Having a home to call your own is something we all strive for and if lucky enough we all had growing up. It is meant to be a safe refuge to relax in, where you don’t need to worry about what you will be doing or where you will be sleeping day to day.
Homelessness comes in many forms – it means you don’t have a home. You don’t have to be living on the streets to be considered homeless. Here at CENS, we see a variety of situations -from someone living in a car, to sofa surfing on a friend’s couch, to living in insecure housing. Often people are facing such chronic mental health conditions that they are unable to secure accommodation for themselves.
UNDERSTANDING TYPES OF HOMELESSNESS
Street Homeless/Rough Sleeping
Being street homeless or rough sleeping means sleeping outside, often in a tent. These people are not always represented in statistics as they are not always found and counted into the figures. Some people live in a tent in the woods for years before they seek help.
Sofa Surfing
Sofa surfing is a term that refers to people who sleep in other people’s homes because they don’t have tenancies of their own. This could be a friend’s sofa or an auntie’s spare room. It means going from house to house trying to find somewhere safe for the night. It is very common and is on the increase every year in the UK.
“Sofa surfing all the time makes you feel like you don’t belong anywhere. It’s like you’re in the way and it can feel so lonely. You isolate yourself and can’t see a way out” Anon, CENS RESIDENT
Statutory Homelessness
Statutory homelessness can be:
- Being issued a section 21 eviction notice by a landlord
- Sleeping in insecure housing such as temporary accommodation
- Living in a shared, overcrowded room in very poor living conditions that are not regulated
Squatting
Squatting is when a person finds shelter in a property without the owner or tenant’s permission. It is often a last resort for people facing homelessness, but factors such as awful weather conditions and feeling scared on the streets, can force many homeless people to squat. They can be evicted without a court summons, but if found guilty of illegally squatting can face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000.
Hidden Homelessness
People experiencing hidden homelessness are all over the UK. It refers to those sleeping in hotels, B&Bs or staying with friends without informing the authorities, such as the local council. This could be because they don’t know they are eligible for support or that they’re ashamed of their situation. It accounts for thousands of people being unaccounted for in the annual homelessness statistics.
Home Office Leavers/Refugees
Many people flee their homeland due to war, poverty and hunger and are often left to fend for themselves when they arrive in a foreign country. In the UK, refugees are offered home office accommodation for a limited time, but then must leave to find more permanent housing. This has led to many single refugees facing street homelessness.
Sleeping in a car or caravan
Here at CENS we are seeing an increase in people that lose their home and end up sleeping in their car or living in a caravan. This can be very isolating and costly. People move on from place to place trying to find a spot to sleep for the night, which makes retaining employment difficult.
Understanding what our residents may have experienced, helps us to approach each situation with understanding and compassion. We have a duty of care to deliver the support and guidance they need to get into suitable accommodation. With the correct agencies involved, we endeavour to help them stay in a safe, secure, suitable home – surely this is something everybody deserves.
Visit our website here to learn more about how we help those facing homelessness in our community.
