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According to UK research, homelessness is on the rise. As of December 2023, at least 309,000 people were without their own home in England – an increase of 38,100 people in a single year.
But, worryingly, as highlighted by homeless charity, St Martin in the Fields, these figures only tell part of the story. In reality, there’ll be countless more women, men, and children who aren’t known to government bodies experiencing hidden homelessness.
There are various reasons for this rise in homelessness. These include shortages of affordable housing, a lack of stable job opportunities, housing and disability benefit cuts, and services across various sectors – such as local councils – being forced to work with limited budgets.
It also doesn’t help that there’s significant stigma attached to homelessness; with many homeless people being overlooked and misunderstood. This can mean that those who are in a position to help might feel reluctant to; while others may feel powerless and not know what to do when they see someone who’s homeless.
With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with St Martin in the Fields to dispel five common myths about homelessness, and reveal more about how you can make a difference should you wish to. The charity funds organisations that provide support services for homeless people; with the aim to help people secure, and keep, a safe place to live.
If you’d like to find out more about what St Martin in the Fields do or make a donation, you can do so using the button below.
Myth one – Homeless people always sleep on the streets
Many people assume that, in order to qualify as a homeless person, you must be sleeping rough. But the people we see on the streets are just a proportion of the people affected by homelessness in the UK.
For example, of the 309,000 people experiencing homelessness in England as of the end of 2023, only 3,898 people were counted as sleeping rough on a single night. This means that, beyond the streets, there’s homelessness we can’t necessarily see.
For starters, women are often missed from rough sleeper counts because they’re more likely to seek shelter in less visible places like transport hubs, rather than outside, due to the risk of violence. St Martin in the Fields have also reported that, in 2023, more than half of applications to their emergency Vicar’s Relief Fund (VRF), were on behalf of women trapped in unsafe, abusive, and often exploitative housing with violent perpetrators. These women were either financially, emotionally, or practically unable to extricate themselves on their own.
Gail’s story, which you can read here, is just one example of someone who was able to escape unsafe living conditions with help from a VRF grant, so she could begin her physical and emotional recovery, away from her abuser. But, there are also people without a permanent home sleeping in cars or squats, on the floors or sofas of family or friends, or in temporary homeless shelters.
With that said, one of the most helpful ways you can support people experiencing homelessness is to donate to a charity that provides resources for people in various circumstances. To find out more about how your donation could help, you can visit the St Martins in the Fields website below.
Myth two – People are homeless because of addiction problems or poor life choices
Some people dismiss homeless people as being responsible for their situation due to making poor life choices or having addiction problems. However, while these factors may be an issue, there are many other circumstances in which a person might find themselves homeless.
Some of these include…
- Lack of affordable housing – In London, for example, the average rent has risen by 9.4% since 2020, while wages have remained stagnant or fallen in real terms. This makes it increasingly difficult for people on lower incomes to afford housing.
- Mental health problems – In England, 80% of homeless people reported having mental health issues, with 45% having been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Cuts to the NHS mental health budget has also meant that almost one in four patients have to wait over 12 weeks to start receiving mental health treatment – during which their health and living situations can worsen.
- Lack of support after leaving care – Research has found that 33% of care leavers become homeless within the first two years of leaving care, largely due to factors such as a chronic lack of affordable housing and the complexity of the UK benefits system.
To hear first-hand how quickly life can change for someone, you might want to watch Aaron’s story below. Within a month Aaron lost his mum to cancer, his girlfriend walked out on him, and he found himself homeless. For seven years he either stayed with friends or slept rough in a tent, until a £78 Vicar’s Relief Fund (VRF) grant from St Martin in the Fields helped him secure a flat, changing his life for the better.
To help make VRF grants available for more people experiencing homelessness, so they can secure, and keep, a safe place to live, you can make a donation on the St Martin in the Fields website below.
Myth three – People experiencing homelessness should just get a job
It might be easy to think that a homeless person’s problems will all be solved if they simply get a job – but, in reality, the situation is much more complicated. Gaining stable employment requires you to have certain structural barriers in place, which can be difficult to overcome if you’re homeless.
For instance, you can’t get a job in the UK without identification to prove your right to work here, and keeping these documents safe can be difficult without a permanent address. Not being able to pay for interview-related things like travel fare and a new suit can also put people at a disadvantage.
Shockingly, research has also revealed that 40% of employers were unaware that it’s legal to hire someone experiencing homelessness, and admit that they’d probably end an employee’s contract if they became homeless.
St Martin in the Fields also highlights that low wages and zero hour contracts are contributing to worsening homelessness. Low wages for obvious reasons, and zero hour contracts because an employee is only given shifts if their employer needs them – making it difficult for people to earn a stable income.
Myth four – There are plenty of support services available to help those experiencing homelessness
Though there are charities and organisations working to address homelessness across the UK, they face many challenges. These include funding cuts and a lack of resources.
This is a key reason why St Martins in the Fields was set up in the first place – to help empower those organisations that are trying to make a difference by providing financial support through their Frontline Fund.
St Martins in the Fields regularly speaks to frontline staff from the homelessness sector; and the findings show their struggle. One frontline worker in South West England said, “Appropriate support is difficult to find, services are always changing or disappearing. Information never seems to be up to date and, when it is, the waiting lists are long, or people never get back to me.”
Another key service that St Martin in the Fields provides through their Vicar’s Relief Fund is helping people find temporary accommodation. But with hostel spaces and other similar housing options being limited and record high numbers of homeless households, this is becoming more of a challenge.
Lots of the organisations providing temporary accommodation are charities that can’t maintain the running costs that come with housing such a high number of people – with many having to reduce their services as a result of living pressures.
One frontline worker in Vale and Cardiff said, “I’ve been doing this job for 16 years and I would say the last 5 years I noticed a change in trying to find suitable accommodation. More recently it is near impossible to find any suitable accommodation for people. Private rents are too expensive or they don’t take [housing benefit].”
It’s these reasons, especially, that highlight how valuable the funds raised by homeless charities are. It’s essentially kindness that helps to keep a roof above people’s heads; and there are still plenty of people that the charity’s are yet to reach with the limited resources that they have.
Myth five – Homeless people are dangerous
The idea that homeless people are dangerous in the UK is largely a myth. In fact, studies show that people experiencing homelessness are nearly 17 times more likely to be victims of violence compared to the general public.
The misconception about homeless people being dangerous often stems from stereotypes and a lack of understanding about the complex nature of homelessness. As we’ve seen, many factors contribute to homelessness, including eviction from private rented homes, mental health problems, and the cost of living crisis.
Many homeless charities are working hard to dispel this myth because it can lead to further marginalisation and stigmatisation – making it more challenging for those experiencing homelessness to reintegrate into society and access the support they need.
While not everyone can afford to contribute financially to homeless charities, other small gestures can make the world of difference. For example, because homeless people often feel overlooked and ignored by society, simply making eye contact with people you see sleeping rough on the streets can change someone’s day for the better.
Final thoughts…
The rising numbers of homeless individuals in the UK highlight a growing crisis that demands urgent attention and action. While official figures show a significant increase, it’s crucial to recognise that these statistics likely underestimate the true extent of the problem due to hidden homelessness. And the perpetual stigma surrounding homelessness creates additional barriers to support and understanding.
By partnering with St Martin in the Fields to debunk common myths about homelessness, we hope to foster greater awareness and empathy, which is a crucial step towards effective action.
Whether through supporting organisations like St Martin in the Fields or taking individual steps to help, each of us has the power to make a difference in addressing this pressing social issue. It’s important to remember that behind every statistic is a human story and, by working together to dispel misconceptions and provide support, we can help create a society where everyone has access to safe, stable housing and the opportunity to thrive.
To find out more about the work of St Martin in the Fields and make a donation, you can visit their website below.