Let's get away from the fashionable but deeply patronising PC assumption that people with problems have somehow been "failed" by the education system, or "failed" by the justice system or some other public service, and that therefore the "system" somehow owes them. Far better to admit of the possibility that it is they who may have failed themselves, while providing them structured rehabilitation into normal "housed" society.

By all means welcome the homeless in from the cold, but first into a properly supervised and disciplined environment ie inevitably some kind of institution, which also has access to specialised education, health and welfare services.

When they are ready and willing to start putting something back in to society, and are in training or employment, then is the time to help them toward finding their feet in normal independent social or other housing.

People must learn that with benefits and rights come burdens and responsibilities!

Gordon Alexander, Frome, UK

Did anyone else notice that delicious line "Opposing them are Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, and other charities"
I love it!

Alan Gee, Greenwich, NY/USA

Why not teach them young to be self-responsible.
We all have trauma, were abused in one way or another;
many women were raped as children by relatives
some by homeless people. We all have
addictions - alcohol, drugs to whatever extent,
legal or illegal, even coffee can cause distrubances.
We all hav money, relationship, family, and all kinds
of troubles. We dont all end up on the street.
Instead of understanding what those who try
cannot really understand, why not assume that
each is responsible for themselves, at least;
and hold them to it. Some are suicidal. Well,
that thought crosses many minds, we dont,
however, all jump off the bridge.
Those who assume responsibility for others become
selfrighteous, contemptuous of those who dont agree;
distract themselves/others from their own faults.
ots

M. M., Birmingham, England

The amount spent on the 'rough sleepers initiative' in Scotland would have been more than enough to house and employ every homeless person in Scotland. Unfortunately the lists of homeless people just gets longer and longer, as there are less and less affordable housing and social housing available. Even small flats near to where I live are being sold for £140,000 and upwards.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

Anyone who thinks this is a good idea should be made to spend a month living in a council-owned block of flats, where the local authority has an obligation to house the homeless, many of whom have drink and drug problems.

The result is pure hell for the other 99% of decent residents.

Try getting up for work when you've been kept awake all night by those who don't have to. See how you like it when their home because a doss-house for all their other homeless mates. Enjoy them urinating or shooting up in the public areas or even from the balconies as your family or friends arrive for a visit.

Trust me, living it will change your attitude for good!

Robert, Manchester,

I agree with this but how workable woludi t be?

In London, for instance, we don't have that many homes going spare and i'm not sure that most people would agree with people not paying rent having them - maybe you need to play on their empathetic sides (that's assuming they have one!)

I know that it is very rare that a homeless person wants to be homeless and on the street and that most of these people have been abused and have no coping mechanism. They feel hopeless and all it takes sometimes is for someone to care enough to give them back some dignity, which is what this idea would do. However, like most tihngs that are put in place as a safety net, it could become open to abuse.

It must be said again that this government has done more to get the homeless of the street than the last goverment, when you really couldn't go more than 100 yards in London without bumping into someone living rough and I do find it interesting that Kit Malthouse is a Conservative candidate.

Kim, London,

Why do we always focus on these issues at Xmas? This is politicking at its worst. This is a year round problem and will always exist for the reasons you have stated. If you start throwing free Chelsea flats at vagrants, London will be a Mecca for immigrants, illegal or otherwise who will be better at exploiting this ridiculous idea.

Steve Marchant, Torquay, UK

In Moscow the government provides free hostel accommodation for students. Apart from helping students this must take them out of the housing queue and depress rents. Free flats would be exploited but making flats affordable must be better

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

iam sure the neighbours in chelsea, or where ever else , will be very happy having some down and out drug user living next door, free, at the tax payers expense, especially if they hav e young children !

katy, brighton,

Robust, workable systems have to be cheat proof. This one isn't. Simply giving the down and out a flat will eventually create more down and outs.

Rob Wilard, Reading, UK

Surely this imaginative and sensible approach carries its own simple solution - Once housed, a rough sleeper should become eligible for housing benefit, which might pay the rent. Worth exporing?

Anne Gray, Bridport, Dorset

well. this simple solution to the complex problem can't be true. the analysis is true provided all the spending and problems for the rough sleepers are due to homelessness. No, human mind and functioning is more complex than that. However, this can be tried provided this is not exploted by some group of people to get a roof over their head bypassing other pathways.

ravi, potters bar, uk

If it has been shown to work in the US from a human and economic point of view then why wouldn't it work here? this gets my vote.

Mark, London,

Well as you say, it is down to the last hard cases. And as you admit 70% of them have mental health problems, so they should be in care already. But as we have seen the government do not provide full mental health care anymore, they cause the problem and put them back out on the street. So if we place them back in care, that takes the total down a great deal. We have to then see how many of those are actual homeless, and not just refusing to join the system. It does seem unfair just to give them a flat, even if that is the moral thing to do. Some people are homeless due to sad circumstance E.G. abuse, so they should receive support, however others due to their own actions are homeless, and in that case deserving of no support at all. (My girlfriend says we should send them to the colonies!) ;)

Jim, Oulu, Finland

Brilliant analysis. So long as you stop the "pretend homeless" from exploiting the situation, it will work. Most people's answer to any problem is guaranteed to make the problem worse because they never really understand the problem in the first place (or don't want to for political reasons). Most of any problem is simply solved, the last bit is very difficult and needs this kind of imaginative thinking.

Roger S, Esher, UK