There’s a youngish homeless guy who sits quietly outside the local retail shops. I always have a natter to him if I’m passing – he’s waiting on a room at our local Emmaus but until then is rough sleeping. I’m thinking of asking if he wants to sleep in the back of my old van.
It’s parked outside our house so I can run an extension cable for an filled oil heater, foam from work for a mattress etc. It’s dry and would be warm.

Any issues from a legal point of view?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-lady-in-the-van/alan-bennett-hay-interview/

It sounds a fine gesture and I hope you never have cause to regret it.

You are Alan Bennett and I claim my 5 custard creams.

It’s a really laudable idea. And probably would be fine. But please be aware that homelessness is often associated with severe mental health, drug dependence and alcoholism issues.

A family near me was violently destroyed recently by a homeless person that they wanted to help*. This is certainly a statistical outlier, but highlights the extreme end of the type of risks that you would expose yourself to.

Please be very careful. Maybe consider safer ways to assist.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/03/homeless-man-admits-murdering-good-samaritan-mother-son-took/

Saw a film about it once and a homeless Sir Ian McKellen became the family butler and ran off with Mother-in-Law.

I say go for it, give him the WiFi password and get that man a dry warm bed and a STW login.

Good on you

Seems fair enough to me. I struggle with things like this but its a fine gesture and low risk to you

But please be aware that homelessness is often associated with severe mental health, drug dependence and alcoholism issues.

Unfortunately this. Very commendable of you though

I don’t think we know enough about the chap in question to assess it as ‘low risk’. The best we can hope for is ‘probably quite low risk’. There must be a better way of helping, surely?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-birmingham-41496292

The above news stories happened within 2 miles of me, it wouldn’t stop me from helping someone if I was in a position to

fair enough v8

For some balance to tabloids:

As someone who was once in a bit of a ‘place’ (alone, rudderless, recently separated, disabled, redundant and living in a 2-man tent in Feb) I was overjoyed and eternally grateful for being loaned a space (and then a caravan) on a kindly stranger’s land. Thanks to them I got the breathing-space (and a cold-shower, still a shower!) and kindness that bumpstarted me back to humanity. We remain the closest of friends nearly a decade on, although far in miles.

Yes, with caution, as not all people are as ace as me 😝

ie what is your family situation? Lots of risks to think about. But many to overthink. It’s also about your personal skills/compatibility as the homeless person in question

ie MIL has voluntarily/customarily housed and signposted young homeless people from since the early 1970s up until about a decade ago when she became herself too overwhelmed by age and ill-health (and jaded with the authorities). Amazing woman. Was never harmed by her choices – but she is strident, parochial, militant and more than a little intimidating in character! Very pro-active and on the ball with social services.

So it would be more like boot-camp. Didn’t suffer fools gladly, yet extended her house and hand for those who were slipping through the net. Not a dichotomy. It worked out. One of her ‘guests’ became a family friend and successful property-developer. Others left fleas and a bad smell before disappearing. Lots of stories but mostly positive. She ran a big mental health facility/charity later or some point so it was not an idle undertaking. Not to say there isn’t place for offering just the odd bunk/wifi with a view to securing housing elsewhere. That’s amazing and can be all that is required to get people back on their feet/out of the impending cycle. Treating someone as the equal human that they are is the best thing you can do, whether a chat and hug/coffee in the street or a place to call home for a while.

Reading yr post made my day btw, whatever you decide thanks for sharing it here. Wish I could help with the legal side of it. Neighbours can cause problems where there aren’t any. Just exercise discretion and logic.

I’d say go with your gut instinct. If he seems like a nice bloke who just needs some help what harm could it do. Worse case scenario he could end up inviting loads of mates over to his new “crib” for a drug fuelled orgy, overdose leaving you with a van full of funk and a body to get rid of. But seriously I think it’s a good idea mate. What goes around comes around .Fair play to you.

Any issues from a legal point of view?

Your car so do as you wish.

My Mrs is from a social work/charity background and we’ve had a close friend who was alcohol dependant so not completely niave to the possibilities.
He’s told us his background and it seems ok.

My van isn’t worth much so not bothered about the worst outcome for it.
I’d like to help as I’ve not been very charitable outside of my family sphere over the years but this is on my doorstep and I’d like to do something.
Thanks for the feedback – will have a think over the weekend.

Well done, nice gesture.

I read in the local paper last week a hairdresser allowed a homeless couple to sleep in the salon as it was cold and wet. The couple repaid the hospitality by robbing the stock and clearing off.

Nice.

There was a thread on here about sleeping in vans and condensation build up. That would put me off making the offer.

a tent with an air mattress would be better and probably warmer and certainly dryer.

i completely understand your desire to help the guy.

I work in social housing and we have varying types of homeless accomodation.

I can give you some tales of the people we home. Some good, some very bad.
Just this week we had a guy just out of prison (no idea what for, we are never told). There is a terraced house with 3 bedrooms,and shared facilities. He was the only one there. He’d been there a few days and asked if he could paint the walls. He seemed credible to the Manager, so we let him do some painting.
That was a mistake. The actual painting was fine, but the paint splashes all over the floor, and dried paint in the bath were not acceptable.
He called us out as the shower wasnt working, and he didnt want to use the bath. Ok, I fixed the shower.He didnt stop moaning about the place while I was there, he was there rent free ( we do charity work), but didnt think he was getting good value for that!
He was evicted on Thursday as there had been a party on Tuesday, things had kicked off, Police were called etc. One condition is only the Tenant is allowed in these premises, 10 mates is well against the rules, along with trashing the carpet with paint etc.
It really is hard to keep someone like him in accomodation, as they really are not bothered about the house they live in, and treat it like a tip.

On the other hand, we housed a young couple into a flat, and they could not be nicer people. they were on the streets for a month for some reason, and were so thankful that they had a place to themselves.

We normally always have vacancies in our facilities. We have a womens refuge/womens only house which is advertising now as 4 of the rooms are empty.
Ask him if he really has got a place to stay soon?
Very few people need to be on the street if they dont want to. Many who are offered accomodation do not comply with the rules, so are evicted eventually, then they may be stuck, as the Council / Housing Assn are reluctant to take them back.

Seems fair enough to me. I struggle with things like this but its a fine gesture and low risk to you

Yeah I struggle with things like this as well, it’s an unknown risk as opposed to low thou as the dynamics are different once he’s on your drive.

I’m with Malvern that you have to be of a certain disposition to handle this properly.

No legal issues that I can see but V8ninety is spot on.

Also consider that your offer whilst generous and lovely, might not reflect the young mans own aspirations and expectations. Would you set a time limit? What if he doesn’t get his promised room? Would your neighbours feel the same way about your guest as you do?

I salute your kindness and thoughtfulness but as already stated, homelessness can come with a lot of baggage attached and is often accompanied with complex issues.

Just don’t give him the keys…

I think it’s a great thing to do!  Brilliant.

Chapeau sir, good on you, I hope it works out for you both 👍