The truth about homelessness

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Its 5am, time to blog ! The other day I posted a few questions on Facebook to try and get peoples opinions about homeless people :

'Evening all 

I want to blog about people's views, opinions, feeling and thoughts on homeless people.

Do you all just think there drugged up criminals and that they chose this life ? Or do you look further and think why? 

Do you just walk on by and ignore them or do you smile , say hi and ask how their days going? 

Has street light changed your opinion on the homeless? 
Come on be honest, let's hear what you think of the homeless people, of addiction etc and what you think when you see them in town'

I received some interesting comments, so as promised, I said I would blog about your answers and about the truth. I wanted to know if setting up streetlight had changed anyone views on the homeless, and I was pleased to find out it has changed views of a few people. Many people have written on other posts and said to me face to face that I have changed their opinions and opened up their eyes to the truth, which im really pleased about. I didn't only set up street light to help the homeless, I set it up to help the public understand the homeless in order for YOU to be able to help the homeless. 

I wanted to know if you all thought the homeless were 'wasters, junkies, drug addicts, criminals' as that's what a lot of people perceive the homeless to be.  One lady very honestly said before she had liked my page she thought homeless people were dirty drunk druggies but I have completely changed that opinion, she has completely opened her eyes, listened to my updates and stories, and managed to see that each person has a story that's worth listening to. 

A big percentage of homeless people are addicts, yes that is true. But could you stay completely clean and innocent  living day in day out on the street, being ignored or abused by the public, having no home, not knowing where your next meal was come from or where you could dry your wet clothes ? I know I couldn't and im pretty sure if we all took the time to think about it, we wouldn't be able to live the perfect clean lifestyle for long and we would soon turn to something to numb the pain. A lot of homeless people's addiction has started before they became homeless though. Every homeless person has a story to tell, I will tell anyone to make a homeless person a sandwich and sit down with them have a chat, get to know them, befriend them, and sure enough over time you will find out their story and why they have ended up in this life. 

A lot of homeless people have had horrific childhoods and have started using drugs / drinking alcohol from a very young age, some even as young as 11.

When I started my drugs and alcohol training course last year I started going to Narcotics Anonymous each week to learn more about addiction, recovery, triggers and peoples shares. Now that was what opened my eyes up. I had ready many books about childhood abuse, sex trafficking, murders, addiction and what not but until I had decided to go into this career I never thought I would hear someone say it to my face.  At my first narcotics meeting I was a bit insecure about being there, I was there with a friend who was 2 years in recovery. Im sure everyone knew I was not an addict and I was not in recovery as they saw me as the newbie and all practically jumped on me asking me how many days I was on. It took a while for me to click what they were talking about ! Anyway, back to the point.




 At my first meeting the main share was a girl the same age as me. She talked about how she was bullied terribly at school and had started smoking cannabis at 13, to try and take away the pain. I can totally relate as I was bullied terribly at school so I can relate with her trying to take away the pain, I was very innocent and didn't know what cannabis was at that age.  The girl went on to talk about how she was so desperate to be liked she started to hang around with the wrong crowd, which soon led to snorting coke, which led to smoking crack cocaine. For so long men would give it to her for free, until one day they said she had to pay it back. The only was to pay it back was sex.  From that day onward, at the age of 14, she became a sex worker. Up until she was 21 years old that was the life she knew. The crack cocaine use soon turned into injecting heroin which forced her to work even more. The girl eventually became homeless and ended up on the streets of London, crashing in squats or sleeping in door ways. Until she met a man who became her pimp. They moved to Bournemouth, living in a nice area, canford cliffs, and how her pimp would book her out on the internet from their home with the perfect sea view. Sounds like Im telling a made up story doesn't it ?Yes, pimps exist. Yes, they exist in Bournemouth, big time. On went her life, injecting heroin, stealing, committing crime, anything to fund the habit rather than being a 'working girl'. Eventually she broke free from her pimp, but at a serious price. He, and friends, beat her almost to death. In a way it was her lucky break. She ended up in hospital for a while, which started to get her clean then she went onto rehab. At the time of her talk she was 2 years clean and was training to become a nurse, so she had turned her life around. Thats just one example of why just one person became homeless, why one person became a working girl, a heroin addict, a criminal. Does it make you stop and think, does it make you smile at the next homeless person you see and give them a bit of time ? I hope it does. 


Many of the men on the street are on the street due to marriage breakdowns. Often the women get the house as they have the children, or because the children are still in education, the women are entitled to a lot more. I have heard so many stories from guys on the street so similar to that, they all tell me not to get married ! 

Some women have been abused from young children and turned to drugs at a young age, 12, 13,14 and then to prostitution, because quite frankly, its all they have ever known. Its so hard to get a working girl to understand she is worth so much more than a man just using her for sex, but sometimes, they are so brainwashed with that way of thinking, its hard to change their minds and make them see they are so much better.

Mental health issues have a big part in becoming homeless. I don't know how many people with mental health issues may follow this blog or the page, but take it from someone who knows, its hard living life with a mental illness. Something that seems so easy to a healthy person, for example, paying the rent each month and on time, can be so hard for someone who is ill, and this results in a lot of people loosing their homes.


The youngest person I met on the streets was 16. He was local, from the new forest. He had fled home due to extreme violence at home and he feared he would be killed. He didn't come to the streets with any kind of addiction but soon found himself addicted to legal highs that you can buy in many local shops. He would beg for money to buy the legal highs then use the legal high to take away the fear and pain of being on the streets. Thankfully he is now in a young persons hostel as he is extremely vulnerable and still a kid really.

Since I have started street light I have met people on the streets from all walks of life. I have met people who have had wonderful childhoods, just their life has become bad later on in life, I have met people who have had the most horendous childhoods, I have met people who have had high flying jobs, big houses, sports cars the lot and lost it all due to mental health. I have even met a boy who lived a few door down from me for years and has now become homeless and slowly turned to heroin. What Im trying to say is ANYONE, can be come homeless, You, me, your family members or the guy that serves you every day in sainsburys. Homeless people are normal people, there just like you and I , just with a few more difficulties in life.

One couple I see often and keep in touch with daily are on the streets due to bankruptcy. Its as simple as that, you loose your home and your out on the streets. Another couple I met tonight are also on the streets due to re possession of their home. I asked both couples why they are not being helped and their simple answer is 'we are not vulnerable ENOUGH' Surely anyone who is living on the streets is vulnerable ? everyone is at risk of dying due to the cold, malnutrition or even being killed by a member of the public.



Next time you see a homeless person, where ever you may be. Smile. Say hello. Buy them a coffee and ask if they want a chat. Buy them a sandwich, or even better, make a loaf of sandwiches and give them to a few homeless people.  They wont bite you. They wont stab you. They wont rob you. They are begging in order to survive, they are begging in order to feed their habit. The girls you see on the street late at night and judge them for being prostitutes, trust me, they dont want that life. Smile, wave, make them feel like they should get up in the morning. Be nice, you never know, it could be you, or it could be me. 

 I am sharing with you a few video links from YouTube about people in Bournemouth that are homeless. All of these people I know. I chat with them on a regular basis and feed them often.