rough sleepers and autism

Just as there is no reliable pathway to AS diagnosis, there is no reliable statistical information on the personal issues of 'rough sleepers'. Introducing the 'hidden homeless' is not relevant in this context, as the definition of 'homeless' is not having a home of one's own. An adult offspring who is still at their parents' home is 'homeless' but normal perceptions would not class them as such.

Back to the topic. Councils do carry out counts of 'rough sleepers'. They literaly go out on the streets and count them, and there is recognition that, self-evidently, the only ones that can be counted are those they can find! Many are already known to housing services, and there are those who cannot cope with the complexity of being housed and end up back on the streets.

Services for homeless people are poor at best. Given that our society is always geared towards blaming the victim, there is scant interest in the subject. I get very angry towards tories and anyone who votes for them, as their arrogant disregard for the less well-off is self evident and, to me, loathsome. The idea of 'class' is one of the greatest sicknesses of our society.

My own LA is very good at supporting vulnerable adults, I am certainly grateful for the support that I get from them. BUT, I'm 'on the radar' as a diagnosed person. I would suggest that those without diagnosis are unlikley to get diagnosed in the first place, unlikely to get 'on the radar' as a vulnerable person in the second place, are unlikely to self-identify in the third place, and therefore nobody cares in the fourth place.

It's difficult enough to get an AS diagnosis for someone with a fixed address, so I cannot even begin to imagine any strategy that could pick up any undiagnosed AS street sleepers.

Councils staff constantly strive to come up with ways to get people off of the homelessness register. Some strategies that have been used effectively have subsequently been declared unlawful in the Courts. Our country has the resources to put a roof over the head of anyone without one, what it lacks, and will continue to lack, is any societal will to do so.

I can't see what effect the NAS could possibly have in this situation.

This has been a fear of mine for past couple of years, I am 49 year old single male, and there just does not seem to be any support for accomodation for me when my rent gets too expensive. I am only just keeping my head above water, and my rent increase is months overdue. We usually get a bonus each year at work, and I was depending on that to help, but bonuses have been cut back.

I feel the increase in homeless is largely down to unregulated private rental sector. There have been a lot of new landlords over past few years turning to buy to let for better returns than the savings rates that have been decimated. This market needs house prices to continually rise to maintain the stability and growth. The rising house prices then increase borrowing costs which turn pushes rents up.

This at a time when demand for housing is increasing, rents are set at the level those towards the higher income can tolerate, not at a level the majority can afford and sustain.

I dont think you or the general public are getting the whole story.

There is a lot more homeless people than you see sleeping outside, the press refer to them as the "hidden homeless". I've been technically homeless for nearly 2.5 years after loosing my job and my tied accommodation. In that time i have only slept outside for 3 nights and on a friends floor for another 5.

If you have a disability you are likely to be listed as a vulnerable adult people with autism are often given this lable as most come under the care of adult mental health services as the council see any kind of autism as a MH condition.

If you are listed as a vulnerable adult the council have a greater duty of care towards you and cant just leave you out on the pavement. From my experience the council do what they consider cheapest first which is ignore the problem, so unless you present yourself to them they claim not to know about you and therefore have to do nothing. When you do present they recomend moving back in with your parents. Secondly they find you a hostel bed as a short to medium term solution. Other options include bed and breakfast often miles away from where you live. last resort is they put you in council temporary accommodation which i now have but they are always looking for the smallest excuse to move you on and dismiss their duty of care. I nearly forgot they often use supported housing for people with learning disabilities and in this i loosely include some people with autism

The problem with the above solutions come if you are unable to organise yourself (especally if you also have learning difficulties) and you dont turn up at key times dictated by someone else or make the right phonecalls. Money like housing benifit gets stopped and then the rent doesnt get paid for you, at which point you get kicked out of wherever you are staying and then becuase they look on it as you not paying the rent you are found to be intentionally homeless and the council have no duty of care towards you. They because you have no address you cant collect benifits so you cant pay for anywhere to stay and the cycle continues.

This is really stressful added to the already not coping so a majority of the people that are homeless, hidden or otherwise have MH issues going on, then remembering to take medication when you have no routine doesnt happen and you get worse and suddenly ending up in a nice warm, all be in MH hospital with food and a bed becomes appealing and you have entered the system and you become a collectable statistic.

In short there are many people with autism that are homeless but often intervention happens to stop the most vulnerable in society reaching the level of street sleeping. Noone ends up sleeping on the pavement suddenly one day there is always a chain of events leading up to it, unfortunatly its those with noone supporting them that fall through the system.