Homelessness debate must be informed

Jenny Edwards - letter to Editor, Inside Housing (16 March 2007)

No one doubts John Bird’s passion on the issue of homelessness. However, the opinions he has offered on the issue (Inside Housing, 9 March) make it clear that he is out of touch with current practice in frontline agencies.

Yes, mental health and substance abuse problems present major challenges and not everything that is needed is available, but tremendous progress has been made.

Hostels are being transformed into places of change. In many areas there is support available that helps people once they have moved out of a hostel into their own home. Yet Mr Bird speaks as if it were still the 1980s with little on offer other than a bowl of soup and a bed for the night.

Nowadays the emphasis is on working with the individual person, their issues, capability and aspirations. This may include specialist help with addiction and mental health problems, but financial advice and employment training can be just as important. It's not perfect and we need strong advocates to argue the case for the right solutions to help people get their lives back on track.

However compulsory incarceration and treatment did not have a great track record when it was tried in the past. In fact many of the people it failed are those who are now helped, much more productively, by third sector agencies.

A debate on the issue is welcome but it needs to be informed by today's reality, not yesterday's. Mr Bird and I have agreed to debate this publicly, calling on witnesses who can contribute from their own experience. What is most important is that a range of voices are heard - particularly those of today's homeless people.