right, away from high trafficked areas for a start. It looks bloody awful, and there are plenty of Government supports and donations for charities providing food from their premises.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062665#Comment_118062665

Only food outlets receiving payment for their goods need a permit etc. While many people distribute food out of the goodness of their hearts, others do so for political gain.

If someone sets up a soup kitchen, they have no control over who avails of it. Nor are they in a position to identify and help those in need of it.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062818#Comment_118062818

You really don't get what "addicted" means, do you?

While I agree that yes there's a whole industry that has grown up around this issue, and there's any amount of duplication of services and waste of resources as a result, it's not as simple as you make out.

padd b1975

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062827#Comment_118062827

Of course they can identify the moochers.

If I'm giving out free food and I see Anto and Jacinta rock up clad head to toe in expensive sportswear then I'm well within my rights to tell them to shop in Dunnes Stores and spend the savings on feeding themselves.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062862#Comment_118062862

Would you refuse Anto and his Mott some of your free food?

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062882#Comment_118062882

You have a very high (and wildly unrealistic) opinion of the ability of addicts to "fix the problem themselves".

padd b1975

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062873#Comment_118062873

I'd be very tempted to.

I'd definitely tell them to get better value when clothes shopping.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062953#Comment_118062953

Again, "resolve" and addiction aren't really good bedfellows. You're looking at this from a healthy, rational perspective. It really doesn't work like that in the world of addiction.

And just to be clear, I don't know what the solutions are - but simply depriving addicts of drugs and money without any alternative supports isn't one of them.

HeidiHeidi

That's lovely.

Off you go and tell that to the good citizens of the back lanes and the tenement flats around inner city Dublin for starters, and see how you get on.

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118063064#Comment_118063064

How come no-one ever thought of this before ?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118063064#Comment_118063064

Unfortunately the quality of parenting offered in many homes is so poor that this is not within reach of a substantial number.

If we want to fix homelessness, we need to start compulsorily contraception for those who lack the basic physical and emotional resources to raise a child. And this will never happen.

manonboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118063064#Comment_118063064

Hmmm I'm not in any way being a smart ass, but these opinions lack any experience of actually dealing with addiction n mental health.

May I ask you have you ever actually supported a person who had an addiction or depression/anexity disorders that come with addiction?

Your solution is simple because it's already the end result of NOT having an addiction. It's very equivalent to telling someone with depression to have happy thoughts, or someone with mind created chronic pain that there's no pain so they shouldn't feel like there is.

Your solutions are the decisions people make when they have a healthy mind.. they're next to impossible for someone to make before having a healthy mind. The majority of addicts facing your solutions would very quickly stop using all services due to failure and Shame, n end up in a far worse place then currently.

You can't ask people to be healthy or else you won't provide them with services to get the healthy. It's an immediate failure n has never ever worked anywhere in the world.

The zero tolerance approach is easy for us to implement. It just has failed to work ever so we go with strategies that have higher success rates.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062467#Comment_118062467

If only there weren't so many.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118062648#Comment_118062648

Too many like to skip the problem and criticise the fall out.

Gatling

If you set up a table anywhere in Dublin giving out free breakfast rolls or chicken fillet rolls people will que up and wait patiently ,it's exactly whats happening with all of these new amateur homeless soup kitchens , people are queing up for dinners for 2 to several people to feed a family not because they are hungry and facing starvation ,it's because they can and they face no questions as to Why they are there