ROUTES IN & OUT OF HOMELESSNESS
Why does homelessness occur?
Anybody could become homeless. The stereotypical image of the 'rough sleeper' is very much just the 'tip of the iceberg'. There are 20 times the number of rough sleepers staying in hostel beds in England and the number of rough sleepers and hostel sleepers combined is less than half of those who approached their councils saying they were homeless (Crisis Briefing, 2014).
For many people, there's no single event that results in sudden homelessness. Instead, a number of unresolved problems often build up over time. These might include personal factors (drug and alcohol misuse, lack of qualifications, lack of social support, debts, poor physical and mental health, relationship breakdowns and getting involved in crime at an early age) and structural factors (unemployment, poverty, lack of affordable housing, housing policies, closure of long stay psychiatric institutions and overcrowded prisons).
A catalyst then typically comes into play that might serve as the trigger to someone becoming literally homeless. A study commissioned by Shelter found the reasons most frequently given by homeless people living on the street were:
What happens when someone is at risk of becoming homeless?
The following information in distilled or reproduced from the Housing Act 1996, Homeless Act 2002 and Shelter's useful information pages (Housing Act 1996, Homeless Act 2002, Shelter - Get Advice).
If a person believes they are at risk of becoming homeless or find themselves homeless they can approach the local council to apply for help with that and the problems that led to the situation. In order to offer help the council has to establish the following things:
Note that people will have to pay for emergency accommodation (rent) and must do so through their own money or housing benefit.
Once in emergency housing the council will establish whether you are legally eligible for further help. If you are they will usually offer you a council tenancy, a housing association tenancy or a fixed one year contract (or longer) with a private landlord. The council's duty of care ends once the offer is made, whether it is accepted or not.
Looking at those criteria in more detail - here is what might satisfy each point.
First: are you eligible for EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION?
Q1) Are you homeless?
You can be defined as homeless if:
You don't have 'a roof over your head’
You’re under threat of homelessness in the next 28 days (e.g. eviction from landlord or mortgage repossession)
You’re at risk of violence (you may need evidence but don;t have to have pressed charges)
You can’t afford to stay where you are
Your accommodation is very temporary (e.g. you arein a night shelter or woman's refuge)
You are staying with friends or 'sofa surfing'
You’ve been locked out or illegally evicted
Your accommodation is in poor condition
You can’t live together with your partner or close family
Q2) Are you eligible?
This hinges on citizenship status
Q3) Are you in priority need?
You are in priority need if:
Your children live with you
You’re pregnant
You’re aged 16 and 17 and not eligible for housing from social services
You’re a care leaver aged 18 to 21
You’ve been made homeless by fire, flood or other disaster
You're 'vulnerable' i.e. you:
Next: once in emergency housing are you eligible for FURTHER ASSISTANCE?
Q4) Are you 'intentionally homeless'?
The council may declare you are intentionally homeless (and therefore not owed a duty of care) if:
You didn’t pay the rent when you could have
You neglected your personal finances or ignored professional advice
You or your family were evicted for antisocial behaviour
You could have stayed in accommodation either in the UK or abroad
Q5) Do you have a local connection?
You will have a local connection if:
You live in the area - If you have lived in the area for six months out of the past 12, or three years out of the past five, you have a local connection.
You have close family in the area
You work in the area
What happens if the council refuse to help?
The council may refuse to offer assistance if someone does not meet the criteria above or if their offers of help are declined (although if an offer is inappropriate it can be challenged). If you have a local connection to another area you might be helped to return there. For example if you are from York but recently came to be homeless in London, the local council in London has no obligation to help you find permanent housing until you have a local connection. As this could take a long time they might provide money for transport back to York and put you in touch with the council there.
If the council cannot assist you then the person/s might need to consider staying with friends or family (sofa surfing), approaching a hostel or simply sleep rough.
For more information on this subject, you might want to look at SHELTER's useful information pages, which were the source of this information.
Anybody could become homeless. The stereotypical image of the 'rough sleeper' is very much just the 'tip of the iceberg'. There are 20 times the number of rough sleepers staying in hostel beds in England and the number of rough sleepers and hostel sleepers combined is less than half of those who approached their councils saying they were homeless (Crisis Briefing, 2014).
For many people, there's no single event that results in sudden homelessness. Instead, a number of unresolved problems often build up over time. These might include personal factors (drug and alcohol misuse, lack of qualifications, lack of social support, debts, poor physical and mental health, relationship breakdowns and getting involved in crime at an early age) and structural factors (unemployment, poverty, lack of affordable housing, housing policies, closure of long stay psychiatric institutions and overcrowded prisons).
A catalyst then typically comes into play that might serve as the trigger to someone becoming literally homeless. A study commissioned by Shelter found the reasons most frequently given by homeless people living on the street were:
- relationship breakdown: 41 per cent
- being asked to leave the family home: 28 per cent
- drug and alcohol problems: 31 per cent and 28 per cent respectively
- leaving prison: 25 per cent
- mental health problems: 19 per cent
- other: for example, eviction, problems with benefits payments (Shelter, 2007).
What happens when someone is at risk of becoming homeless?
The following information in distilled or reproduced from the Housing Act 1996, Homeless Act 2002 and Shelter's useful information pages (Housing Act 1996, Homeless Act 2002, Shelter - Get Advice).
If a person believes they are at risk of becoming homeless or find themselves homeless they can approach the local council to apply for help with that and the problems that led to the situation. In order to offer help the council has to establish the following things:
- whether or not you are legally homeless
- whether you are eligible for support
- whether you are in 'priority need' for that support
Note that people will have to pay for emergency accommodation (rent) and must do so through their own money or housing benefit.
Once in emergency housing the council will establish whether you are legally eligible for further help. If you are they will usually offer you a council tenancy, a housing association tenancy or a fixed one year contract (or longer) with a private landlord. The council's duty of care ends once the offer is made, whether it is accepted or not.
Looking at those criteria in more detail - here is what might satisfy each point.
First: are you eligible for EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION?
Q1) Are you homeless?
You can be defined as homeless if:
You don't have 'a roof over your head’
You’re under threat of homelessness in the next 28 days (e.g. eviction from landlord or mortgage repossession)
You’re at risk of violence (you may need evidence but don;t have to have pressed charges)
You can’t afford to stay where you are
Your accommodation is very temporary (e.g. you arein a night shelter or woman's refuge)
You are staying with friends or 'sofa surfing'
You’ve been locked out or illegally evicted
Your accommodation is in poor condition
You can’t live together with your partner or close family
Q2) Are you eligible?
This hinges on citizenship status
Q3) Are you in priority need?
You are in priority need if:
Your children live with you
You’re pregnant
You’re aged 16 and 17 and not eligible for housing from social services
You’re a care leaver aged 18 to 21
You’ve been made homeless by fire, flood or other disaster
You're 'vulnerable' i.e. you:
- are an older person
- have a physical or learning disability or mental health problems
- had to leave your home because of violence or harassment
- have been in care
- were in the armed forces
- have been in a young offenders' institute or prison in the past
Next: once in emergency housing are you eligible for FURTHER ASSISTANCE?
Q4) Are you 'intentionally homeless'?
The council may declare you are intentionally homeless (and therefore not owed a duty of care) if:
You didn’t pay the rent when you could have
You neglected your personal finances or ignored professional advice
You or your family were evicted for antisocial behaviour
You could have stayed in accommodation either in the UK or abroad
Q5) Do you have a local connection?
You will have a local connection if:
You live in the area - If you have lived in the area for six months out of the past 12, or three years out of the past five, you have a local connection.
You have close family in the area
You work in the area
What happens if the council refuse to help?
The council may refuse to offer assistance if someone does not meet the criteria above or if their offers of help are declined (although if an offer is inappropriate it can be challenged). If you have a local connection to another area you might be helped to return there. For example if you are from York but recently came to be homeless in London, the local council in London has no obligation to help you find permanent housing until you have a local connection. As this could take a long time they might provide money for transport back to York and put you in touch with the council there.
If the council cannot assist you then the person/s might need to consider staying with friends or family (sofa surfing), approaching a hostel or simply sleep rough.
For more information on this subject, you might want to look at SHELTER's useful information pages, which were the source of this information.
You have now read more about the routes INTO HOMELESSNESS. You can appreciate that whilst some people may notice they are at risk of homelessness, contact people for support and be helped out of the situation, others might not. People might find themselves staying with friends or on the streets with little warning as a result of violence or relationship breakdown. They might have never asked for help due to mental health and drug/alcohol problems. They may have been refused help. Click below to move onto the possible routes OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.
References
Crisis Homelessness Briefing. About Homelessness. 2014 - http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Crisis%20Homelessness%20briefing.pdf. Statistics themselves taken form HM
HM Government. Housing Act 1996. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/52/contents
HM Government. Homelessness Act 2002. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/7/contents
HM Government. Statistics on Homelessness. 2014 - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics
Shelter - Get Advice pages. Available online - http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice
Shelter. Reaching Out - a consultation with street homeless people. 2007 - http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/66418/1385_Reaching_Out_report_FIN_Lo.pdf
Crisis Homelessness Briefing. About Homelessness. 2014 - http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Crisis%20Homelessness%20briefing.pdf. Statistics themselves taken form HM
HM Government. Housing Act 1996. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/52/contents
HM Government. Homelessness Act 2002. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/7/contents
HM Government. Statistics on Homelessness. 2014 - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics
Shelter - Get Advice pages. Available online - http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice
Shelter. Reaching Out - a consultation with street homeless people. 2007 - http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/66418/1385_Reaching_Out_report_FIN_Lo.pdf