What is Homelessness?
Homelessness is a condition and social situation suffered by individuals who do not have a ‘regular home or stable personal shelter that is warm, safe and secure’.
Individuals who can associate with at least one of the following criteria may be classed as homeless:
- They do not have a home to sleep in
- They do not have a home where they can live with their family
- They do not have permission to live where they are
- They had a home, but cannot go back there as they have been locked out to prevent further access
- They have had to leave their home because of violence, threats and/or abuse
- Their home is in very poor inhabitable, condition
- They cannot afford where they are living
- They can only stay where they are on a temporary basis (this includes staying at a night shelter or homeless hostel).
Reasons people become homeless
There are many different reasons people become homeless. Some of these reasons cannot be controlled by the individual and may happen because of:
- Unemployment
- Poverty
- Lack of affordable housing
- Lack of knowledge on how to access benefits & complete Housing Benefit / Local Housing Allowance forms
Homelessness may also occur through personal reasons, such as:
- Drug and/or alcohol misuse
- Poor mental and/or physical health
- Relationship breakdown
- Debts
- Involvement in crime from a young age
- Adult offending
- Lack of life skills to be able to sustain a tenancy
- Fleeing violence at home
- Fleeing abuse at home
- Prison release and re-entry into society
- Forced eviction – A.S.B.O related
- Multiple tenancy breakdowns
Often an individual may have several of these issues making their personal situation complex and difficult to deal with.
New Start believes that these problems can start to be addressed and dealt with when a decent home is in place.
The organisation has structured services and professional staff teams that are trained to work with individuals whose personal circumstances may be complicated and difficult to tackle. All of the staff at New Start are fully aware of the nature of homelessness and the detrimental effects it has on those who experience the process. They are also confident that homelessness and the negativity it attracts can be resolved; enabling those who are unfortunate enough to experience it to re-build their lives and work towards a stable and more productive future.
New Start reaches out to all sections of society with their diverse projects that aim to cater for a wide variety of needs and situations.
What is Homelessness?