Can anyone tell me where is the first place a homeless male of 28 would head for when arriving contactless in a small english town in the winter? He's been homeless for ten years.
homeless/ small town /winter
- Thread starter Goldenleaves
- Start date
Several variables here:
Does he have any money- enough for say a Youth Hostel or a B&B or even a hotel?
Is he used to sleeping rough?
If he has no contacts in this town why has he come here?
Do you have a specific town in mind? For instance a small town in the commuter belt of London would be rather different to one in Cornwall, or the Midlands or the North East.
The answer to your question would be dependent on those sorts of things
Does he have any money- enough for say a Youth Hostel or a B&B or even a hotel?
Is he used to sleeping rough?
If he has no contacts in this town why has he come here?
Do you have a specific town in mind? For instance a small town in the commuter belt of London would be rather different to one in Cornwall, or the Midlands or the North East.
The answer to your question would be dependent on those sorts of things
This is a small fictional town in the East of England. He'll have only a bit of change, he's used to sleeping rough. He has a problem with alcohol and drugs, and has come out here because he wants to get right away from the cities and get space to think.
mirandashell
Banned
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 6,137
- Reaction score
- 694
If he's sleeping rough, he wouldn't need necessarily to contact anyone official. If he's claiming income support, he'd need to go to the dole office (which might not exist in a town of 15000, so he'd then have to go to a larger one). The council could provide details of homeless shelters, if the town is big enough to have one, but they wouldn't provide a home if he's single and childless. The local library would have information leaflets that might be useful. He could also try the church, though there wouldn't necessarily be anyone there. If he was begging, he's going to stand out a lot in a small town and could probably expect, at minimum, a chat from the police.
Yep, that's where I've been calling. Everyone who I should talk to in both places is out of their office. Dammit. I'm working on another scene while thinking it over. Thanks for the input though people, it's appreciated.
mirandashell
Banned
Yes, I was thinking the police route for ease because once in the system, advice on everything that could help his situation should be available to him - I say should be, probably it's lacking a more than little. Homeless english adults are not, I hear, much catered for.
I've got a few avenues to explore but need to check them with people who know. Thanks so much for helping, (I was tearing my hair for a minute or two and it's not like my 'do' was impressive to start with!)
mirandashell
Banned
In my limited experience, homeless people avoid the police as far as possible. Especially young homeless men. They certainly don't turn to them for help.
Plus a small town would be a bit more insular than a big city. A young homeless drug addict would not be welcomed with open arms. I assume you know the above but, tbh, if I read a story where the police were helpful to your MC in that situation, I'd want a damn good reason why.
Plus a small town would be a bit more insular than a big city. A young homeless drug addict would not be welcomed with open arms. I assume you know the above but, tbh, if I read a story where the police were helpful to your MC in that situation, I'd want a damn good reason why.
Ah, now I didn't say the police would be helpful. I was thinking that if he actually managed to get arrested and put in jail (no small feat) probation officers and welfare dooflops would be floating around somewhere.
Although I could make it a fantasy, where the homeless and the police were best buddies. Nah, perhaps another day.
*Dooflops sounds like, but is not, an insult. It means 'thingys'.
Last edited:
mirandashell
Banned
I know this is from the wrong side of the ocean, but in my town when the weather gets really bad, the homeless who want to stay out of the system sleep in the waiting room at the hospital. The nurses et al. turn a blind eye.
It's highly likely someone in that area would be looking for manual work in the fields. It's grim, treeless countryside and the towns tend to be small and depressed. You'd find a lot of eastern and southern European working legally or illegally there, and not many native Britons willing to put up with the horrible working conditions and low pay. Immigration officials are often found poking their noses looking for illegal workers.
This person may well not approach any official agency. He would be unlikely to be able to receive any benefits without a care-of address and a bank account and the council will want to know why he has moved and will be unwilling to take responsibility for him. The person would know that, probably having had a long history of unproductive encounters with bureaucracy.
His first ports of call might well be to find a dealer, somewhere to crash and a source of funds (not necessarily in that order). The town centre in the evening would be as good a place and time as any to find a dealer, but sleeping rough in the town centre would have its perils- it's not just that he would stick out like a sore thumb to the police- local pissed-up louts would probably not be the most welcoming of sorts if they came across him in a doorway. He might approach local farms, packing factories, pubs, dodgy hotels etc. looking for casual cash-in-hand work and/or drink. Depending on his level of need he may look for shut-up holiday homes to burgle. He would probably also be on the lookout for other homeless people, partly for company and partly to get the local info on places to crash etc.
In today's Britain he may not find the whole process pleasant. Locals would assume he was an Eastern European migrant worker/illegal immigrant and would feel entitled to treat him like shit and he wouldn't have the same access to organisations like Shelter or No Second Night Out that he would have had in the cities.
Sorry, makes it all sound a bit bleak. Maybe because I think it would be...
His first ports of call might well be to find a dealer, somewhere to crash and a source of funds (not necessarily in that order). The town centre in the evening would be as good a place and time as any to find a dealer, but sleeping rough in the town centre would have its perils- it's not just that he would stick out like a sore thumb to the police- local pissed-up louts would probably not be the most welcoming of sorts if they came across him in a doorway. He might approach local farms, packing factories, pubs, dodgy hotels etc. looking for casual cash-in-hand work and/or drink. Depending on his level of need he may look for shut-up holiday homes to burgle. He would probably also be on the lookout for other homeless people, partly for company and partly to get the local info on places to crash etc.
In today's Britain he may not find the whole process pleasant. Locals would assume he was an Eastern European migrant worker/illegal immigrant and would feel entitled to treat him like shit and he wouldn't have the same access to organisations like Shelter or No Second Night Out that he would have had in the cities.
Sorry, makes it all sound a bit bleak. Maybe because I think it would be...
If it is a coastal town then he could find shelter in a car park - a sort of multi storey type one. He would probably get hassled by the attendants if he was there during the day. I doubt if a small town would have a drop in centre for homeless people as there might not be that many of them around out of season. If there is a railway station then he might be able to use the waiting room - but some of them are locked over night so that homeless people cannot use them.
To be considered to be re-homed the homeless person has to be 'resident' in the area for six months.
He may have asked some of the people in the city he has left if there is anywhere he can go for shelter and they may have given him some advice. Arriving at an east coast seaside town in winter with no idea of where to stay is so not a good idea. So cold!
To be considered to be re-homed the homeless person has to be 'resident' in the area for six months.
He may have asked some of the people in the city he has left if there is anywhere he can go for shelter and they may have given him some advice. Arriving at an east coast seaside town in winter with no idea of where to stay is so not a good idea. So cold!
As long as it's authentically bleak - and the balance tips the right way in the end.
So, the question is where he can sleep at night?
On a bench in a park - it works with a winter sleeping bag or a lot of blankets
In a garage house
In an abandoned house or factory or such
In a block building on the stairs
In a discarded car
Under the road in the underpass that has some small stores, which are the source of heat
Near some building (small market or whatever) from which warm air from the ventilation comes out
In a garden shed (near a house or on the town periphery where people have small gardens...)
On a bench in a park - it works with a winter sleeping bag or a lot of blankets
In a garage house
In an abandoned house or factory or such
In a block building on the stairs
In a discarded car
Under the road in the underpass that has some small stores, which are the source of heat
Near some building (small market or whatever) from which warm air from the ventilation comes out
In a garden shed (near a house or on the town periphery where people have small gardens...)
mirandashell
Banned
Golden, as you know where you are going set this, do you know the area, or did you use StreetView? That's useful for finding places to crash. I've used it for a story myself.
The East Coast in winter.... brrr. You really want to torture this poor bugger, don't you? LOL!
The East Coast in winter.... brrr. You really want to torture this poor bugger, don't you? LOL!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 6,137
- Reaction score
- 694
I mentioned the council because people will usually try them. They have lists of hostels if nothing else.
The law in England & Wales was recently changed to make squatting a criminal offence, so he's unlikely to try an abandoned house unless he wants to meet the cops. Although they'd probably only move him on because why would they want the hassle?
Bench in a park is possible. Many, many benches in public areas are now designed to be sat on (barely, and if you don't mind huge discomfort) but to be impossible to sleep on. Yes, that's how petty we are. Park benches are more accommodating. I have seen homeless sleeping on them.
I remember a cinema I used to go past that had a kind of cut-out in the side where the vents were, and yes, homeless people used to sleep there sometimes. Underpasses are another popular place. Basically, these are places out of the wind, and dry.
Usually homeless will have sleeping bags, blankets, and cardboard boxes flattened out to provide insulation. Newspapers are also good.
Discarded cars...I see those more often in tv drama than irl nowadays. But I'm more rural than towny. It's hard to disavow responsibility for a car and the DVLA *will* get you.
ETA: I remember a homeless woman I spoke to for a while in Canterbury saying that she made money from busking, but the local police were tough. If you couldn't prove you could play at least three different tunes, they'd move you on.
The law in England & Wales was recently changed to make squatting a criminal offence, so he's unlikely to try an abandoned house unless he wants to meet the cops. Although they'd probably only move him on because why would they want the hassle?
Bench in a park is possible. Many, many benches in public areas are now designed to be sat on (barely, and if you don't mind huge discomfort) but to be impossible to sleep on. Yes, that's how petty we are. Park benches are more accommodating. I have seen homeless sleeping on them.
I remember a cinema I used to go past that had a kind of cut-out in the side where the vents were, and yes, homeless people used to sleep there sometimes. Underpasses are another popular place. Basically, these are places out of the wind, and dry.
Usually homeless will have sleeping bags, blankets, and cardboard boxes flattened out to provide insulation. Newspapers are also good.
Discarded cars...I see those more often in tv drama than irl nowadays. But I'm more rural than towny. It's hard to disavow responsibility for a car and the DVLA *will* get you.
ETA: I remember a homeless woman I spoke to for a while in Canterbury saying that she made money from busking, but the local police were tough. If you couldn't prove you could play at least three different tunes, they'd move you on.