England

I . Outline of the problem

• Numbers:

  • around 380,000 single homeless people in Great Britain

  • 162,990 homeless households (not individuals) in England (2005)

  • about 459 people sleeping outside around England on any one night

  • between 36,000 and 52,000 young people ‘found homeless’ by local authorities (England, 2003)

• Mortality

  • People who sleep rough are 35 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population.

  • Rough sleepers have an average life expectancy of 42 years, compared with the national average of 74 for men and 79 for women.

• Addictions

  • 81% of homeless people are addicted to either drugs or drink. Heroin comes top of the league, followed by alcohol.

  • 2/3 of homeless people cite drug or alcohol us as a reason for first becoming homeless.

  • Four in five have started using at least one new drug while homeless.

• Mental health

  • Mental health problems are up to 8 times more common in the homeless population.

  • 30-50% of rough sleepers had mental problems.

  • At least one in five homeless people have severe mental health problems; these problems are likely to have played a significant part in the circumstances which have caused that person to become homeless.

• Victimization and crime

  • Compared to the general public homeless people are 13 times more likely to have experienced violence and 47 times more likely to be victims of theft

  • The general public are responsible for 32% of violent acts, 33% of threats, 24% of the incidents of theft, and 3% of sexual assaults against people who are homeless

• Becoming homeless

  • The average time between the triggers that lead to homelessness and when homelessness finally occurs is nine years

  • The four-week rule is the process by which newly homeless people become acclimatised to life on the street. After that they become entrenched and it becomes more difficult for them to move back into mainstream society

• Education

  • A Crisis survey of 150 homeless people across the UK found that 47% possess qualifications; of those 48% have GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), 16% have A levels, 15% have a degree and 13% have professional qualifications

• Young people

  • Only 1% of homeless people under 18 have been in authority care

  • Several thousand young people experience homelessness without having any contact with local authorities in England each year

  • 86% of young homeless people are forced to leave home rather than choose to

  • 45% of young homeless people have experienced violence in the family home on more than one occasion

  • Family conflict is the main immediate cause of homelessness amongst at least two thirds of homeless young people

II . Solutions

• Centrepoint - www.centrepoint.org.uk

Centrepoint a national charity working to improve the lives of socially excluded homeless young people. It provides a range of accommodation-based services, such as emergency night shelters and short stay hostels, specialist projects for care leavers, ex-offenders, young single parents, as well as supported flats and floating support services.

Anthony Lawton, CE of Centrepoint: “Centrepoint is the leading national charity working with homeless and socially excluded young people. Our purpose is to help a significant number of such young people turn things around and build the foundations for a more fulfilling future.”

• Crisis – www.crisis.org.uk

“CRISIS aims to fight homelessness and empower people to fulfil their potential and transform their lives.” This is what stands written on this organisation’s website. The site also contains a description of their range of activities and projects, which is quite wide: free courses and study support for homeless people, helping them to find homes, grants for helping them get involved in a work-based lifestyle and other campaigns and research to inform the public on homelessness.

• York Nightstop Charity www.york-nightstop.org

York Nightstop Charity is a community based organisation that works to help young homeless people in the area of York. It provides temporary emergency accommodation in the homes of volunteers, as well as education programmes and informative campaigns on homelessness at a young age.