M&S Food for Shelter

Reply to the comment left by Robert Mellors at 28/11/2017 - 17:08
Thanks Robert. I've just submitted the article which will be circulated by 118 tomorrow.

Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 27/11/2017 - 21:28
although my niece is doing her masters in alcohol, her placement is with homeless.Many say they are better off financially while on the streets.
you have point if you supply more homes then who would pay for shelters wages! Shelter has too much to lose. If you look at most of their clientele it reflects those who are generally responsible for their position. ie. not paying rent, anti-social behaviour as the council will re house genuine homeless people to keep them of the streets..

Reply to the comment left by loretta wight at 28/11/2017 - 19:38
Hi Loretta

I used to manage a homelessness department at at local authority, and I know that the Council have legal duties to house some homeless people, (Part VII Housing Act 1996 as amended), but most single homeless people, though genuinely homeless, are NOT considered to be in "priority need" and as such they are not provided with housing by Councils, they are left to fend for themselves on the streets. The Council only provides housing for those to whom they have a statutory duty. What accommodation the Council provide can range from B&Bs, Travelodges, homeless hostels, temporary flats, etc, and these are often for a limited time only, and do not always lead on to a subsequent offer of long-term accommodation (i.e. a proper tenancy). I have worked in five different local authorities homelessness departments since 2001, and I now work with eight different local authorities (i.e. I provide accommodation in eight LA areas).

Reply to the comment left by James Barnes at 27/11/2017 - 17:17
Obviously not a landlord then.

Shelter usually have a Christmas campaign to persuade the gullible to give them money under the pretence that they are helping the homeless.
In Edinburgh there is a business called Social Bite that is even worse. They paid George Clooney £50k and Leonardo Di Caprio £80k to visit their sandwich shop and pretend that these celebrities are doing it out the goodness of their heart.
Like Shelter it is a middle class organisation with no shame regarding exploiting the homelessness and accepting public money.

I do like the description “the anti landlord charity Shelter” it sticks in my throat when I hear the BBC say studies by the homeless Charity Shelter on their news items as the study will be nonsense “one million tenants victims of landlord fraud” anyone! They don’t provide shelter to the homeless and shouldn’t be a charity.

I first saw the support Shelter snacks in M&S at Christmas last year. At the time, I was frankly disgusted and there was no way I was buying those particular snacks, even if they were vegan (it can be a challenge to find vegan ready made food, to say the least, even in 21st C Central London!).
Now, however, although Shelter will have to go much further before I will support it, I believe it is becoming more moderate, insofar as over the last year I have not been aware of so much anti landlord propaganda coming from the organisation.
For example, I came across this page containing results of a survey of private landlords, published on Shelter’s site, in which they actually state, “landlords play a crucial role in providing homes, both now, and in the future”. The article was published in February 2017, a month after Campbell Robb stepped down as CEO….
I also know for a fact that even under Robb, Shelter employed private landlords on its staff!
I believe the argument that Shelter does no real good to alleviate homelessness because it doesn’t actually provide housing is disingenuous. Is this not like saying the NLA, RLA even Property118 do no good as all they’re doing is offering guidance and lobbying Parliament? Enabling someone to help themselves by equipping them with the right knowledge is to empower that individual; didn’t someone once say that if you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, but if you teach him to fish he can eat for a lifetime? Also, a similar argument that states that service providers offer no value because they don’t manufacture anything is used against landlords by anti landlord extremists such as House Price Crash (HPC).
The stance taken by Shelter under Campbell Robb was damaging and divisive; polarising an issue only serves to close down any real and meaningful debate that might actually lead to a solution – look at human history and international conflict as an example. I will not play this game nor be dragged down to the level of HPC.
The NLA’s stance is that deliberately antagonising individuals and organisations achieves nothing, and I believe they are right.

Reply to the comment left by Mandy Thomson at 02/12/2017 - 14:20
Well Mandy, thats it then Shelter are wonderful. Hallelujah the lord has spoken, No more hate speech from shelter.
WATCH THIS SPACE!

Reply to the comment left by Jamie Moodie at 02/12/2017 - 15:25
I'm certainly not saying they're wonderful - far from it. My point is that IF they're backing down on their anti landlord stance, shouldn't we do the same and see what happens? It would be better to engage in a proper debate with them and have them take on the board the issues from the private landlord's viewpoint rather than be at constant loggerheads.

Robb has left to infest jrf

Reply to the comment left by Mandy Thomson at 02/12/2017 - 15:28
There is no evidence that they are backing down on their anti landlord vitriol, hate and accusation led campaigning in order to promote their pious like qualities to attract millions of pounds with which to pay themselves and then what?
Not a single room, not 1, incredible
What do they do?
They are sinister self indulgent organisation.

We shall not cosy up to these socialist pricks who are happy to have ever more homeless so they can inflate their self importance, their cause and coffers through peddling their self righteous shit. We are an integral part of their narrative.

Remember they support the governments stance re S24 (our death-knell)

Lend me (I will pay it back plus interest) £50,000,000 and I will produce 3500 rooms on a permanent self funding basis, repeatable each year.

What exactly do the homeless get from shelter for £50 million a year?? Foxtrot Oscar, thats what.