THE city and local community should have a duty to help the city’s homeless population off the streets and get back on their feet.

We should not be encouraging these vulnerable people with creature comforts such as using the new Westgate Centre benches (Oxford Mail, February 22) as beds. There is enough problem with the homeless, some of whom are alcoholic and drug dependant, sleeping in doorways with piles of textiles strewn about making the area unpleasant and intimidating.

Of course more shelters are needed, but this takes time and money. But in the meantime, landlords of empty retail properties could at least help to accommodate them in the short-term.

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