Blog – November 2008
Why should anyone care? I’ll tell you…
Following on from the 8th annual street count, however with a significant difference, because we counted across eight districts and boroughs as opposed to the usual two. We found a total of 21 rough sleepers or evidence of rough sleeping. This contrasts with the known 112 people sleeping rough across the county. Those of you who have heard my usual post count rant about the futility of street counts will not be surprised then when I say again; they give nothing more than a snap shot and a very inaccurate picture of rough sleeping in Kent.
One of the questions from the BBC was “why should anyone care about the problem”, a bit of a surprise in itself from the nations favourite broadcaster, but on reflection not totally out of tune with a society that can accept homelessness as a norm.
With new contracts in the offing and a strategic review of investment underway, resources are being targeted at those in most need. However, the data that is used to arrive at these numbers is flawed, why? Because there are no statutory mechanisms in place to record these groups our statistics, although useful to Local Government agencies, do not apparently hold water because of the view that “we would say that wouldn’t we.” Well no actually.
What would be the point in making the numbers up? To attract more funding, but there isn’t any. Or perhaps to make the case for existence, but would we still have hundreds of people accessing or trying to access our hugely over subscribed services if there was not a need?
We will continue to advocate on the behalf of the socially excluded, vulnerably housed and street homeless people, why? Because we care that’s why.
