Homelessness in Oxford

I walked through Summertown in North Oxford to go swimming this morning, along the Banbury Road. Within a couple of hundred yards I passed 2 beggars, Paul one of my regular Big Issue sellers, & a rough sleeper lying in a doorway. It was bitterly cold & snowing a little.

Paul told me that Oxford Council have closed / are closing overnight shelters - see Oxford Mail 12.01.2016.
"Oxfordshire County Council is considering cutting its housing related support by 65 per cent – about £1.5m – as one of 95 options designed to make savings of £70m by 2020. But it has already cut the same service’s budget from £3.85m to £2.34m in 2014, and any more reduction in funding could have disastrous consequences, experts have warned". The Chief executive of Oxford Homeless Pathways said: “You cannot provide hostel accommodation at that level of cuts".

I stood in that area protesting about the state of the NHS for one hour 3 weeks ago & froze. I couldn't stand it any longer. Most people walk by these men without a sideways glance. Good Samaritans are few & far between in North Oxford, which must be one of the wealthiest areas in the country. There are some of us who buy the Big Issue sellers, Dan & Paul, a hot drink in winter, water in summer or give them something to eat. They are a fixture & know a lot of people who live here. The beggars seem to get a lot less. Oxford city is a lot worse. The poor & the destitute are everywhere & are comprehensively ignored by the wealthy tourists & priveleged students alike.

I know a bit of Dan & Paul's back story. I don't know anything about the beggars or the rough sleeper. Does that really matter? Why have we become so completely heartless & uncaring about people who are worse off than we are? Why are we able to tolerate seeing other people so obviously in need of the basic things for existance like shelter, food & access to advice & care?

It isn't a Pokemon game. These are human beings.

If you care, & I hope you do, please consider doing something about it - However little. I have just invested in a charity set up to help the homeless http://greenpastures.net/  You don't have to invest, you can just donate. I know all the reasons not to give money to individuals on the street, but that isn't a reason not to do anything at all.

We need more Good Samaritans.