Remember that dead homeless man people were concerned about? Turns out he was a nonce

Get Real

kylith wrote: »

This is one I struggle with a bit. Of course no one should be homeless, but it irks me to see homelessness used as a cause of death. 'A homeless woman was found dead' but what of? Was it exposure? starvation? a drug overdose? Two of those can be remedied by the state, and they can help with the third but only if the person seeks help. Someone will OD in a council house just as well as in a tent or under a bridge.

This is a very good point. Homelessness is an issue, and a bad one. But a homeless person dying doesn't necessarily mean they died because of homelessness.

People who have homes or permanent accommodation die from alcoholism, drug issues, cancer, heart attacks, diabetes or other serious illnesses. These illnesses also affect the homeless population.

Now, another issue is the funding of healthcare for the homeless, and being able to monitor as effectively as people living in a permanent address. Funding would be required there.

However it's not as simple as reading a headline, having no idea of the background, and turning it into a debate on the housing supply. I personally believe that housing certainly needs to be built and addressed. I would love to see a large house building programme take place.

But, it's a fallacy to assume homeless people dying equates to dying because of homelessness. For example: https://www.google.ie/amp/www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/panti-bar-man-dies-after-11427374.amp a man dies of a heart attack in this Dublin pub, that doesn't mean being in the pub caused him to have the heart attack, it was an underlying health issue, building up over years, or something else that caused it. The bricks and mortar pub didn't kill him.

Likewise, we don't know what homeless people have died from. You read about it because it makes a story and sells, and people protest, and now that the news is out about this fellow and his past, people quieten down.

An event was cancelled in dublin today that was intended to remember him
http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/apollo-house-vigil-planned-after-death-of-rough-sleeper-cancelled-36105095.html. Now why has this been cancelled? Homelessness is still a big issue, surely they could have went ahead with it (and kept it general), because it's worth highlighting homelessness either way and keeping it on topic no? It was cancelled, I believe, because the Jack Watson headline, like it or not was an ideal opportunity for these people to capitalise on his death. And I don't agree with those people. If they were so sincere about homelessness, why not hold the demonstration anyway?

This was a headline we read last week that has since developed. And now people are backing away. The fact remains that homelessness is an important issue, but people too often jump the gun. Remember, headlines sell and people can use them.

What about all the deaths you don't read about that occur every day from various illnesses? It doesn't mean they didn't happen, it's just not as good a story. In this case, people were quick to jump on the bandwagon, and have been caught out.

eleventh

The point is that homelessness is a separate issue completely.

We should not as a society be saying things like "this person did x, they deserve to die on the street" etc.
All this does is stigmatise the homeless further and only confuses the issue in people's minds with the worst of crimes (which was obviously the OP's intention).

LollipopJimmy

Get Real wrote: »

This is a very good point. Homelessness is an issue, and a bad one. But a homeless person dying doesn't necessarily mean they died because of homelessness.

People who have homes or permanent accommodation die from alcoholism, drug issues, cancer, heart attacks, diabetes or other serious illnesses. These illnesses also affect the homeless population.

Now, another issue is the funding of healthcare for the homeless, and being able to monitor as effectively as people living in a permanent address. Funding would be required there.

However it's not as simple as reading a headline, having no idea of the background, and turning it into a debate on the housing supply. I personally believe that housing certainly needs to be built and addressed. I would love to see a large house building programme take place.

But, it's a fallacy to assume homeless people dying equates to dying because of homelessness. For example: https://www.google.ie/amp/www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/panti-bar-man-dies-after-11427374.amp a man dies of a heart attack in this Dublin pub, that doesn't mean being in the pub caused him to have the heart attack, it was an underlying health issue, building up over years, or something else that caused it. The bricks and mortar pub didn't kill him.

Likewise, we don't know what homeless people have died from. You read about it because it makes a story and sells, and people protest, and now that the news is out about this fellow and his past, people quieten down.

An event was cancelled in dublin today that was intended to remember him
http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/apollo-house-vigil-planned-after-death-of-rough-sleeper-cancelled-36105095.html. Now why has this been cancelled? Homelessness is still a big issue, surely they could have went ahead with it (and kept it general), because it's worth highlighting homelessness either way and keeping it on topic no? It was cancelled, I believe, because the Jack Watson headline, like it or not was an ideal opportunity for these people to capitalise on his death. And I don't agree with those people. If they were so sincere about homelessness, why not hold the demonstration anyway?

This was a headline we read last week that has since developed. And now people are backing away. The fact remains that homelessness is an important issue, but people too often jump the gun. Remember, headlines sell and people can use them.

What about all the deaths you don't read about that occur every day from various illnesses? It doesn't mean they didn't happen, it's just not as good a story. In this case, people were quick to jump on the bandwagon, and have been caught out.

It was cancelled because HSH are bunch of self serving twats. 'The artists and trade unionists' what about the rest of the volunteers or people on the streets. Apollo House was a sham and took away from the charities that looked after far more people than they ever could

partyguinness

Nobody dies of 'homelessness' per se.

Sure it may very well be a contributing factor that exasperates underlying health issues. Bedding down for the night with a bad chest infection down some dark alleyway ain't the same as going back to a warm bed, food and sanitation.

We expect/hope people die with dignity and dying on the street strips people of that dignity in their last moments. That is what is so sobering

dd972

There's always more to people and stories than media articles can purvey, I thought it was just the usual case of the drink getting the bloke.

retro:electro

eleventh wrote: »

The point is that homelessness is a separate issue completely.

We should not as a society be saying things like "this person did x, they deserve to die on the street" etc.
All this does is stigmatise the homeless further and only confuses the issue in people's minds with the worst of crimes (which was obviously the OP's intention).

It really doesn't. I'm not going to go off now and think every person on the street is a criminal or a paedophile. I know there are all sorts of reasons why people become homeless. We are better educated about social circumstances relating to homelessness than we have ever been. This guy just happened to die on the street. And to be honest I don't give two sh|ts that he is dead.

RobbieTheRobber

partyguinness wrote: »

My sister is a psychiatrist and tells me (unofficially/off the record)that child abusers are pretty much beyond help or rehabilitation.

It's like an addiction. They can only hope to control and manage it.

Ah well if your sister tells you something off the record, then I don't think we need anymore research here!

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

When I hear about homeless deaths it's not that I assume that homelessness caused it, it's that I'm appalled to live in a first world country where people die outside on the streets alone, like dogs.

I know there will always be a dedicated core of rough sleepers who can't or won't take the help available, and I know plenty of homeless people aren't exactly exemplars of the best of the human spirit. But we have a spectacularly (some might say wilfully) mismanaged housing crisis going on for YEARS. Of course people are angry and of course these deaths are going to spark debate on what we want our society to look like. This guy was a nasty piece of shít, what about the other two? Are they good enough little homeless people whose stories tick enough boxes for their deaths to be sad? Should we see if everyone who died of breast cancer last year definitely had no criminal convictions before we decide to give a **** about cancer?

weldoninhio

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Eh I beg to differ but all the homeless charities have been out the last week of so & all have said the opposite.
This particular guy was a monster.
The last guy known to have spoken to him was at midnight. He was found dead about 4 hours later.
The last guy known to have spoken to him was on Pat Kenny a few days ago. He is part of a homeless charity and knew this guy for the last two years. He said that he didn't like the hostels. He couldn't get a dry bed most of the time & gave up on the hostels. He did stay in Apollo House while they were there. He liked it there. He liked that he was guaranteed a dry bed every night. He wasn't kicked out on the street at the crack of dawn not knowing if he had a bed that night.
The guy was a monster. No doubt about that but that has nothing to do with homelessness. It's our failed system and Simon Coveneys failed system that has the likes of him on the streets. Apollo House proved that he would stay in a hostel if it was dry and well run.

The bolded part is the main problem. Why are there so many charities, all with admin costs, staffing costs, etc. Millions are pumped into homeless services every year, for what looks like little return. There should not be so many charities. If there wasn't so much money to be made from it I doubt there would be.

partyguinness

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

Ah well if your sister tells you something off the record, then I don't think we need anymore research here!

This is an online forum full of the world's greatest experts on everything.

'research'.....:rolleyes:

suicide_circus

weldoninhio wrote: »

The bolded part is the main problem. Why are there so many charities, all with admin costs, staffing costs, etc. Millions are pumped into homeless services every year, for what looks like little return. There should not be so many charities. If there wasn't so much money to be made from it I doubt there would be.

But all these people in the charity industry need jobs. And the CEOs need six figure salaries, how else will these people get paid?

weldoninhio

Donald Trump wrote: »

Do you think that it should be more?

Or do you think that a suitably qualified person should be plucked from a different organization and forced to work for that organization for minimum wage?

As long as the organization is being run openly and transparently then it's up to them to get value for money. Paying some person 100k might end up being an awful lot cheaper than paying someone 20k if you can get the right person.

How many other homeless charities are there? How many other heads of them making E100k+?

weldoninhio

faceman wrote: »

Regardless of the reasons, they're still homeless. "Drug abuser? Ok she deserves to be homeless, leave her on the streets".

Is that how society should treat them?

Actions have consequences.

retro:electro

Pierce Few Magnet wrote: »

When I hear about homeless deaths it's not that I assume that homelessness caused it, it's that I'm appalled to live in a first world country where people die outside on the streets alone, like dogs.

I know there will always be a dedicated core of rough sleepers who can't or won't take the help available, and I know plenty of homeless people aren't exactly exemplars of the best of the human spirit. But we have a spectacularly (some might say wilfully) mismanaged housing crisis going on for YEARS. Of course people are angry and of course these deaths are going to spark debate on what we want our society to look like. This guy was a nasty piece of shít, what about the other two? Are they good enough little homeless people whose stories tick enough boxes for their deaths to be sad? Should we see if everyone who died of breast cancer last year definitely had no criminal convictions before we decide to give a **** about cancer?

If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't give a sh|t if he dropped dead of cancer either.
I think you're confusing people's disgust and outrage that he was a disgusting person for people not giving a sh|t about homelessness as a whole.

Hammer89

anna080 wrote: »

And where would that be? Paedophile island?
Could be shortened to Paedohphiland

For the sake of PC, let's continue calling it Achille.

RobbieTheRobber

partyguinness wrote: »

This is an online forum full of the world's greatest experts on everything.

'research'.....:rolleyes:

Except that one area where your sister is the worlds foremost expert.
However she only issues her opinion through you and as an off the record remark.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

anna080 wrote: »

If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't give a sh|t if he dropped dead of cancer either.
I think you're confusing people's disgust and outrage that he was a disgusting person for people not giving a sh|t about homelessness as a whole.

Nobody would give a **** if he died of cancer. The OP was openly mocking people for caring about his death prior to this new information about him, as if it meant that people were stupid. Or as if we should run background checks on individuals before caring about issues that are far bigger than those individuals. That's what I'm taking issue with.

Richard Hillman

suicide_circus wrote: »

But all these people in the charity industry need jobs. And the CEOs need six figure salaries, how else will these people get paid?

The homeless charity has replaced the Africa charities since people worked out the money goes to warlords and CEOs.

There will be a charity for every rough sleeper soon enough. It may even progress to "adopt a hobo" for €3 a month

jimgoose

"Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered what the surplus is, and where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be that in the sight of Heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child. O God! to hear the insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!"

partyguinness

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

Except that one area where your sister is the worlds foremost expert.
However she only issues her opinion through you and as an off the record remark.

Your post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever...:rolleyes:

Play the ball not the man.

RobbieTheRobber

partyguinness wrote: »

Your post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever...:rolleyes:

Play the ball not the man.

I'm directly referencing and replying to your comments on this thread.
What exactly have i said that is playing "the man"?
Here have an emoji to make you feel better

partyguinness

RobbieTheRobber wrote: »

I'm directly referencing and replying to your comments on this thread.
What exactly have i said that is playing "the man"?
Here have an emoji to make you feel better

Mature...and I am not going to spoon feed you.

Oranage2

I don't care about the millions of people dying of starvation in Africa, I don't know why I should be forced to care about the homeless problem in Ireland.

I've not known any homeless person in Ireland but the ones you see begging on the street are usually off their heads on something. I'd like to know how many are people just down on their luck or come from broken families.

It just seems to me that for any regular Joe Shmoe it's nearly impossible to wind up homeless with either a family member putting you up or our generous welfare system helping out.

Donal55

Oranage2 wrote: »

I don't care about the millions of people dying of starvation in Africa, I don't know why I should be forced to care about the homeless problem in Ireland.

I've not known any homeless person in Ireland but the ones you see begging on the street are usually off their heads on something. I'd like to know how many are people just down on their luck or come from broken families.

It just seems to me that for any regular Joe Shmoe it's nearly impossible to wind up homeless with either a family member putting you up or our generous welfare system helping out.

According to some programme last night approx 20% of homeless have jobs.

Oranage2

Are these the living in a B&B homeless, or the living on the street homeless?

Donal55

Oranage2 wrote: »

Are these the living in a B&B homeless, or the living on the street homeless?

Probably bnb homeless. They have a bed, not a home, so included in homeless figures I suppose.

Heard some journalist on today from Fermoy. Works two jobs. He's gonna be turfed out as his landlord is doing up his property. Nowhere else around where he can afford.
Not all are hobos or junkies etc etc.

Oranage2

Donal55 wrote: »

Oranage2 wrote: »

Are these the living in a B&B homeless, or the living on the street homeless?

Probably bnb homeless. They have a bed, not a home, so included in homeless figures I suppose.

Heard some journalist on today from Fermoy. Works two jobs. He's gonna be turfed out as his landlord is doing up his property. Nowhere else around where he can afford.
Not all are hobos or junkies etc etc.

So this journalist is going to end up on the street? Sounds like hyperbole.

I do feel that some of them deserve better like people in abuse cases that have nowhere to go, but I'd like to see real figures on the percentage of those people.

Even looking at Apollo house, how many people did it take to run that and many people did it house. With security, cooks etc it took about 20 people to make sure the 30 odd people were safe. The government can't afford to give every homeless person a personal assistant as well as a home. I really think there's just no helping some people.

Donal55

Oranage2 wrote: »

So this journalist is going to end up on the street? Sounds like hyperbole.

I do feel that some of them deserve better like people in abuse cases that have nowhere to go, but I'd like to see real figures on the percentage of those people.

Even looking at Apollo house, how many people did it take to run that and many people did it house. With security, cooks etc it took about 20 people to make sure the 30 odd people were safe. The government can't afford to give every homeless person a personal assistant as well as a home. I really think there's just no helping some people.

Well its probably just 'hyperbole', but the figures are 80k mortgages in arrears and of them just shy of 30k mortgages in excess of two years. Not 30k individual people but mortgages so ye could probably multiply those figures x 3.

The govt can stick their finger in their ears and try and avoid the issue, but unfortunately this wont go away.

Good to see PTSB giving debt relief to the buy to lets today, will probably be just a matter of time before its rolled out to all of those above.Might help address some of the issues.

Wheeliebin30

Donal55 wrote: »

Well its probably just 'hyperbole', but the figures are 80k mortgages in arrears and of them just shy of 30k mortgages in excess of two years. Not 30k individual people but mortgages so ye could probably multiply those figures x 3.

The govt can stick their finger in their ears and try and avoid the issue, but unfortunately this wont go away.

Good to see PTSB giving debt relief to the buy to lets today, will probably be just a matter of time before its rolled out to all of those above.Might help address some of the issues.

Anyone in mortgage arrears won't loose their house once they engage with the banks.

Ireland has the lowest repossessions in Europe.

end of the road

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Anyone in mortgage arrears won't loose their house once they engage with the banks.

not always true unfortunately.

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Ireland has the lowest repossessions in Europe.

that's fine considering the banks deserve little leeway seeing as they were thick enough to over-lend to people.

Wheeliebin30

end of the road wrote: »

not always true unfortunately.



that's fine considering the banks deserve little leeway seeing as they were thick enough to over-lend to people.

People were thick enough to borrow what they can't pay back.

Ipso

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

People were thick enough to borrow what they can't pay back.

And complain that they couldn't borrow.

Galwayguy35

I know one guy who ended up homeless.

He had a rough start in life, was given up for adoption and was abused by a priest and ended up as an alcoholic.

He got various jobs but stayed in none of them, really nice fella but he's just given up on life even though he is only in his early 50s and last I heard he was on the streets in Dublin.

I'm all for helping people like him but if they refuse the help that's offered nothing much can be done.

The people in hotels might not be living in ideal situations but I wouldn't class them as homeless, they have a roof over their head while waiting for a house.

Sleeper12

seamus wrote:

Ultimately his death had nothing to do with being homeless.

This I don't understand at all. It is believed that he fell off the ledge he was sleeping on, cracked his head and died from this. If he wasn't homeless he wouldn't have fallen off the ledge. He'd have been in a bed.

Sleeper12

testaccount123 wrote:

Perhaps we should have a program where people coming out of Mountjoy for violent crime get handed a set of keys for a new house on release sure. They can live on your road.

A lot of people coming out of prison for petty crimes are coming straight into homelessness. On leaving they have a weeks dole waiting for them in the post office. If no one is willing to put them up then they end up in hostels.

Wheeliebin30

Sleeper12 wrote: »

A lot of people coming out of prison for petty crimes are coming straight into homelessness. On leaving they have a weeks dole waiting for them in the post office. If no one is willing to put them up then they end up in hostels.

Petty crimes?

Where do you get all this information from?

You just come out with stuff stating it as fact.

Sleeper12

Omackeral wrote:

And always the same few posters that do it too. They'll be the same defending all the other horrendous sh*t by various groups and individuals but with just enough wiggle room and written gymnastics so you can't out and out pinpoint them excusing it, but they are.

Over 200 posts and I haven't read a single one yet defending what this man did

weldoninhio wrote:

The bolded part is the main problem. Why are there so many charities, all with admin costs, staffing costs, etc. Millions are pumped into homeless services every year, for what looks like little return. There should not be so many charities. If there wasn't so much money to be made from it I doubt there would be.

It's not a business. What sort of return are you looking for?
You do know that the 8000 homeless aren't all the same as last year or 2 years ago. There are people being housed every day. The problem is that people are becoming homeless at a faster pace than the government has acted for the last 5 or 6 years.

Sleeper12

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Petty crimes?

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Where do you get all this information from?

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

You just come out with stuff stating it as fact.

Petty crimes take up more than half of the prison population.
People in for murder and very violent crimes are usually released on licence. On licence means that prison services can take them back if they lose their job or accommodation. Everyone serving life can only be released on licence. They can be taken back into custody even 20 or 30 years after release if they have no accommodation or break any conditions or their release.


People in for petty crimes, break ins, theft etc are not released on licence as they have much shorter sentences. These are released quite often with no where to live.
Peter McVerry visits the prison every week. He meets these men. He tries to secure some sort of accommodation on their release. If they have somewhere to live there is a better chance of staying away from crime and a better chance of staying out of prison.

Nothing made up there. It's all fact

gctest50

Sleeper12 wrote: »

This I don't understand at all. It is believed that he fell off the ledge he was sleeping on, cracked his head and died from this. If he wasn't homeless he wouldn't have fallen off the ledge.

He'd have been in a bed.

Lots of people die from falling out of bed - 450 a year maybe(USA)



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/john-forgeham-actor-dies-after-falling-out-of-bed-the-italian-job-footballers-wives-worthing-a7625036.html

Omackeral

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Over 200 posts and I haven't read a single one yet defending what this man did.

When put to one of the defenders that this person KNOWLINGLY gave HIV to someone, he responded literally "we all know someone accused of that".

end of the road

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Petty crimes?

Where do you get all this information from?

You just come out with stuff stating it as fact.

he gets all the information from the sources of information that have the factual, accurate information.
your everything is rosey in the gardin beliefs aren't backed up by evidence i'm afraid.

Wheeliebin30

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Petty crimes take up more than half of the prison population.
People in for murder and very violent crimes are usually released on licence. On licence means that prison services can take them back if they lose their job or accommodation. Everyone serving life can only be released on licence. They can be taken back into custody even 20 or 30 years after release if they have no accommodation or break any conditions or their release.


People in for petty crimes, break ins, theft etc are not released on licence as they have much shorter sentences. These are released quite often with no where to live.
Peter McVerry visits the prison every week. He meets these men. He tries to secure some sort of accommodation on their release. If they have somewhere to live there is a better chance of staying away from crime and a better chance of staying out of prison.

Nothing made up there. It's all fact

Break in is a petty crime?

Seriously tell that to the victims who never recover from the trauma.

You're an apologist for criminals.

Always blaming someone else for someone's situation except the person.

It's pathetic.

Annasopra

GerryDerpy wrote: »

Coz it's free.

Yeah but why would you choose it? Honestly? Why?

degsie

.

Sleeper12

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Break in is a petty crime?

Break ins and theft are petty crimes. I'm sure the victim feels otherwise but that doesn't change the fact.

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

You're an apologist for criminals.

Definitely not. I believe in the system. Break the law, have your day in court and if found guilty go to jail. That's our system. Jail is the punishment. After that the debt is paid.
It's a simple fact of life, worldwide that people coming out of jail with nowhere to live have a much greater chance of reoffending.

You are very quick to judge on a subject that you know very little about. I suggest that you research homelessness before you make more silly remarks

Annasopra

screamer wrote: »

We have been told to accept a lot of things as part and parcel of living in the way we do...... Homelessness is just another one of those things for me these days..... Sad but sure what can I do about it....same as lots of other social problems we have.

No. I don't accept it. Never will. It's not right and it's the society I and many others want to live in.

One eyed Jack

Pierce Few Magnet wrote: »

Nobody would give a **** if he died of cancer. The OP was openly mocking people for caring about his death prior to this new information about him, as if it meant that people were stupid. Or as if we should run background checks on individuals before caring about issues that are far bigger than those individuals. That's what I'm taking issue with.

That's exactly how I read the OP, that the people who were using this individual to personalise the issue of homelessness really ended up with egg on their face on this one. There are people who are using more insidious tactics to tug at the publics heart strings and indeed the public purse strings, and if a case like this stops them in their tracks and makes them think twice about who they choose to represent them as the public face of their cause, that's not a bad thing IMO.

I've been there when I worked with a homeless services charity as my way of 'giving back' to society for the help I received when I was homeless (a good many years ago now), and I was chatting to the CEO of the charity who from the way they were talking I could tell they were buttering me up to be the public face of their next campaign. I left them in no uncertain terms that they should find another poster boy.

Wheeliebin30

I dunno maybe all these stories just make me cynical.

Between jonathan corrie selling two houses his family bought for him and refusing accomodation the night he died.

Or Erica Fleming refusing to live in clontarf until she get her forever home.

Or the couple in apollo house who actually weren't homeless in the end.

Or the lady a while back sleeping in her car saying she had nowhere then the council said she had been offered numerous houses but refused due to the location etc.

Or this chap who turned out to be a paedophile. No wonder he had nowhere to live. Who would give him a job?

Most of these stories seem to have another side that only comes out weeks later.

Can't help but feel cynical.

gctest50

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

.............


Most of these stories seem to have another side that only comes out weeks later.

Can't help but feel cynical.

There is a bit of this though : Since homelessness has gone a tiny bit "high profile" in the media etc, the heros you mention locked on to it

Same sort of parasite would lock on to anything, you just have to plough on though and try knock off the parasites along on the way

Sleeper12

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Between jonathan corrie selling two houses his family bought for him and refusing accomodation the night he died.

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Or Erica Fleming refusing to live in clontarf until she get her forever home.

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Or the couple in apollo house who actually weren't homeless in the end.

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Or the lady a while back sleeping in her car saying she had nowhere then the council said she had been offered numerous houses but refused due to the location etc.

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Most of these stories seem to have another side that only comes out weeks later.

Wheeliebin30 wrote:

Can't help but feel cynical.

If this is all you want to see then you would feel cynical.

I see families in hostels or even hotels with no cooking or laundry facilities for possibly a year or two. Where do they eat? Kids can't go out to play with their mates the way I used to. Kids can't bring their mates in.
I see people queuing up for food parcels at Christmas time.
I see 2900 homeless children! Not a single one of these children are scamming.
I see a poor mum of two take her own life two weeks ago with the stress she has been put under by the council for the last two years.

We have 8000 homeless people and you mention a handful of publicity hungry people. The media unearthed these people. Caught them out for what they are. That doesn't mean that the rest of the 8000 are scamming.
People see what they want to see and read what they want to read.
Whatever helps you sleep at night.