Hostile architecture sending a silent message to the homeless
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339930)
Rockingham, Australia
March 29, 2024 7:19pm CST
Homelessness is a huge problem in every country and West Australia’s capital, Perth, is no exception. There was a news article today about ‘hostile architecture’ and the ways in which local authorities are making it hard for people to find safe places to sleep or even just to spend time.
Hostile architecture includes such things as making park benches uncomfortable to sit on, installing arm-rests so a person can’t lie down, having sharp edges on fittings and turning on sprinklers in parks forcing people to move on. Such practices solve the need for face-to-face confrontations and bad publicity. It’s a sneaky way councils try to rid themselves of the problem of the homeless.
The homeless person interviewed for the article said it made them feel unwanted and unwelcome in their own city. Not all homeless are derros or drug addicts. They need support and help, not more problems.
The photo is of stone bridges in Ireland. Some homeless choose to sleep under bridges but they wouldn’t want to do that under some of these narrow bridges.
25 people like this
24 responses
@RebeccasFarm (89882)
• Arvada, Colorado
30 Mar
Yes they do that here..no benches for them to lie on that is for sure.
They have taken away all the benches at bus stops now as well, nearly all.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Mar
@RebeccasFarm Catering to new arrivals isn't the best way to go that's for sure and only breeds resentment.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89882)
• Arvada, Colorado
30 Mar
@JudyEv Yes it is doing that but today Judy, just today, I read that Denver is trying to move the migrants on to other cities as they have no more funds or resources to help anyone.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100282)
• India
30 Mar
I agree with that. However, I am against giving free homes to these people too. Free homes with land rights enables them to construct and exploit other homeless folks who are not lucky to get those allotments. In addition, they become a strain on infrastructure. Establishing parks for homeless people would be nice way to give the a chance and help to monitor them as well.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100282)
• India
31 Mar
@JudyEv They would be fine even with dorm like arrangements. After all, on the streets, they do sleep without formal walls. Every park should have mandatory arrangement like that.
Fortunes do not remain constant. Today I may have enough, tomorrow there can be a calamity forcing me to live on streets. We never know. So humility is important. Who knows today's homeless person maybe somebody rich tomorrow employing me.
I was taught as a kid to share meals on festival day with the house helps and other poor. The reason was, you never know. They will remember this and be kind should things turn worse for us, and they will also be there for us should we need their help. I have continued with that system so far.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar
@vandana7 That was a good system your folks taught you. There was a man here whose adult son needed expensive medical help so was living with, and off, his father. Then the father was laid off work, couldn't meet his mortgage payments so lost his house and both ended up on the streets. It's really sad. There are some terrible stories out there.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
30 Mar
Well, I do not think that this is the right way to "get rid of homeless". Those people need to be helped, not to be chased and hidden so that the cities look clean and with no problems. Not all homeless are bad people, some are having a momentary problem.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar
@LadyDuck They certainly waste huge amounts of money. The fire department bought some new fire trucks a few years ago. They are licensed to carry four people but if you put four people in them, they are overweight (the truck, not the people - although perhaps the people are too!) 
They would need four people like you and your husband to be legal! 
And the trucks cost thousands of dollars. 
They would need four people like you and your husband to be legal! And the trucks cost thousands of dollars. 1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (106226)
• Marion, Ohio
30 Mar
It is getting bad in many places and lots of governments are wanting to pretend it doesn't exist
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (106226)
• Marion, Ohio
30 Mar
@JudyEv Places here have even talked about making it illegal. Do they really think these people have chosen for that to happen
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar
@wolfgirl569 Some have no idea how some of these people have to live - or the circumstances that have caused their misfortune.
1 person likes this
@Ghostlady (1302)
• United States
30 Mar
We have a homeless problem here. The Mission had a fire, then the hurricane, so it is slowly being fixed. But really the city doesn't want the mission downtown where the people MIGHT find a job. An organization was feeding people at the city park in the afternoon and that was stopped by the Health Dept. Nothing was wrong with the food..just that it wasn't served properly...I don't think someone hungry cares if there are heat lamps over the food someone gives them. Anyway..I keep the homeless in my prayers.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8763)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar
I don't see how hostile architecture does anything but move a problem. Another thing I don't understand is that this hostile architecture costs money (and is not nice for other people using it) so why can't that money be used to help the homeless people? Make the places more comfortable? Pay for a bed, food, education? I guess it's one of those things that's regularly seen with decision makers - they only see short-term costs and benefits.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55601)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Apr
Ah, I knew about but didn't realize there was the term "hostile architecture". Here the homeless are everywhere and anywhere where they can be - those kinds of deterrents won't do anything. I don't know what exactly the solution is, but current solutions are not working.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Mar
The city I used to work for talked out of both sides of their mouths. On one hand, they welcomed and supported homeless individuals, but on the other hand they engaged in hostile architecture. All of the park benches and other sitting areas were purposely designed in such a way that the homeless couldn't lie down on them. There were other obstacles intentionally designed as well, such as medians and intersections constructed in ways that prevented the homeless from being able to stand or sit to beg for money.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Apr
@JudyEv I agree. They need to try to do a much better job.
1 person likes this
@sathviksouvik (19469)
•
3 Apr
Very interesting read. The same problem is there in India also
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Apr
They should spend their money on things that would give more positive outcomes.
@aninditasen (16389)
• Raurkela, India
30 Mar
That's really cruel of the Australian government. When a person is out of job for a long time he will be homeless which the government should understand.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (16389)
• Raurkela, India
2 Apr
@JudyEv That's pathetic. It's difficult to find a new job sleeping on the streets.
1 person likes this
@mildredtabitha (16126)
• Nairobi, Kenya
30 Mar
The bridge on the photo is beautiful. I don't think the government can ever get rid of homeless people. It's sad they feel unwanted. The world is not perfect. The poor and rich coexist.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar
@mildredtabitha I'm not sure the homeless can wait that long.
1 person likes this
@mildredtabitha (16126)
• Nairobi, Kenya
30 Mar
@JudyEv When Jesus comes back, every bad problems will end.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14554)
• Hong Kong
30 Mar
Here, a lot of homeless sleep under the bridges.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180676)
• United States
31 Mar
It's a shame they don't turn that creativity into helping others.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7601)
• Canada
31 Mar
I would rather see them try to address the reasons for homelessness rather than try to make them go away by making them miserable.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Mar
But surely they are entitled to a roof over their beds and somewhere to sleep safely at night.
@RasmaSandra (79833)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
31 Mar
I like bridges like that, As for the homeless they would do better marking off areas where they could spend their time,
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178568)
• United States
30 Mar
We should all count our blessings that we don't number among the homeless. More needs to be done to get these people off the streets and into a safe environment.
1 person likes this
