Understanding Homelessness

In December 2021, more than 274,000 people were sleeping rough or staying in temporary housing and hostels, including 126,000 children. In the same report, Shelter says that 1 in 53 people are experiencing homelessness in London alone.

We’ll never know the exact number of people experiencing homelessness; when we think of homelessness, we may think of rough sleeping, but there are countless further unhoused people in shelters, hostels, and sofa surfing that surveys just don’t pick up on. 

Even if we don’t know the exact number, we do know that the average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 45 for men and 43 for women. On top of this, more than 1 in 3 people sleeping rough have suffered from a deliberate form of violence. 

Likewise, 3 out of 4 people experiencing homelessness report having physical health problems, with 80% of people also reporting that they suffer from some form of mental health issue.

Because homelessness is so widespread, it can be daunting to think about trying to help. But it’s a good idea to have a look at what can lead to people experiencing homelessness and what actions you can take to make an impact.

What are the causes of homelessness? 

As with many social issues, there’s never a single cause for homelessness.

Factors like high costs of living and job scarcity can leave people with less income, which can then send them into poverty and homelessness. 

Likewise, life events can happen that just sweep the rug out from under people’s feet, especially if they don’t have a support system they can rely on when things get tough. Events like separating from a partner, losing a job suddenly, or being evicted can all lead to somebody experiencing homelessness if they suddenly find that they have nowhere to go.

It can also be hard for someone to get back on their feet after experiencing homelessness, especially if they don’t have the resources needed. Even with the right resources, prejudices can be a huge barrier for someone experiencing homelessness to overcome, which is why it’s crucial to give people sleeping rough, in shelters, or on someone’s sofa the respect and kindness they deserve.

What can you do?

The government plans to end rough sleeping by 2024, although levels of rough sleeping are predicted to rise despite this goal. Even with the government committing to spend £2 billion over the next 3 years on tackling homelessness in the UK, there’s still a long way to go. 

If you want to make an immediate, tangible impact, here are some ways you can make a difference in your local community, all through the OnHand app:

💙 Information Sharer

Familiarise yourself with local homeless shelters & soup kitchens and spread the word about OnHand.

Homeless shelters and soup kitchens can be lifesavers for somebody living on the streets. Take some time to familiarise yourself with local shelters and soup kitchens. Let them know about OnHand and how we connect our heroes to volunteering opportunities - you never know if they need an extra hand!

💙 Wrap Up

Donate your old coat to Wrap Up or Crisis.

Wrap Up works with charities and community organisations that provide frontline services to the homeless, the elderly, refugees, children, and families living in poverty and people fleeing domestic violence. Your old coat can be a lifesaver for somebody who doesn’t have anything to keep them warm.

💙 Meal Buddy

Pledge to buy a meal or hot drink for a person experiencing homelessness. 

There are thousands of people who don't have a cosy bed or sofa to snuggle up on. Help someone experiencing homelessness warm up by buying them a hot drink and/or meal. 

💙 Friendly Chat

Have a chat with someone experiencing homelessness.

Next time you're out and about, stop and have a chat with someone experiencing homelessness. Not many people make the effort to do it, but you might learn something, brighten your day and theirs, and feel connected to someone new. 

💙 StreetLink Connector

Connect someone sleeping rough to local services through StreetLink.

StreetLink exists to help end rough sleeping. It enables members of the public to connect people sleeping rough with the local services they need to support them. If you come across someone sleeping rough, don’t hesitate to use StreetLink to give them some support.

Let’s all do our part 🙌

OnHand founder Sanjay has done a great Bitesize Talk with the CEO of Beam, Alex Stephany (which you can find on the app!). Beam is a homeless social enterprise that lets you sponsor people experiencing homelessness and help them back on their feet. 

During their chat, Alex provided some great insight into small changes you can make in your life to help those experiencing homelessness. He said:

“Talk to people, ask them if they’re hungry, if you can get them something from the shop [...] If that’s too hard then just smile at someone, say hello, say good morning. I think that is something that is so valuable and so cherished so often by people who feel so neglected and dehumanised by the situation they’re in.” 

Like many of the social issues we shout about here at OnHand, it can feel overwhelming to try and tackle the issue of homelessness, especially considering how widespread it is. 

However, we believe that individual action can still make a difference! So get out there, spread the word, have a chat, write to your MPs, do some good, and together we can make a change in the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

If you want to help but don’t have OnHand, we want to talk to you! Let’s kickstart your journey to doing good and feeling good today: beonhand.co.uk/book-a-demo.