Homelessness: ‘the state has a responsibility too’

• FEW people, as far as I know, become wealthy without putting in the effort required – with the exception of members of the royal family.

The rest of us follow the standard process of school, higher education, and eventually employment. But it is becoming clear that a number of people are failing to reach the end goal in terms of employment.

They are presumedly the people that are regularly seen sitting within the vicinity of rail stations on top of blankets with paper cups alongside them that compassionate passers-by, sometimes drop spare change into.

I saw a male and female couple, presumably homeless, sitting outside Euston last Friday morning. I looked at them, sitting there despite the cold weather, and I couldn’t help wondering how they ended up on the streets.

I had spare change but I didn’t hand it to them – not that I lack compassion but rather because the £7 wouldn’t have been sufficient to cover the cost of a meal and refreshment.

I went back home and thought about how they would cope with the possibility of snow, which was forecast.

I know that everyone has a personal responsibility to care for themselves by staying focused and striving to reach the goal of employment in order to avoid poverty and homelessness.

But the state has a responsibility too and it is evidently failing in that regard; and the more that happens, poverty and homelessness will increase.

TREVOR ELLIS
Wembley