The Homeless Trap

By Jason Harris & Kelsie Storey

No home = no job = no money = no bank account = no benefits = no home = no job = no money…

This is the homelessness trap and the difficult-to-break cycle for many of the homeless on our streets today. National homelessness charity Crisis estimates that last year around 227,000 people across England, Scotland and Wales were experiencing the worst forms of homelessness – rough sleeping, sleeping in vans and sheds, and living in limbo in B&Bs. Homelessness is difficult to quantify. There are many different types of homelessness.

One method of counting how many people experience homelessness is keeping track of how many households contacted councils for help with homelessness, known as ‘statutory homelessness’. English councils helped 268,560 households to prevent or relieve homelessness between April 2020 and March 2021. Recent quarterly counts have shown a fall in the number of households requiring support from councils to help with homelessness. More than 67,000 households needed help between July and September 2021 in England, down four per cent on the same period in 2020. However, there has been a surge in the number of households with children living in temporary accommodation. Almost 10,000 households were staying in B&Bs, hostels and other temporary accommodation between July and September 2021, up 15 per cent on the same period in 2020. As the cost of living continues to rise and inflation bites, there’s the real possibility that more and more people will find themselves unable to pay all the household bills and facing eviction from their homes. What are the main reasons for homelessness?

There are a number of reasons why a person may find themselves homeless such as: the need to flee a dangerous living situation; being evicted from a rented property; loss of employment or funds and even a breakdown of a relationship. In some cases homelessness can be a preventable issue and there are a number of initiatives and resources in place to assist those in need. How are the homeless being helped in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole?

For some of us, when we see a person in need asking for spare change, a natural reaction is to reach into a pocket or handbag for some loose change but this isn’t necessarily the best solution for a number of reasons. Many rough sleepers will not be able to access a bank account because without a permanent address it’s almost impossible to open one. By giving cash, the homeless person can’t bank it and has to keep the money on them increasing the risk of being robbed. But a more common problem is that often cash gifts don’t really help to lift the person out of poverty - they act more as plasters stuck over an open wound giving temporary relief rather than long term healing. Cash can also be used to fuel addictions. Contactless Giving Points - a positive alternative to cash giving

Contactless Giving Point at HSBC Bournemouth

BCP Homeless Action Collaborative are a group of local charities and businesses that have linked up with the council to help tackle the issues around homelessness. One initiative that they’ve come up with is ‘Contactless Giving Points’. These allow people to tap their payment card or device onto a secure hotspot in a shop/bank window to make a set donation of £3. These Contactless Giving points can be found at Central Library, HSBC Bournemouth, YMCA Westover Road and Hope & More Southbourne but this is just the beginning with many more being rolled out over the coming months.

Richard Marshall from Premium Event Productions, a Bournemouth based Events and AV Supplier involved in the Homelessness Action Collaborative said “Homelessness is an issue close to my heart and I wanted to get involved so PEP have been involved in the installation of the first Contactless Giving Points. I’m so pleased that we’ve got HSBC on board with the scheme and I just hope that as the points increase, so will the donations so that real change can happen”. The money from public donations is collected by a new fund named ‘Change For Good’ with the aim of helping rough sleepers improve their lives and move away from the streets. Over £10,000 has already been raised through this scheme, towards more permanent life-changing assistance for rough sleepers. The Contactless Giving points are designed to change our behaviour and to dissuade us from giving directly to homeless people and instead give into a scheme that can offer real hope. Practical help across BCP for the local homeless

The YMCA are also operating a ‘Room Sponsor Scheme’, which gives people the opportunity to make regular donations towards safe comfortable nights for people with nowhere else to go. Room sponsors can start by giving monthly donations of £12 per month and can increase the donation if they wish. The YMCA helps 18,000 vulnerable young people per year, and it is achieved largely through support and donations from the general public. As a Room Sponsor one will receive regular updates from young people who are turning their lives around. Living in the Homeless Trap can also make it difficult to receive medical care, support and of course – food. There are some opportunities for rough sleepers in Dorset to access hot meals for free. They can be found through Street Support and are available in a variety of locations and are open over days and evenings alike:

Citygate Church Holdenhurst Road, free takeaway night every Wednesday at 6pm.

Salvation Army Winton, community meal at 6:30 every

Monday.

Salvation Army Boscombe provide breakfast (cereal and toast) Monday to Friday between 10am until 10:45, free of charge. Tea, coffee and juice is available all day, between 10am until 4pm, free of charge. A cooked lunch at 12:30, at a small charge of £1.

Christchurch Soup Kitchen provide hot nutritious meals

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings between 6 and 7pm. They also provide toiletries, clothing, sleeping bags and a wash & swap service for sleeping bags.

Routes to Roots Poole offer free hot meals on Monday,

Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 20:30. As well as a Sunday lunch on the first and third Sundays of the month at 13:30.

BIG ISSUE HELPS LIFT PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS

Many organisations aim to combat homelessness on a wider scale, but there are ways to help individuals through The Big Issue. The magazine’s mission is to “dismantle poverty by creating opportunity”. Many street vendors of The Big Issue magazines are homeless or are in vulnerable situations. By buying their copies it’s an easy way to help them provide for themselves and earn a living. They buy the magazines for a flat rate and sell them for double the price, allowing them to earn a 100% profit. Josie Doyle, a Big Issue vender in Bournemouth has opened up about how selling magazines has changed her life for the better over the last three years. She found herself in an extremely difficult situation once she became homeless – she was sleeping on friends’ sofas and even on the streets. From selling The Big Issue she was able to change her life for the better with her boyfriend who is also a vender. They were able to find a studio apartment, a place to call a home of their own. At one point, Josie was the highest selling Bournemouth based vender of the Big Issue, and she expressed how this work helped her see life more positively and she felt like she has a reason to get up each day. Josie is just one of many Big Issue venders in Bournemouth who are making a difference to their lives.

What to do if you fear you will become homeless within the next few months - Act Now!

Individuals who are at risk of homelessness, or fear they that they will become homeless in the next 56 days should seek help through BCP Council, where their needs will be assessed and a Personalised Housing Plan will be produced. They are able to help with different individual circumstances, whether that involves unfit property, unfair landlord or escaping domestic abuse situations. With the right steps, homelessness can be preventable when issues are addressed and tackled early on – however even when it becomes too late, help is still available.

www.ymca.org.uk/sponsor4 www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/Housing/Homelessness-and-rough-sleeping/Report-a-rough-sleeper.aspx www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/change-for-good-partnership-supports-groups-who-helprough-sleepers-off-the-streets/ www.bcha.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering/ As well as the Contactless Giving Points mentioned in the article, you can give to Change for Good by visiting their Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/campaign/changeforgoodBournemouth