Introducing anti-homeless benches is not going to solve homelessness in Southampton. The council have a responsibility to support people living on the streets by providing shelters. Instead they are making it harder for those without a roof over there head to get by. Benches can provide a place to sleep that is off the ground and dryer than the floor, and sleeping in the town centre is often safer for people sleeping rough, due to CCTV. Hiding societies problems does not solve them. We want Southampton council to act now!

I grew up on Edgeside, many residents of the valley will know about its difficult history. In 2002 Rossendale Borough Council was ranked as one of the worst in the country for local authority homes after previous administrations had left the properties to decay. Recently, there have been concerns raised about regeneration schemes, empty homes, homelessness, and planning decisions made in the area. However, these have been ongoing issues for the area for decades and have been challenging for parties of all colours. Previous empty homes initiatives haven't worked, including recent attempts and earlier ones, such as the Pathfinder initiative. Several changes of Council haven't lead to these issues being fully addressed either, but I believe that a change of how the council structures their work would make a real difference. A scrutiny committee is a missing constant and there are many issues around housing which need to be looked into in depth. Over the past year, 5 out of 10 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings have considered housing issues. This takes away from the chance to discuss non-housing matters, without giving housing the focus that it warrants. I believe these challenges deserve a scrutiny committee of their own which brings together a range of services. The Government have cut funding to councils over the past few years. This leaves many councils under-funded and over-stretched. Ours is no different. While initiatives in Edgeside have seen the area transformed, this has only been possible by working in partnership with the local community (including community groups like the White Horse Project). Yet, several challenges continue in other areas of the valley and policy. A scrutiny committee, which is open to the public, would allow the council to work more closely with its residents. Together we could glean some insight into what might be the most effective changes, focus our efforts on bringing them into fruition, and solve some of the issues facing our friends and neighbors.

Renters in Edinburgh are struggling. Year in, year out rents go up far faster than wages, and it is reaching a breaking point. Edinburgh City Council has the power to designate areas as so-called ‘rent pressure zones’ and bring in rent controls, to stop landlords ripping tenants off for poor-quality housing. It’s time for them to use these powers.

The Scottish Government is currently promoting the increase of forestry by awarding huge sums of money through the Forestry Grant Scheme. But this is being abused by some landowners. Currently landlords are in a position to legally evict tenants, who are in non-secure leases through no fault of their own, and then obtain large sums of money from the Scottish public purse to plant trees on viable agricultural land. Every farm unit that closes means a loss of livelihood to the tenants, a loss of tenant farmers for Scotland, a loss of farming diversity in a country with the most concentrated pattern of land ownership in the developed world, and a loss of people, skills and trade for fragile rural economies. I first became aware of this when good friends who had farmed as managers for a previous tenant for 8 years, and a further 10 years in their own right, were abruptly told that their lease would not be renewed and their farming ground would be turned over to trees. I have witnessed at first hand how their lives have been devastated. All attempts to negotiate an extension have been handled appallingly by the landlord's estate and even the intervention of MSPs, the new Land Commission, and the local Tenants Association, have failed to halt the imminent eviction.

We were all disgusted when Gloucester City Council put up these posters in Gloucester suggesting people should not give to those sleeping rough on the streets and suggesting they have accommodation. The posters were clearly a 'prelude' to the introduction of Public Space Protection Orders in Gloucester (PSPO's). In other parts of the country, these are being used to 'socially cleanse' cities and towns of rough sleepers so that they are essentially 'banned' from certain areas. Rough sleepers can also face fines if found in these areas. PSPO's give councils the power to remove people for non criminal behavior and the latest Home office advice (December 2017) states that PSPO's should not be used to target rough sleepers. This is a cruel and ill thought out approach to solving homelessness in Gloucester . In Gloucester many vulnerable people have no accommodation and due to 'ideological' cuts to funding, they have little, if any support when they're on the streets. By introducing PSPO's, the council will only move the problem, but not solve it. What's more, the most obvious solution would be for Gloucester City Council to open more shelters and open buildings that they already own for the homeless as there is nowhere near enough accommodation available in Gloucester.

Glasgow Green is in danger of suffering through over use. Locals, residents and those who use the Green have no obvious route to obtain information or to share concerns in relation to the 33 events due to occur in 2018. At present, the choice about whether to consult with the community lies with the few. The method by which views are collated are largely dictated by event organisers. Sign here if you think that consultation should be ongoing, meaningful and reflective of the collective needs of locals, residents and The Green alike. Thank you

For several years Stratford Shopping Centre have stayed open 24hrs a day allowing for those whom are homeless to have somewhere dry and secure to shelter/sleep during the night. However as of today (29/01/2018) they have handed orders to all those currently staying in the centre, ordering them to leave with immediate effect. This means the homeless people are being forced out on to the streets in these extreme weathers, some of these people don’t even own a sleeping bag or adequate warm clothing which means they are at high risk of falling extremely ill. We are petitioning for Stratford Centre/Newham Council to rethink their decision and to continue allowing for our homeless friends to continuing using Stratford as a secure place for them to be during the night as many of them are highly vulnerable and some are also very elderly. Newham Council urgently need to support these homeless people with their housing/accommodation as these people cannot continue living on the streets.

No current facilities available in Northampton for people to use .

We are fully supportive of the initiatives that are in place to help homeless people and would welcome these being publicised in a positive way so that the public are aware as to what they can do to help the homeless. However these posters do little more than attack the individual liberty of city residents and demonise one of the most vulnerable groups in our city. Streetlink is an important organisation but its advertised in small print at the bottom of the page. The current campaign is based on negativity and not the right way to go about things.

Ever since PCM was introduced by the Bracknell Forest Homes, instead of solving the parking crises whithin Bracknell, unfortunately Parking has significantly aggravated and made it even more difficult throughout the streets of Bracknell. Many of us have already contacted Bracknell Forest Homes as well as our Local Authority - Bracknell Forest Council requesting their reasonable and legally bound support and assistance only because we are the local residents and we have been deeply affected by the restrictions and the awfully £100.oo charges issued by PCM. Moreover, as a result of their action, parking has became a real nighmare and we literaly seam to be imprisoned in our own home. No visitours or family members can come and visit us due to this parking crises. Aggrieved by these dreadful circumstances, a large number of our residents are currently parking on the pavements and on the grass verge causing unnecessary real messe and unnecessary difficulties in our neighbourhood. Thus represents serious concern for acces to emergency services and endangering lives. Forevermore, our property value and our house price has significantly droped due to the aggravated parking situation in our neighbourhood and throughout Bracknell. Therefore, through this petition we join our efforts united together consolidating our voice and efforts to put an end to these hideous moneymaking operation against the local residents without any further delays. We strongly oppose the operation of PCM scheme authorised and supported by Bracknell Forest Homes because the scheme was introduced without any democratic consultation with the local residents and without priorly due consideration. Moreover, there was no mutual agreement with the local residents or the local household and privately house and garage owners, not with the tenants of the rented garages where the scheme operates. We join our effort and voices together requesting our Bracknell Forest Council Mayor, Madame Tina McKenzie-Boyle and our respectful elected MP - Dr Phillip Lee as well as our local councillors to prompt intervention and assist the local residents legally rewing and without any further delays, to put an end to the parking enforcement scheme operated by Bracknell Forest Homes & PCM. 1. We request all the necessary assistance in preventing them to penalise the local resident. 2. We would highly recommend investing consciously and without further delays in providing efficient public parking facilities in our residential areas. 3. We solely request clear and transparent plans to be urgently put in place that will be implemented by The Local Authorities as to prevent future similar crises.

Very few people are intentionally homeless. Many people have mental health problems. We need to protect the most vulnerable in our society. Housing is the responsibility of the Council so they must work with other agencies so that people do not need to be homeless.

The Act makes it illegal to sleep rough and/or beg. Whilst I do not wish anybody to have to sleep rough or beg, the people who are forced to do so should not be persecuted in any fashion, let alone from a legal stance. The Act was written at a time when wealth defined whether you were a criminal or not, thus segregating the poor from the rich, as a wealthy person would never find themselves in that position. The Vagrancy Act is out of date common law and needs to be vanquished so that Councillors cannot try and force Police to enforce such legislation when they are on a power trip, such as in the case of https://news.sky.com/story/outrage-as-council-leader-asks-police-to-clear-homeless-before-royal-wedding-11194599