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Got these from a homeless news website.
Squatters face festive season hunt for new homes
10 December 2009
SQUATTERS are due to be removed from an empty block of flats today just weeks before Christmas.
The 300 squatters moved in last autumn after the block of ex council flats in Cotall Street, Poplar, had been left empty for three years. Others moved in after the G20 protest in the spring.
But neighbours complained about noisy parties and even sex on the roof at the block and the council went to the courts to get an eviction notice to get the squatters to move on.
A spokeswoman for the squatters who gave her name only as Radiana said: "Why are the council evicting us just before Christmas? We will not be able to find anywhere else to go before the holiday, so families and children now face spending the festive season homeless on the streets."
A council spokeswoman said: "Tower Hamlets Homes housing officers have regularly visited the site to ensure the squatters were aware of the upcoming eviction. They have encouraged the squatters to engage with the council's Homeless and Housing Advice Service to discuss their housing options."
She added: "The property is being evicted to make way for a regeneration project that will see the current building demolished and replaced with new homes and improved open spaces.
Copyright © 2008 Archant Regional Limited. All rights reserved.
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Poplar Squatters Evicted For Christmas
Homeless shelters might be even more packed than usual this Christmas as around 300 squatters are due to be evicted from a block of flats that have stood empty for 3 years in Poplar today. Tower Hamlets say that the squatters, which include families, have been encouraged to "engage with the council's Homeless and Housing Advice Service to discuss their housing options" but carrying out the eviction, 2 weeks before Christmas seems Grinch plus Scroodge in the anti-festive stakes.
2003-2009 Gothamist LLC. All rights reserved.
Video at http://www.nbcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Former-Homeless-Man-Helps-the-Poor-Survive-this/dCbT3YBG606r9nnpXzU2dA.cspx?rss=764
Former Homeless Man Helps the Poor Survive this Winter
Reported by: Al'lavee Miller
Email: miller@...
Last Update: 12/10 7:25 pm
Former Homeless Man Helping the Homeless Survive this Winter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. Staying warm is tough in the cold weather and one former homeless man knows exactly how that feels, so he's giving back.
For the last 19 years, Richard Tripp has been on time to help the poor and homeless of Kansas City.
On Thursday, it was a need for warmth. A couple hundred pairs of long johns were given to those braving the cold on the streets.
For Tripp, it was all too familiar. He was homeless himself for a year. He knows how important items given to the poor are and he knows he can't do it alone. He has the community help give him the materials to hand out to the poor and homeless.
To watch his complete story, click on the video player.
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Homeless Women And Children Unable To Escape Cold
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww114/unfathomable_album/homeless9.jpg
By Laura Donaldson
WISE33
updated 1:27 p.m. PT, Fri., Dec . 11, 2009
Story Updated: Dec 10, 2009 at 6:47 PM EST
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - The extremely cold conditions have exposed a crack in Fort Wayne's social service network and some women and children may be the ones falling through, again.
Last year Indiana's NewsCenter exposed a sad truth. There are women and children with
nowhere to turn in during the winter months, and it's the same story this year.
I don't know what we're going to do,Charis House women's shelter Director Patty Crisp said. We're not talking about having luxuries of just going out to eat. We're talking about life and death because of living elements and not having shelter.
Crisp says in the past 10 days they've been forced to turn away 29 women and 20 children, nearly 50 people, because their facility is completely full.
Several other homeless shelter directors say they're experiencing the same problem.
There are an un-limited amount of beds available for Fort Wayne men.
Crisp says the need for beds for both men and women has grown dramatically due to the economic downturn.
The difficulty we're having right now is, less people are finding employment right now, and there are less jobs to be had, Crisp said. And we have the same amount of space that we had last year when people could have jobs. So that's increased the crisis this winter.
We realize homeless people may not have access to television or computer, so that's where you come in and can help them find a place to stay.
There are cots available at the Vessel House for women only. You can call 260-557-6183 for help.
Beds at Hope Alive women's shelter are available. Call 260-750-5070 for help. They are located at 1747 North Wells Street in Fort Wayne.
And families can stay at the Interfaith Hospitality Network. They can be reached at 260-458-9772. They're located at 2925 East State Boulevard Fort Wayne.
Men are welcome at the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission. Call 260-426-7357 for help or visit them at 301 West Superior Street in Fort Wayne.
We'll continue to follow this story Friday on the networks of Indiana's NewsCenter.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34370498/ns/local_news-ft_wayne_in/
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I did a search to find the source on this one because I wanted to see if there was a caption or any information about the woman in the picture. There wasn't but I noticed it said wise33 under Laura Donaldson's name and I thought it was curious. The update changed from the 10th to the 11th.
From the homeless news site:
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww114/unfathomable_album/homepage.jpg
Photo, is of a homeless man who suffered an excruciating winter death frozen alive in ice, inside the abandoned Roosevelt Warehouse in Detroit. [Max Ortiz / The Detroit News: 1/29/09]
That long dreary road.
Super Inn, Club 3000 condemned by city; dozens homeless
Dozens of families are scrambling to find a warm place to stay after inspectors shut down the Augusta Super Inn, for violation after violation found during a surprise inspection.
Reporter: Katie Beasley
Email Address: katie.beasley@wrdw.com
http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww114/unfathomable_album/ScreenShot137-1.jpg
The Augusta Super Inn and Club 3000 have been condemned by the city of Augusta after a surprise inspection. Residents of the motel have one day to move. (December 11, 2009 / WRDW-TV)
News 12 at 6 o'clock, December 11, 2009
AUGUSTA, Ga.---Dozens of families are scrambling to find a warm place to stay after inspectors shut down the Augusta Super Inn. Violation after violation was found during a surprise inspection.
It started with complaints from the sheriff's office, leading to an inspection earlier this week at the Super Inn and Club 3000. Dozens of violations added up, and now dozens are homeless.
Authorities say this is the first step in cleaning up the motels along Gordon Highway.
The sheriff's office says they've been called to the property more than 700 times this year alone -- but the owner says he was on track to fix the place up. Now many are looking for a place to sleep.
For now both the Super Inn and Club 3000 are closed, condemned by the city and deemed unfit for living or business.
Darnell Hickman was decorating his Christmas tree when he heard the news that he has until the end of the day to be out.
"It's fixing to get cold," Hickman said. "We've got people who got kids, where we gonna go?"
"Don't put the people out on the street that don't have a place to go," said a tenant who chose to withhold her name. "Here it is two weeks before Christmas. Most of these people are elderly, have children, where are they going to go?"
A surprise inspection earlier this week found a laundry list of health and fire code violations at both the club and motel. "You've got a lot of angry people out here now," said Hickman.
The owner, Steve Karp, bought the property in July and says he's been working on renovating rooms. "There's been huge amounts of money spent here, I would say close to 50% of the rooms have been renovated to brand new conditions," said Karp.
The complaints came straight from the sheriff's office, after receiving 700 calls to the location this year.
"The people in Augusta are looking at the people that stay here like everybody around here does drugs, everybody around here is a prostitute, that's not true," said a tenant.
The tenants themselves are standing by the owner. "He has done a wonderful job. He has brought this place a long way from where it was," said a tenant.
"Our intent is to correct these violations in a timely fashion as long as we determine that it is financially, and economically feasible to do so," said Karp.
But until then, many are left frightened and out in the cold. "My knees are knocking, I'm definitely scared," said Barbara Scarborough.
"Man, now what we gonna do now?" said Hickman.
The buildings can not be reopened until the problems are fixed.
News 12 did request the list of the violations and pictures of the problems from Augusta's License and Inspection Department and we're still waiting for that.
There are 107 rooms. 51 of them were occupied, mostly with two or three people.
We're told the Salvation Army and Red Cross have been notified about the situation and are working to help those who have been misplaced.
For those that have paid for the month, the owner says he will refund their money.
Investigators say other motels will be getting this same inspection very soon.
http://www.wrdw.com/onyourside/headlines/79095032.html
cpfc12
13-12-2009, 11:01 AM
Got these from a homeless news website.
Why is whenever i hear squatters talk they are either polish or posh, i haven't got a problem with geniunely homeless people, which i am sure the majority are, but if they are just rebelling agaisnt mummy and daddy and want to live down and under then they can fuck off
codie
13-12-2009, 11:06 AM
If they had of kept the noise down they could've had more chance of staying undetected longer.
If they actually are making that noise and doing annoying stuff then they should be turfed out. Sorry. No need to make everybody else suffer.
mystic nomad
13-12-2009, 02:02 PM
If they had of kept the noise down they could've had more chance of staying undetected longer.
If they actually are making that noise and doing annoying stuff then they should be turfed out. Sorry. No need to make everybody else suffer.
Lol, 300 squatters do not go unnoticed no matter how quiet they are.
Years ago my good friend and I had been in a trashed council flat for a good 6 months in the village we had both spent all our lives. We fixed it up, had all utilities connected and were paying for them.
Anyway 8.00 christmas eve and the bailiffs turned up with police support.
They seemed really apologetic, blah, blah and told us we could go to this old pub that had been closed for about 10 years. So we backed down opened the door and let them in, wanting to do the right thing:confused:
Anyway, after 5 or 6 hours walking to the place with all our stuff, tired, cold and hungry we were faced with a pile of rubble:eek:
Lying bastards!
Where's the humanity gone to in this world:confused:
Everyone deserves a break, especially at this, the hardest point in the year for everyone and everything. Isn't that what Christmas is really about?
And yet it seems the vast majority are still so blind they cannot see and still value pieces of worthless paper over all forms of life.
Good job Joseph and Mary aren't looking to get there heads down in the dry somewhere.
It seems to me that the most genuinely needy in this country, fall through the net and that is sad.
Good Yule:)
monkeymagic
13-12-2009, 02:23 PM
Safe Ground goes to Eureka 12.06.09 - YouTube
Catchy tune.
sofa king
13-12-2009, 02:30 PM
I hear people talking a good game about how evil this is, but how many "talkers" have taken homeless people in to live with them for months on end?
Anyone?
Bueller?
dreamweaver
13-12-2009, 02:37 PM
I hear people talking a good game about how evil this is, but how many "talkers" have taken homeless people in to live with them for months on end?
Bit of a false dichotomy there, dude.
Do you really think the only options are EITHER take in a homeless person for months on end OR show no sympathy whatsoever to homeless people? :confused:
theqleaner
13-12-2009, 03:27 PM
Homeless Voice (http://homelessvoice.org/)
flyermay
13-12-2009, 04:07 PM
Why is whenever i hear squatters talk they are either polish or posh, i haven't got a problem with geniunely homeless people, which i am sure the majority are, but if they are just rebelling agaisnt mummy and daddy and want to live down and under then they can fuck off
I don't think it really matters where they come from or if their parents are wealthy; what's important is that every human being should have the right to shelter without asking anyone for charity (including his parents).
There are thousands (probably millions) of empty flats that are just used for speculation while most people have to pay almost all their earnings to rent a flat, or even worse, pay it twice through a mortgage.
vera susa
13-12-2009, 04:21 PM
I hear people talking a good game about how evil this is, but how many "talkers" have taken homeless people in to live with them for months on end?
Anyone?
Bueller?
ME, all the bloody time...
and I'm a pov pensioner...
cpfc12
13-12-2009, 04:30 PM
I don't think it really matters where they come from or if their parents are wealthy; what's important is that every human being should have the right to shelter without asking anyone for charity (including his parents).
There are thousands (probably millions) of empty flats that are just used for speculation while most people have to pay almost all their earnings to rent a flat, or even worse, pay it twice through a mortgage.
Yeah thats true im just letting personal prejudices getting in the way of my judgement
i think as long as none of the local residents nearby are being bothrered in anyway in terms of noise, then they should be able to stay there.
flyermay
13-12-2009, 04:53 PM
Yeah thats true im just letting personal prejudices getting in the way of my judgement
i think as long as none of the local residents nearby are being bothrered in anyway in terms of noise, then they should be able to stay there.
I don't see why squatters would be more noise than my hooligan neighbours (though nobody evicts them, even when the whole neighbourhood complained dozens of times).
My point, everyone has problems with their neighbours, but in the case above is just prejudice against the homeless, or even worse: having interests in them playing the property speculation game.
sofa king
13-12-2009, 04:53 PM
ME, all the bloody time...
and I'm a pov pensioner...
you are a good person.