The suggestion that some of Norwich’s homeless have made their own choice to live on the streets is often met with disbelief and derision. “Absolute rubbish” and a “bigoted horrible suggestion.” But the homeless I spoke to insisted the decision to sleep rough was largely made of their own volition.

submitted by Chipit from quillette.com

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[–][deleted]  (5 children)

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    [–]Chipit[S] 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (4 children)

    Wow, a piece about how homeless people choose to be that way because they have extreme views on personal freedom, and you manage to start slinging blame everywhere but where it belongs.

    This is exactly the same attitude expressed by the social worker in the headline. "Absolute rubbish" which it is absolutely not.

    [–][deleted]  (3 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]jet199 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

      Research shows most people on the streets in the UK end up there after a relationship breakdown not debt, wider economic problems or police.

      The fact is there are a large number of people living parasitic lifestyle off their partners and when their partner works that out and gets rid of them they then have no skills, no social capital, no savings to fall back on and so end up on the streets.

      [–]Airbus320 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

      This is why I condemn single mothers.

      [–]jet199 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

      Well, women generally maintain their social connections which is why they rarely end up sleeping on the streets even when officially homeless.

      Women rarely think "I'm in a romantic relationship so that means I only have to phone my mother once every 6 months and can ghost all my friends because I don't need any of them now, I'm sorted."