The typical image of a homeless person is an old man sleeping on the streets. But homelessness is not just about rough sleepers. For every known rough sleeper, there are around 100 people in hostels. Many of these people face a number of problems like family breakdown, poor mental health, and unemployment.
Lost property, NPC’s report on homelessness, argues that the problem is about much more than not having a roof overhead. It highlights charities working to prevent people becoming homeless, as well those helping people to rebuild their lives and find a route out of homelessness.
‘When first looking at homelessness, I didn’t really think about football training and music workshops. These tend to look quite fluffy when compared to job placements and hostels. Yet, I soon realised the vital role that social and leisure programmes play—improving homeless people’s self-esteem, social skills, and just getting them involved. Without covering these basics, some people will never move on and really benefit from projects addressing more concrete topics, like jobs and housing. Unfortunately, it is often these ‘softer schemes’ that struggle to get funding.’
Adrian Fradd, Research analyst