You can help us beat loneliness for homeless people in your area

The issue

There are many barriers that rough sleepers are faced with…

Over the pandemic, we have seen thousands of people’s lives continue to be threatened and affected by homelessness, with more households finding themselves without a roof over their heads, or living in unsuitable temporary accommodation.

Matt Harrison, Director of Streetlink, has said that new people are being “forced to sleep rough for the first time as a direct impact of the virus” as support services shut.

By being repeatedly denied access to services that could help them grow in the community and the continued stigma attached to homelessness, this can reinforce social exclusion and isolation amid homeless people. Opportunities for conversation and human interaction can be scarce. Soup kitchens, hostels and care provision are also being stopped in the light of the virus, leaving homeless people even more vulnerable.

The need

Research shows that rough sleepers experience some of the highest rates of loneliness and isolation amongst the UK population. During the pandemic, the lack the companionship that many of us take for granted is making it harder to escape homelessness and address any support needs.

Everyone has the ability to help us fight the rise of loneliness and give rough sleepers the opportunity to belong, contribute and thrive in society. We can all contribute to the health and wellbeing of the homeless by being kind, chatting to homeless people and treating people with respect and compassion.

I was on drugs, committing crimes constantly, falling in and out of friendships, relationships, in and out of the police station, committing crimes to do drugs, to stay warm, to keep sanity.

After gaining a bit of a connection with my key worker, Tracy, it was made apparent to me that these people are actually here to help me and the more I opened up to my key worker and was honest to everyone, that’s when things started to take a bit of a change for me. With keeping up with appointments, with slowing down my drug use, having a roof over my head, doing simple things like functioning like a human being.

Like staying in and doing my washing, and small interactions with people like you wouldn’t normally do living on the streets because you’re living a hectic life and you’re focusing on your warmth and your sanity. I had time to slow down, express myself, think about what I want to do, where I go now…

The future’s looking good for a few reasons… I have the opportunity to work at a studio five days a week at my own accord because they are trying to keep me busy. I’ve got contact with my family on a stable, regular basis, which was non-existent before and I had no stability, again like not having a phone being charged and just things like that. Keeping up with rent like I said, it’s all the support. I think someone like me, I wouldn’t want to admit that at the beginning I was vulnerable, it’s really helpful and I can actually see a really bright future, as I can speak openly and honestly.

Shimona, MCISS One YMCA

One YMCA’s work

In 2019, we provided 127,200 nights of safe, secure and supported accommodation to over 930 vulnerable individuals, across Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We directly tackled homelessness through the provision of 370 nights of emergency accommodation to those most at risk, including the hosting of 105 severe weather emergency protocol bed spaces

In an aim to combat homelessness we run three hostels across Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire which provide over 400 rooms and over 100,000 nights’ sleep each year for single homeless people between 18 and 59. Our mission is to support each resident for up to two years so that they can move on to safe accommodation and a more stable lifestyle, helping them belong, contribute and thrive within their local communities.

People come to live at our YMCA hostels for a variety of reasons, but most often these are linked to the breakdown of family relationships or social exclusion. As a result, we find many people are not just in need of housing & residential support, but also need help to rebuild their self-confidence, develop life skills, and overcome personal issues such as alcohol misuse. The YMCA housing team is committed to offering both practical and emotional support for each resident within a friendly environment.