One day before Sheffield Free School a tail of homelessness in Sheffield

Ann Archy. | 07.10.2010 18:58 | Sheffield

This is a scan of a letter given to a homeless person in Sheffield..

What you think is a utter disgrace then why not e mail me.

Fayzeh.Mohamed@sheffield.gov.uk (Head of complaints)

housingsolutionsgeneric@sheffield.gov.uk (Homeless section)

miranda.plowden@sheffield.gov.uk (Directer of Sheffield Homes)

Ann Archy.

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Why is this a disgrace?

07.10.2010 19:34

It seems that the council are applying some rules designed to give priority to the most needy. Why do you have a problem with that?

Grace

WHY?

07.10.2010 19:48

So i take it that people sleeping on the streets is fine?

Ann Archy.

Hi ann archy

thanks for sharing this on indymedia.

1. I hope the homeless person in question doesn't mind having their personal details shared on indymedia ( note visible reference number in scanned documents ).

2. The title of the articles is "One day before Sheffield Free School a tail of homelessness in Sheffield " I don't see how your post is directly relevant to the free school, but I hope you've invited them along to the free school at 7 Smithfield, S3 7AR, as it would be a really useful place for them to share their story, and build a response.

life long learner
Homepage: http://sheffieldsocialcentre.org.uk/

get real

07.10.2010 22:47

the letter states you were offered a rent deposit and benefits so you could have secured a place to live and had it paid for but didnt want it "that's not good enough so I will go on the street and its your fault so there" classic PD behaviour

anyway Ann Archist's dont go running to the state to help them they want to smash the state and make their own solutions

street lawyer

read it again...

07.10.2010 23:32

I just read this again and I have to say that I think you're lucky to be getting any ongoing help at all.

The letter includes two examples of you lying: first you claimed you have manic depression, when infact you have a different diagnosis; second, you have said in the past that you're homeless when in fact you have maintained accommodation.

They've said that you're eligible for assistance, but not at a priority. Any welfare system has to set priorities somehow, and by lying about your own status you've been trying to get one-up on people who's needs are greater than your own.

Yet after all that you're still being given benefits and offered a rent deposit?

I don't think any sympathy is in order here.

Grace

I don't think any sympathy is in order here

08.10.2010 07:16

Who was asking for this? Of course if we took the letter to be the truth and that the person is not telling the truth.. But just think there might be more to this and the person has an illness and there saying sleep rough no matter the circumstance that is shit..

Dave

it's not a disgrace

08.10.2010 07:23

It's better then some homeless decision letters in that it goes into a lot of detail as to how and why they made the decision. This gives the recipient a lot of information he can use to apeal the decision, which I hope he did. The details given show that the decision maker has made some rather large assumptions about the behaviour of mentally ill people. They often do appear 'well-oriented' articulate, and able to cope with filling in forms. They are often clever people. What is never apparent is what's going on in their heads, unless you have been having a general conversation with them for some time you can't tell to what degree they might be delusional, paranoid or whatever. And paranoia often makes them not use psychiatric services or other support services. Being street homeless and in an unstable environment is likely to make the condition worse and could make them suicidal when they weren't before.
What is disgraceful is that there is such a shortage of housing that the local authority officials who have to ration it out tend to use excuses to refuse people rather then looking at what they can give them. They have what's called a "gatekeeping" attitude. Some are worse than others at this.
If you are going to get made homeless, make sure you have seen your psychiatrist lately. Then you can get them to write you a letter describing your vulnerability (!)

Annie Citizen
Homepage: http://www.rightsandwrongsuk.blogspot.com

(please correct typo in title and delete me! tail / tale)

08.10.2010 10:46

Please correct typo in title and delete me!

"tail" should be "tale".

sorry for nitpick!

anon

Supposedly tolerant society

08.10.2010 12:41

It's pretty sickening how matter-of-factly the authorities tolerate 'street homelessness' as if it is something that should in anyway be acceptable in a supposedly tolerant society
.

Chris

diagnoses

08.10.2010 13:14

Mental illness diagnoses vary over time and between psychiatrists. Therefore two diagnoses could be stated by the individual concerned at different times or even at the same time without one of them 'being a lie'. Diagnosing mental illnesses is not an exact science by any means.

anonymous