Survey finds lack of sympathy for homeless

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) Twice as many people would feel sympathy for a homeless dog than for a homeless person with drug or mental health problems or an illegal immigrant without a home, according to a survey.

Half of those polled believed homeless people refuse to help themselves and said giving money to beggars does more harm than good.

The survey commissioned for the ''No Home'' season of BBC programming found almost half thought many homeless people do not want to be housed.

The BBC's homeless season coincides with the 40th anniversary of ''Cathy Come Home'', the classic documentary by Ken Loach that first drew public attention to homelessness and its impact on families.

Several decades on, the survey of 2,000 people found that the rise in personal debt, job insecurity and the high cost of living in parts of the UK meant a quarter of people worried about whether they will always have a roof over their head.

However, the report said yesterday, the nature of homelessness had changed since the 1960s.

''Today, the homeless aren't just those we see sleeping rough on the streets each night. The vast majority of homeless people are invisible or ''hidden'' -- sleeping on friends' sofas, in hostels or in substandard temporary accommodation,'' it said.

A 2004 estimate put the number of ''hidden homeless'' in the UK at 380,000 adults.

In March this year, some 109,000 families and individuals were living in temporary accommodation.

REUTERS SP PM1107