I have volunteered in emergency shelters for 30 years AMA

[everybodyin]

I have been a volunteer running and supporting emergency shelters for rough sleepers for over 30 years now. AMA

Hi @everybodyin

Is there any noticeable differences in males and females genders, to various kinds of situations that can create unfortunately create homeless situations,
that you work with?
.if so?..

Why do you think the reasons are then?

No one has replied yet to your interesting post so I'm bumping by asking a question. What prompted you to get involved and what are the challenges?

@everybodyin

Do you think since Covid 19 pandemic and lockedowns, has this had impact in the kind of field of work you do?..

If so?
What ways then?

Such as our society attitudes /perspectives on mental health since covid 19 pandemic hit us,

And also possible others ways too?

@everybodyin

Do you think our society has changed its perception on this issue in the last 30 years ?

@everybodyin

Do you think other cultures/countries are better or worse, at handling the kinds of issues that arise with emergency homeless issues then?

If so?
.how and why is that then?

@everybodyin

What are your thoughts on our British Governments attitudes and support on this emergency homeless crisis then?

What would you like to say to those people in power in British Government then now?

Men are far more likely to end up homeless, about 90% of rough sleepers are male.

There are many reasons for this. Lots of rough sleepers are people who have come out of the army, or out of prison, and both of these are largely male institutions.

Many refugees also end up sleeping rough, and more than half of refugees are male.

Also, because when relationships break down, then women are more likely to be left caring for the children, and the parent with children is more likely to be housed - (not always, though. There are parents and children sleeping rough in the UK, even toddlers and babies)

I also think a lot of friends and relatives will tolerate a young woman sofa surfing for quite a lot longer than a young man.

There is also more live-in work available to women, particularly in cities

The women who end up sleeping rough can find themselves in a worse situation than men though, particularly as a lot of hostels are men only, and a lot of services are set up only for men.

Does that answer your question?

I slept rough myself for a while, and was lucky enough to get help before it because a long term life style.

Challenges? Well, resources, mainly, but there are others.

Security is a constant challenge.

There are two basic types of shelters, the ones that take anybody, and the ones that are invitation only.

The invitation only ones are a step into getting back into long term housing, of some description, and residents need to demonstrate certain standards of behaviour, or they lose their place. This leads to a certain number of disgruntled ex residents, and arson is my main fear - it doesn't happen often, but it does happen

Challenges with the residents - most residents want help, and will accept it. There are problems that are very deep seated, and not easily undone though, such as alcoholism, or behaviour which can be destructive. The most common type of behaviour I see that is destructive is a kind of love and generosity for the whole world, sharing everything with everyone, letting anyone in to your secure accommodation, lending anyone your tiny amount of money if they ask for it - no boundaries, judgement or discernment. This is the result of a form of attachment disorder in childhood, and is strangely incompatible with modern living! This is probably more common than alcoholism in my experience, and just as difficult to resolve.

There are other challenges, obviously, but these are the ones that spring to mind first

Hi @everybodyin

Yes it does answer my question thanks for replying back,

I am really shocked that there are women and children in 🇬🇧 uk are sleeping rough like that aswell,
Bloody hell that's 😳 shocking, as I thought that happened only in certain foreign countries abroad , when a particular emergency crisis hits the news,

And mothers and babies 👶 too,
Like like something out of third world 🌎 countries @everybodyin

The biggest impact has been in moving away from large dormitories where infection spreads quickly. These days hotel rooms are far more likely to be used as emergency shelter. This started in the pandemic, but has carried on to some extent, particularly in the recent SWEP - which is what happens when the temperature drops, and councils are required to offer an indoor space to every rough sleeper on their patch. Pre pandemic they would open sports halls/ fire stations, and have rows of camp beds. These days it is hotel rooms.

No. Homeless people are still shunned, and largely blamed for their situation, when in reality it can happen to anyone, including people who have worked all their lives, paid all their tax, never toughed drink or drugs, and have just been unlucky.

Yes, it is deeply disturbing. I have recently helped a mother, father and 18 month toddler get a hostel room. They were refugees, and were sleeping in a children's playground, inside the climbing frame

There are other people that would shock you to see are left to sleep rough. I currently have a man with no eyes, and a man with no hands or feet, both in the shelter. They had both been sleeping on the street.

Do you see lots of rough sleepers manage to make it off the streets - particularly if they manage to avoid/resist alcohol and drugs? Or do most people who end up homeless stay homeless?

A lot make it off the street, if they have the right help and support. ( a very small number use drugs or alcohol - they obviously have a harder time moving on, if they are addicted)

However, they are quickly replaced. And there simply isn't enough help and support available for everyone who could benefit from it

Hi Op@everybodyin

Do you see any vunerable at risk teenagers girls and boys who have come out of "so called children's care system"?

Who are at unfortunately at risk of being sexually exploited potentially then?

How can your charity help these vunerable teenagers then?

Such as liaising with other charties etc is that something your charity does?

I am thinking of controversial Rotham sexual grooming cases of teenage girls ect

What changes has there been or you have come across if any in regards of social services and other charties that deal with vunerable teenagers/young people?

It’s good to know there is support out there that can work as a permanent/long term solution. Which isn’t to say that homeless people with complex issues or addictions which mean they are unlikely to ever move on aren’t deserving of help and support - it’s maybe just different kinds of support or different goals for that support.
What can people do to help organisations such as yours to function? Support foodbanks? Donate money directly to shelters or organizations that run them? Support or at least not oppose construction/use of existing building as shelters in their towns/neighborhoods?

Yes, we see a lot of vulnerable young people from the care system, both male and female. Yes, we do liaise with other charities and support.

Donating directly to local shelters is a good way of supporting them. You can ask local charities if they are involved in helping people move on or in just accommodating them, and you can ask for their success rate. You can also volunteer! Not just in caring for the individuals, but in helping with the food. Lots of shelters use a rota of churches / mosques/ temples to donate food and cook meals, so if you belong to an organisation that could undertake to provide food and cook for one day a week for a couple of months at a time, then this may also be very welcome.

Something else people can do to help is support homeless people at work. The number of rough sleepers who hide from colleagues and bosses the fact that they are sleeping on the street, or in the car, is ridiculous.

If a work place has washing, and laundry facilities, make them openly available. If a lot of work needs to be done outside of normal office hours, keep the premises open, and heated. I don't think it takes much for an employer to make tea and coffee available, either.

If an employee discloses they are homeless, sofa surfing, sleeping rough, etc, be kind and supportive!

You would be surprised how many professional women in particular are holding down professional jobs with nowhere to sleep

Why was a refugee family sleeping rough? Local authorities have a legal responsibility to house families, even if it is only in bed and breakfast or hotels until a house can be provided.

Had they not registered as asylum seekers after entering this country? Did you recommend and assist them to do so?

Asylum seekers are housed, but once they gain refugee status, then they often lose their housing.

We quite often take in refugees after they have gained their refugee status, but lost their asylum seeker accommodation

In this case, there was no accommodation for the parents. There was an attempt to take the child into care because the parents were homeless. They were afraid they would lose her forever, so left with her to try and find somewhere to live, then found they couldn't find anything at all, except the climbing frame. Whether they were right or wrong, I don't actually know, I am not sure I would hand my baby over to the British care system, especially if I had no way of being contacted by them.

But we have also had other cases of older children, where no accommodation was offered even for the children, and 4 or 5 year refugee children are left destitute.

Can you elaborate a little on the need to share everything with everyone, the attachment disorder behaviour? Thanks

I'm not doubting you, I'm just trying to make sense of how this happened.

So when they were claiming asylum they'd have been entitled to NASS accommodation.

Once they were granted refugee status they should have been entitled to housing benefit and council housing is that right? So presumably something broke down there?

The next safety net, given they have a baby, is Children's Services. Is there a reason Children's Services wouldn't fund a hostel or B&B for them on a temporary basis?

Something unlawful must have happened somewhere along the line for a young family with refugee status to end up street homeless in the UK. I wonder if you could help them get legal advice?

Some children with attachment disorders have no boundaries at all, and see everyone they meet as a potential best friend. This is very clear in the behaviour of a 9 year old girl who might think nothing of walking into the men's toilet because someone who just walked in there smiled at her as he passed, and she immediately wanted to talk to him. Obviously this behaviour stands out as unusual in a child, because most 9 year old girls won't suddenly decide they want to be friends with a random man walking past, and follow him. They have an innate sense of this being a stranger, and not part of their trusted circle, and they have an innate sense of the male toilet not being part of their territory.

However, as that 9 year old grows, they may never develop that sense of having a trusted circle and having a safe territory, but it becomes less obvious in teenage, and then in adult behaviour.

It is a problem that we see quite often in care leavers, the love and trust given indiscriminately, to conartists, drug addicts, anyone at all who says they need help, want to share the new room, will be good room mates, only need to borrow the UC until tomorrow, and not only that, but these people will be quickly forgiven when they break their promises, and trusted again.

This is an example of the ingrained behaviour that can make it difficult for someone to get off the streets, because they can lose control over their money and accommodation very quickly, and also repeatedly.

There are other sorts of ingrained behaviours that also are an issue when trying to start a new life with a hostel room and an income.. this is just one example