Question about homelessness?

Question

My friend has been homeless in london for about 6 months. During that time, he has slept at different friends houses, but most of the time, he has been sleeping in his car.

But now his car has been towed away because the tax disk has expired. He can't afford to pay to get it back because he is unemployed, and the car is soon to be destroyed along with all his belongings inside.

He does not want to be on the streets at christmas. What should he do? The local council wont help him get a flat, and he has no job to afford the rent for a room. He is only 24.

Any ideas, people?

Answer 1

How reliable is he, and how far out on a limb are you willing to go for him? If you think he's a stand up guy, you know he'll pay you back when he gets the chance, and he's just fallen on hard times right now, I'd say just foward him the money to get his car out of the impound lot, and let him stay with you for a month or two. If he has a car, he has a shot at getting employment. If not, it's much harder. If you do nothing else, I'd recommend getting his car out of the impound for him, assuming he'll pay you back. If he has no means to get to work, then he's pretty much homeless until he can save up for a car by walking to work, and you'll have to put up with your homeless friend for a year or two at least.

I hope this works out for you and him.

Answer 2

Can Your Friend Stay With You Or One Of Your Friends & Can You Or Your Friends Help This Person To Fine A Job So That He Won't Be Out In The Street?. Just Until He Can Get Back On His Feet Again. Cause He Will Need To Have An Address & A Phone Number That He Can Use So That Employers Will Know Where To Fine Him Cause If They Know He Is Homeless Then Chances Are They Won't Hire Him. So Can You Or Your Friends Help Him With Giving Him A Place To Stay Until He FInes A Job. I Don't Know If This Will Help Much. But I Wish Your Friend The Best Of Luck & I Hope He Gets The Help He Is Looking For. Good Luck.

Answer 3

This it terrible, not having had this experience, I am still surprised the council's cannot help him, many local authorities have hostels and similar accomodation available, I work for a large social landlord in the midlands we no longer have council housing here, this company is a registered charity and has a residential hostel which may help you out, If you are prepared to leave London for new pastures this is their phone number 024 76767000 explain the situation and they will put you through to the correct departmen. They may also help with filling in forms and arranging rental agreements etc if they have a bedsit/flat available, I am not connected with the 'housing' side of things at all, or an expert in housing, however nobody should be on the streets and London is not necessarily the easiest place to be homeless either. Worth a try? Good luck

Answer 4

the council has to help him! that is there job! Unless he is an immigrant who is not in titled to public funds. they will put him in a hostel. they wont give him a flat right away .

your friend needs to get as much documentation as he can together eg: why he cant work, how long he has been homeless proof about the car, and why he is homeless in the first place. If your friend has a drug problem he should get documentation from a doctor.


if by chance your friend is an immigrant with no recourse to public funds then he/she should go the there local embassy

Answer 5

There is a charity called Shelter and they will help him. I cant say if they will find him a home but they will find him some where to get his head down on a night time. Theres also hostels he could enquire about, its a large ongoing situation is homelessness and its normally the young that suffer this. My partner was 16 when he found himself on the streets, he got involved with a charity called Nightwatch. Its up here in West Yorkshire (dont know if they have one near you) it gives youngsters some where safe and warm to spend the night. He lived with a lecturer and his wife and a vicar and his wife, these people gave him somewhere warm to spend the night and a hot meal which he was most grateful for. Although he was one of the lucky ones he didnt stay homeless for long he found a girl moved in with her and moved on from there. Ive been with him 9yrs now.Hope your friend gets sorted out soon. xx

Answer 6

My idea he probably wouldn't like but I'll tell you anyway.
GET A JOB (anything) surely there is some job out there if he looked, for goodness sakes it's been 6 months and he is only 24, leaving it a bit late.

A job means security and money to support himself and in the meantime if your such a good friend maybe you could help him out with somewhere to live and try to help him find a job so he can get on his own feet. Isn't there employment agencies or something similar, or has he given up on the idea of working for money. He got to learn how to help himself you can only take him to the water and you can't make him drink it.

Good luck to your friend and I wish him well.

Answer 7

its a pretty sick world where somebody has a car destroyed for no tax. he'll have to go into a hostel, as he is homeless he should have enough points to get emergency housing. at a stretch just to get off the streets before the cold really sets in so he can sort himself out he could go to a priest and ask for sanctuary, as far as i know a priest cannot deny anybody this (the same as confession, its sacrosanct)

Answer 8

I am currently homeless (female) and am also getting nowhere with housing. Does he have any disabilities or any friends he can sleep on their sofas? Or could someone lend him the money for a new tax disc? I am lucky to have friends who let me have their floor or sofa when I need it. Also, if he has no fixed abode, he can't claim benefits so he needs to have a mates address to be able to give the DSS or Job Centre.

Answer 9

Did he tried to sell Big Issue, the homeless 'newspaper?
Even if he don't want to sell it, they can always give him some tips.
Now I have been out of U.K. for a while so maybe, Big Issue doesn't exist anymore.
I wish it helps him.

Answer 10

is there anyway he can stay with you? if he is a friend, and you are this concerned about him, you should let him come stay with you (but him a plane ticket if you have to) and help him out getting a job and nice clothes...that can be your generous christmas present for someone in deperate need!! he can't just go from home to home until he wears his welcome out, he needs someone to help him get his life straightened out so he can get a job and start saving to get his own place and everything else!