S1E7 Homelessness: The hidden figures - with Kai Samra

Warning: Strong language Official homelessness statistics are a fraction of the numbers that charities claim to exist. Is someone sugarcoating the data? Is it a genuine mistake? Or are we looking in wrong places? With fines and sentences for sleeping on the streets, the UK and many other countries make no apologies for targeting rough sleeping. Temporary accommodation facilities earn private contractors hundreds of millions in state benefits every year. But are they actually helping, or just keeping the problem behind closed doors? This week, Media Storm speaks to people who are and have been homeless. They expose some disconcerting truths about these state-supported lodgings, systemic attempts to remove vulnerable people from public view, and the catastrophic levels of homelessness lying hidden in the wings. Comedian Kai Samra joins us in the studio to take a look at some of the latest headlines on homelessness, and discuss what reporting on the topic often gets wrong. Your hosts: Mathilda Mallinson @mathildamall Helena Wada @helenawadia Your guests: Kai Samra @kaisamra Benjay Crossman @benjaycrossman Earl Charlton @earljc78 @nehest2014 Kerri Douglas @kerridouglas18 Paul Atherton @LondonersLondon Sources: Introductory statistics: (official 1) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2020/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2020 ; (official 2) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1050291/Statutory_Homelessness_Stats_Release_July-September_2021.pdf ; (Crisis) https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/227-000-households-across-britain-are-experiencing-the-worst-forms-of-homelessness/) Profits for accommodation providers: https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/27/hostels-from-hell-the-supported-housing-that-blights-birmingham Care leavers: (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/nov/11/we-are-failing-children-in-care-and-they-are-dying-on-our-streets ; (official) https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8429/CBP-8429.pdf Vagrancy Act: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7836/ Prison releases: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1006474/2021_Q4_CPT_publication.pdf Get in touch Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/mediastormpod or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod or Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mediastormpod like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MediaStormPod send us an email mediastormpodcast@gmail.com check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire. Artwork by Simba Baylon @simbalenciaga. Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices