I agree that it's not right to allow people to go hungry, but, all the solutions given here don't tangibly address the problem:

These people need jobs and a chance of prosperity, not welfare. Welfare only invites more welfare. Somebody has to pay for all that, and in doing so, we rob the population of any chance of prosperity.

Instead of spending it all on welfare, invest in the economy, facilitate opportunity, create demand for jobs, instead of focusing on handouts, which will only make the problem worse.

We need effective action, not endless debate of how we pay for the welfare band-aid in an anemic economy, which achieves nothing more than to exacerbate our continued economic decline.

Cut taxes and bureacracy, get rid of the minimum wage, and free employers to hire and fire as needed - and then watch the jobless rate fall. Watch business investment soar, and new businesses popping up everywhere - employing people. - (but naturally, the EU would have conniption fits about the "unfair" and "uncompetitive" advantage we'd have as we laugh all the way to the bank).

More people employed means less people on the street, which is the only truly effective means to addresses this growing problem in a way which benefits everyone - instead of being so short-sighted to believe finding new ways to finance the ever-increasing cost of welfare is the solution.

Think most of the homeless in the UK is self-inflicted. There is HB and every help available from various organisations. Know someone who works at a CAB. Most are suffering from mental health problems, drink/drug addiction, illegal immigrants etc. But lets not spoil the thread with this.

As Lynn said refering to the ones in chabolas near her. Give them a house and the majority will turn it into a shithole in a short time. I can never understand why poverty equates with junk piled up, neglected gardens. Why does it mean they can't put their empty bottles and food wrappers in a bin!

I did hear that some towns in Andalucia have turned some empty apartments into social housing. led to many complaints from owner neighbours when bikes, washing etc. appeared on the terraces next to their neatly arranged potted plants....not to mention the loud music

Not sure re the "most of the homeless in the UK being self inflicted" there are various reasons and illnesses mental states that lead to this many different reasons. If people simply overstreched themselves and took easy credit in whatever country without thinking about the what if's then you could say they have also made themselves homeless. I keep mentioning why have so much sympathy for people that lived like this in the boom years stole from the better off etc who now use this downturn as an excuse for their behaviour? Yes people that are destitute and have no option having tried to do the right thing is a different matter. Also the fact that in the same situation most of us would put our family's in an empty property does not make it right, but you have to know fully the individual circumstances to deal correctly with the situation, you can't treat all alike.

Many would say this poverty is simply unfair to those who "have not".

But I believe a good test of this would be to offer good jobs with fair pay to all of them, and see how many sign up.

I'd reckon if you got 50% takers, you'd be well above average.

Exactly. We would do the same but we are (probably) genuine.

Yep Jacky that's why each case needs looking at individually rather than just condoning all that do it.

agree bobd, an increasing number of street homeless in the UK are ex servicemen - and not old ones either, but many in their 20's

I would have far more sympathy for the squatters in my town if
a) they continued to choose empty properties which have been repossessed by banks or left abandoned for many years, and not moved on to squatting second homes or, as may happen if the trend continues, properties left empty for a short time by permanent residents if they have gone on holiday, in hospital or whatever.
b) they made an effort to co-exist with their new neighbours and not blight the whole area with their anti-social behaviour.

I don't live in a huge villa, I don't have a second home (not any more, anyway). I don't even have a car, unlike some of the squatters. I was brought up in a family with little money and no luxuries. It costs nothing to take your rubbish to the bin each evening instead of leaving it in the street, if you can afford to buy bottles of beer you can take the empties to the bin instead of putting them on the next door neighbour's windowsill, if you must make a fire in the street, make it against your 'own' wall and not the house opposite - does anybody have a problem with that?

back home we had an area of predominately (but not exclusively) immigrant families who used to throw their rubbish out of the window into the very small front garden, piling up week on week.
urgent discussions following rat infestation in the area led to community leaders having strong words with the people concerned - would that work here ??

Any links to all these ex service people wandering the streets?

"Think most of the homeless in the UK is self-inflicted. There is HB and every help available from various organisations. Know someone who works at a CAB. Most are suffering from mental health problems, drink/drug addiction, illegal immigrants etc. But lets not spoil the thread with this."

Bit of a sweeping statement(s) there, where does your friend work, must be hell for him or her just to go into work.

http://www.ukhomes4heroes.org.uk/

I've just spent the last 18 months in the UK working in a homeless charity and believe me that is not true.

Sorry I may be accused of going off topic as nothing to do with Spain but something we should all know about re the brave lads and lasses that do their bit for our country.

I'm with you there Dave

Another little known and largely forgotten group is comprised of ex-Servicemen. According to statistics, up to 30% of homeless people in Britain, particularly longer-term rough sleepers, have served in our Armed Forces at some stage before becoming homeless.
http://www.defencemanagement.com/art...s&article=4271

MORE than 10,000 ex-Forces heroes who proudly served their country will spend this Christmas HOMELESS.
In what campaigners have branded a “national scandal”, as many as one in five rough sleepers have been in the military

http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-worl...2039-23643084/

HOWEVER, it isnt just the soldier (man or woman) that has problems
REMEMBER the problems experienced by the women and children who have to pick up their lives after the death in active service of their soldier

I hope the rules I remember have been altered - where widows had max 7 days to vacate their tied cottage (married quarters) after the death, and if the soldier had been paid in advance the money had to be repaid.