Re: QUORA: Why has capitalism failed to end homelessness?

Around my way there are lots of complaints about the number of homeless. Apparently during the first wave of the pandemic the London boroughs found accommodation for all of the homeless and shipped them off to empty hotels and guest houses in the sea-side towns. There are many reasons why so many are homeless and if some of these people hadn't changed their ways they would have been kicked out of this accommodation as soon as possible leading to a greater number of homeless in towns where they have been exported to.

Many homeless people are suffering from addictions and/or mental health problems, are very hard to home and then may well make themselves homeless again very quickly. A friend of ours was alcoholic, he wouldn't even accept overnight accommodation, as he would not be allowed to drink there.

Those represent a tiny proportion of the homeless in the UK. You clearly have no clue about the situation in this country.

The definition of "homeless" is itself problematic.

I became an owner-occupier at 26, and had rented flats for a total of about three years prior to that. I lived with family for just over twenty-three years in total (not in an unbroken line).

The homeless lobby would have described me as "homeless" once I'd turned

QUOTE: What is homelessness? You may be homeless if you're sleeping rough, don't have rights to stay where you are or you live in unsuitable housing.

When are you homeless? The definition of homelessness means not having a home. You are homeless if you have nowhere to stay and are living on the streets, but you can be homeless even if you have a roof over your head.

You count as homeless if you are:

- staying with friends or family

- [ ... ]

- [ ... ]

- [ ... ]

- [ ... ]

- [ ... ] ENDQUOTE

Note that they use the phrase "staying with" rather than "living with" when referring to persons living with their parents in a perfectly normal multi-generational household. I had an uncle whom Shelter would have classified as homeless from the age of 21 to the day he died (at about the age of 35).