Humanity Hallows Issue 5 Out Now
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By Noor Ali, Sanyia Mohammed and Yasmin Begum

Homelessness is an issue that effects the lives of millions of people around the world and, according to the charity Shelter, 150 families in Britain become homeless daily. In this article, we cover what we believe to be the most significant topics regarding homelessness: the causes, society’s views and what can and is being done to help.

The causes of homelessness

There are many issues and problems that could lead to a person or family becoming homeless. This is an issue that is caused due to different circumstances for each individual. Many people consider these victims to be hopeless due to their situations, whereas some people think that, by being homeless and asking people for money, it is an easy way to earn a few pounds. To some, factors include a person having a lack of educational qualifications, reluctance to work and provide for themselves financially, and even relying on the benefit system so much and abusing it in such a way that it does not cover the cost of personal living (e.g. by spending welfare money on drugs and alcohol). Although these are factors which many people in society could use to ‘blame’ the homeless for ‘getting themselves into that situation’, there are many other reasons as to why many people in Britain are homeless today.

Some of the main causes, especially with regards to homeless youths, include disputes within the family such as relationship problems and abuse whether it be physical or mental. This can make situations more complicated.. An example of where institutional backgrounds could lead a person to becoming homeless could be the negative impact a person has experienced through being in care during his or her childhood. Structural causes of homelessness, such as poverty due to lack of employment opportunities, are also a problem which could cause some to lose their homes. Due to the amount of problems many individuals suffer on the streets, they are not able to earn enough to live in a decent household (Shelter). However, it can be understood that there also may be some underlying issues that have had a long-term effect.

Complex needs, such as mental health or physical health issues, and worldly affairs, such as the refugee crisis, are also reasons why a person may be forced to become homeless. However, it is possible that a contributing factor to housing shortages in the UK could be due to the vast amounts of illegal immigrants that remain in the UK after the expiry date of their visas.

The views of society

There have been many debates based on homelessness and many people in society agree that the homeless need help and that support from the government will help to provide them with better living standards. Environmental factors such as bad weather conditions are unhealthy for those not living in a home, and could result in people becoming unwell and even losing their lives.

However, many disagree that society and the government should help those victims of homelessness due to the way media have portrayed them. A reason for this could be because they have alcohol bottles and cups that contain money given by the public. An argument to support this is that a person that cannot afford to be wasting money on cigarettes and alcohol should not be using up their money to have such things that they could live without.

As the government does provide everyone that claims to be unemployed with benefits and help to look for jobs, many believe that the homeless are lazy and have taken wrong decisions which have caused them the problems they have today. However, it must be remembered that unemployment, as mentioned above, is not the only factor which could cause a person to be homeless.

What is being done to help the homeless/those at risk?

The British government is supportive. They provide many forms of help and guidance as they recognise the rate of people suffering from homelessness is rising each year.

It is important to note that there are many government schemes in place and the NHS also provides free counselling to those suffering from depression and anxiety. An example of a new scheme that has been put into place recently by the Prime Minister and Communities Secretary Sajid Javed is a pledge to give £40 million to organisations to help the rising problem of homelessness in Britain (Cowburn, Ashley (2016). £20 million of this budget will go to local authorities to come up with innovative ideas to tackle homelessness in certain areas, responding to people that are at risk before they reach a crisis point. It is essential that we try to identify problems that people face before they reach crisis point.

The government website Gov.uk also provides insights into what they are considering regarding homelessness and are in favour of new UK legislation to reduce homelessness. As there are bodies such as charity organizations that aim to help those who might be struggling to get by, there are also other organisations that target their support for the individuals at risk of sleeping rough and on individuals that are new to living on the street. Other schemes have been introduced to aid long-term rough sleepers who may be having a hard time going through the housing system.

What can you do?

One of the most significant things that we can do as human beings is to try to understand situations individuals go through daily. Whether it be regarding a person that is already homeless or a person that is going through a personal struggle as it could lead them to becoming homeless in the future. Being nice and smiling could also provide hope to some homeless people that people do care about them and could possibly provide a positive mentality to certain aspects of life.

There are many charities and organisations that take donations from the public and put it towards helping the homeless. As donations from passers-by can be given to those that ask for money on the streets, these contributions also go towards the homeless population that do not make it obvious that they are struggling to cope financially. As it is understood that everyone has their own struggles and have different circumstances, there are many things that we could do to help, whether it be a donation or even reporting a person that is homeless. The following are some of many organisations that aim to provide help to the homeless:

Online website ‘CentrePoint‘ allows donations that go towards giving ‘homeless young people a future’. The website also provides a person that is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Shelter’s helpline – Phone number: 0808 800 4444 (Open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at weekends). They provide advice regarding housing rights and options that are local to the person.

Streetlink – Processes information about rough sleepers and refers them to suitable agencies. The organization aims to make sure that anyone sleeping rough for the first time doesn’t have to do it again.

Street Impact – Aims to help those with more complex needs that are struggling to find accommodation and stability.

Information on what support is available and also links to other helplines that could help such as the ‘24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline’