mate about to be homeless, what should he do?

[jug]

i have a mate who will be made homeless today, plus he has no job. his family wont help (or even talk to him), his other friend's wont let him stay with them, and i cant have his staying at my house either, so he has no where to stay.

he's planning to live in his car but i'm trying to help him get something sorted asap. the council cant help because he isnt a high priority (no kids), so i've given him some hostel phone numbers but getting a vacancy isn't easy and its not cheap. is there anything else he can do?

 

[Steven]

That's really tough...

Living in the car isn't an option in this weather surely! A hostel would be the best bet or approach one of the homeless charities or the Salvation Army. Crisis are the biggest.

http://www.crisis.org.uk/hostels.php

He needs to get a job before his situation can improve.

 

[Poondash]

Around my area if u go to the council and tell them ur homeless they have to house you in a lodge/hostle until ur given a house. always good calling the CAB they might have advice but im pretty sure the loacl council have to provide something. (unless he has a past of not paying rent for them ect...)

 

[jug]

thanks for the link. the salvation army seems the best bet so far, they may have a vacancy tomorrow but that all depends if someone else leaves.

i told him a job is the real problem here, and the solution, he's been applying for jobs the last 2 months but had no luck. i feel sorry for him, but there is no excuse, there are jobs out there, especially when you're desperate.

 

[ChrisUK]

Bad situation like said he needs to aim to get a job first anything will do when your that despirate surely.....

Also most councils arn't obligated to do anything its at their discretion and depends on their current demands etc.

 

[jug]

Around my area if u go to the council and tell them ur homeless they have to house you in a lodge/hostle until ur given a house.

the council said they arent obliged to do anything because he isn't a high priority. you need kids, or be a kid, or be vulnerbale to get any help.

 

[centaur]

There is always an option, no matter how small. Living in a car is the very last resort.

But tbh if he can afford to run a car why cant he afford to find somewhere to rent, even a 1 room bedsit of some description?

If I were him and that desperate, i would sell the car, use the money to try and improve my housing and finacial situation, then when stable again, I would buy another car. And of course, I would take ANY job going, no matter how crappy.

Not being negative, but he also wants to need to help himself and not look to other people for help, or somewhere to squat down for the night. His lot in life seems hard enough as it is, without having to lose his dignity, too. He needs to get down to the local housing association and benefits office, and sit there until they help him. They will always help, in whatever way possible, by providing some kind of shelter somewhere for him.

Wish him good luck from me

 

[Steven]

Yeah, sell the car and use the money as a deposit on a bedsit. I'd take a job in McDonalds if I was that desperate!

Edit - does he have drink/drug issues?

 

[centaur]

Yeah, sell the car and use the money as a deposit on a bedsit. I'd take a job in McDonalds if I was that desperate!

Edit - does he have drink/drug issues?

Hell that would be a plumb job if you were desperate. Free food, too.

I would do anything though, cleaning job, washing peoples cars (you know, those car washes....)

 

[jug]

But tbh if he can afford to run a car why cant he afford to find somewhere to rent, even a 1 room bedsit of some description?

he cant afford to run the car, his tax, test and insurance is all paid for (from better times ) but it wont last longer than another couple of months. i doubt he'll have the car very soon.

If I were him and that desperate, i would sell the car, use the money to try and improve my housing and finacial situation, then when stable again, I would buy another car. And of course, I would take ANY job going, no matter how crappy.

i said he should do that but he thinks it will be harder to find a job and get to work without a car.

Not being negative, but he also wants to need to help himself and not look to other people for help, or somewhere to squat down for the night. His lot in life seems hard enough as it is, without having to lose his dignity, too.

thats exactly what we all say to him. He has always been the kind of guy who needs to be spoonfed the solution to every problem in life, and he never helps himself. he wont plan long term, and even when a problem is months away he'll wait until the last minute to do anything about it. thats why he rang me today, the same day he's going to be homeless. he knew 2 months ago that this was going to happen, and i told him then that if he found a job i'd get him somewhere to live, but he still hasnt sorted anything out. i dont know why i bother sometimes :bang:

 

[jug]

Edit - does he have drink/drug issues?

no he's a good lad, no criminal record, no drug/drink probs, just an attitude problem

 

[Seli_Babe]

Sorry to hear about your mate

Surely he could get some work in like a Tesco's or something to tie him over... that way he'll at least be getting some form of income. Then look for another one whilst he is working..

I can't offer any other suggestions from what has already been offered...

 

[antsuno2]

has he tried putting on a foreign accent, i'm sure the council would sort him out a house and some money,

 

[Trancendental]

Yeah Tesco, Asda night shifts pay pretty well. Plus he could always go into security guard work, pays well and as long as he don't have to man handle people he wont require training.

I was going to say the council must do something but he must be pretty old(ish) to be considered able to look after himself with no home and no job.

 

[jug]

has he tried putting on a foreign accent, i'm sure the council would sort him out a house and some money,

funnily enough he said the same thing

 

[jug]

Yeah Tesco, Asda night shifts pay pretty well. Plus he could always go into security guard work, pays well and as long as he don't have to man handle people he wont require training.

I was going to say the council must do something but he must be pretty old(ish) to be considered able to look after himself with no home and no job.

he's 25. i like the supermarket night shift idea, i'll mention it.

the stupid thing is he's a qualified lorry driver (class2) and he could get paid a fortune for that if he got his arse into gear and found a new job. he could earn more than me if he had half an ounce of motivation.

 

[custard]

if he is unemployed then your local council is by law required ot have emergency furnished housing.
i was told this when i was homeless unfortunatly as i was employed i was required to pay over £200 a week for this.
obviously if i had over £800/month to spare i wouldnt have been ion that situation.
also as he is unemployed i would have thought the DSS(or whatever they are now called)would put him in a B&B or whatever

 

[Trancendental]

is he's a qualified lorry driver (class2) and he could get paid a fortune for that if he got his arse into gear

Also means he could live in his Lorry Cabin too

 

[gregit]

There are loads of HGV Jobs... just get down to driving agency.

By trade I work in IT. Network Support, but when there was nothing about I used my HGV license that I took for a laugh. Wasn't laughing when I found it kept my head above water.

Best driving job going is skip lorries... sounds daft, but I have never had so much fun... especially when driving the 8 wheel rolonoff's. You get dirty, but no worries about breaking anything... it all goes in the tip!

 

[jug]

if he is unemployed then your local council is by law required ot have emergency furnished housing.
i was told this when i was homeless unfortunatly as i was employed i was required to pay over £200 a week for this.
obviously if i had over £800/month to spare i wouldnt have been ion that situation.
also as he is unemployed i would have thought the DSS(or whatever they are now called)would put him in a B&B or whatever

thats exactly what i thought, but the local council said they dont have to do anything unless he is a "high priority", and a 25 year old single man is bottom of the list. he needs to get pregnant asap to stand a chance.
DSS put him on the list for housing months ago, but it usually takes a very long time to get a house, i know people who've waited more than a year, it doesnt matter where you are on the list when so many kids get pregnant and take the houses.

lesson to learn here is, have lots of kids.