Tooting drama

[Sirena]

If facing the same amount of paperwork to get housing benefit and council tax benefit, combined with the stress of stupidly long delays in processing the claims (it can often take months), I can understand why sleeping rough might seem easier to handle. And yes, expecting that woman and her son to live together in a 1 bedroom flat longterm is IMHO indecent.

I don't know what the exact story is but it will come apparent, presumably, in the next couple of days...

 

[Greebo]

I don't know what the exact story is but it will come apparent, presumably, in the next couple of days...

I hope they find somewhere bearable to live soon, they've been waiting a long time now.

 

[Sirena]

I hope they find somewhere bearable to live soon, they've been waiting a long time now.

According to this news article, they were offered two 2-bed flats which they turned down without even looking at them...

http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk...li_family_return_to_another_bench_in_Tooting/

 

[Greebo]

According to this news article, they were offered two 2-bed flats which they turned down without even looking at them... <snip>

It's good to see how many offers of help they've had, although it's all the more puzzling why they've refused everything, even from their own people.

 

[Sirena]

It's good to see how many offers of help they've had, although it's all the more puzzling why they've refused everything, even from their own people.

I think everyone says the woman is obstinate, obdurate and stubborn to the point of unreason. I don't care now.....

 

[ViolentPanda]

I think everyone says the woman is obstinate, obdurate and stubborn to the point of unreason. I don't care now.....

So, no interrogation of why she's supposedly the above, just the withdrawal of your sympathy on the basis that she is those things.
One of the key issues that people who live rough develop is their difficulty in living within the confines of housing. Add to this the possibility that it was trauma within housing that originally drove her onto the street, and your "I don't care" seems rather glib.

 

[Sirena]

So, no interrogation of why she's supposedly the above, just the withdrawal of your sympathy on the basis that she is those things.
One of the key issues that people who live rough develop is their difficulty in living within the confines of housing. Add to this the possibility that it was trauma within housing that originally drove her onto the street, and your "I don't care" seems rather glib.

if you read the early part of the thread, everyone has tried to talk to her: her family, senior members of the Somali community, charities, the Council (on various occasions). She's been in hospital over the Winter. The Council have offered her two flats. Nothing has had any effect.

What do you want me to do?

 

[hash tag]

As of a short while ago, she is still there. Fwiw, ( as already mentioned ) i am not sure there is anything anyone can do

 

[hash tag]

A year on and they are still camped outside Tooting Library in Mitcham Rd

 

[Farmer Giles]

A year on and they are still camped outside Tooting Library in Mitcham Rd

Still there the other day.

 

[hash tag]

As been said previously, they have been offered lots of help.

 

[Sirena]

Still there the other day.

Yes I passed by the other day too.

There was a time when her son was not with her and I thought he might have been given accommodation by someone while she decided to continue her vigil.

But I think he was sitting with her when I went passed yesterday.

 

[Sirena]

Yes I passed by the other day too.

There was a time when her son was not with her and I thought he might have been given accommodation by someone while she decided to continue her vigil.

But I think he was sitting with her when I went passed yesterday.

It looks like more than 3 years and they're still there...

But here's the next Tooting drama....

Despite popular objections, the council is to chainsaw down a whole avenue of 50 mature Chestnut trees. A whole fucking avenue!

The trees were originally planted 150 years ago (replacing an avenue that had originally been planted to mark Queen Elizabth i's coronation). Some of the trees have a canker and this has persuaded the Council (who have a grant to improve the Common) to cut down the lot

Put a price on urban trees – and halt this chainsaw massacre | Patrick Barkham

 

[hash tag]

To think, Wandsworth prides itself on it's green open spaces, trees etc.

 

[Farmer Giles]

The Daily Heil's take on it.

Somali mother and son chose to live on a London bench | Daily Mail Online

 

[Sirena]

The Daily Heil's take on it.

Somali mother and son chose to live on a London bench | Daily Mail Online

What with the threatened Chestnut Avenue on Tooting Common and Sadiq Khan's intervention

and the Somali family on the bench and Tooting being voted one of the 10 coolest places in the world, well...... It's all a bit random but I can live with the glory.

 

[extra dry]

I would suggest leaving them be. A cold winter would push anyone indoors given a chance.

 

[Sirena]

I would suggest leaving them be. A cold winter would push anyone indoors given a chance.

I don't think there's any other options or, rather, they won't accept them.

But they've already done two winters....

 

[extra dry]

Find out what happened to their old house, who lives there now, maybe hash out a crowed funded solution/deal

 

[Sirena]

Find out what happened to their old house, who lives there now, maybe hash out a crowed funded solution/deal

I think they've been offered three flats but refused all of them. And it's not probably right to disturb the present tenants.

The reason she lost the house, so far as I know, was because of non-payment of rent. Now, that might have been because she was in hospital for a time or because of some mental problems or it may have been just skanking. I don't know.

 

[hash tag]

I understand there is a lot of security on the common this morning with a view to making a start on felling the trees later today

 

[hash tag]

This just hit my in box Barriers have been put up as work begins to remove 150-year-old trees in Chestnut Avenue in Tooting

 

[bemused]

This just hit my in box Barriers have been put up as work begins to remove 150-year-old trees in Chestnut Avenue in Tooting

Lyme trees are much better for the bees.

 

[hash tag]

Last time I was down that way, the couple were still there. This has just been reported Is it OK if someone wants to live for years on a bench?