The Homeless: One of the Most Ignored and Vilified Social Groups

When discussing issues regarding social groups of which one is not a part of, there remains a risk of alienating and othering the said social group. However, this risk can be avoided if one simply made the effort and took the necessary steps to just see - without predisposed conceptions or notions to cloud one's views. In regards to this social group, the risk is greater because very few non-homeless have themselves experienced homelessness, and very few non-homeless regard the homeless as members of society.

Our failures as members of society to recognise a social group within our community leads to a sort of tacit consent on our behalf where through our ignorance and avoidance, we allow the government's  increasing dismissal and marginalisation of this group. An individual's housing status should not determine their rights, nor should it allow for their treatment as "illegally parked cars" to be forcibly removed and disposed of. 

Although we could never find one overarching reason for homelessness, nor should we regard it as the "homeless problem" - which only adds stigma - the rise in people being pushed to homelessness, and alarmingly the rise in deaths of those sleeping rough (from 475 in 2014 to 600 in 2018) suggests that regardless of how an individual has become homeless, the government is not doing enough to protect those with no fixed abode, and is more or less ignoring their right to life. 

In December of 2018 when discussing the rise in homelessness, the Communities Secretary James Brokenshire made the largely false claim that government policy was NOT responsible for the rise of rough sleeping, instead Brokenshire decided to attribute the rise to psychoactive drugs such as 'spice' and family breakdown. However,  "Instead of seeking to attribute the crisis to the spread of psychoactive drugs and LGBT young people being thrown out of home, he should refer to the government’s own data, which shows that since 2014 the loss of a private tenancy has been the biggest cause of homelessness in England. According to research by Generation Rent, 94% of this rise can be blamed on no-fault evictions, which have more than doubled since 2009".*

"The truth is that the precariousness of private sector tenancies, combined with a chronic shortage of social housing, punitive welfare reforms and successive years of cuts to homelessness prevention services, have created a perfect storm. Ever greater numbers of vulnerable people are being forced into temporary accommodation or worse, or are having to take their chances on the streets".  - Liz Rutherfoord, Chief Executive, Single Homeless Project.

The government's attitude then becomes very obvious and predictable; blame the victim. However, it cannot be denied that the government is facilitating the deterioration of the livelihood of homeless people, whilst maintaining their increase in a confusing paradox; they want to more or less exterminate the homeless, yet they are catalysing the eviction of people to the streets.