fbpx

World Homeless Day: South West services face crisis as demand rises

On 10th October, World Homeless Day will draw the public’s attention to the needs and challenges of homeless people. At the same time, regional charity Julian House is warning that community services for homeless people face an uncertain future.

We are living increasingly insecure lives.

The strains of long-term austerity; the pandemic; the ripple effects of global conflicts; the rising cost of living, and the ongoing housing crisis are making more of us feel vulnerable.

It has been reported that the average person in the UK is just two and a half pay cheques away from homelessness, and three-quarters of people fear they could lose their homes if their financial situation changed.

Previous governments made bold commitments to end rough sleeping and tackle the housing crisis – but, as it stands, local authorities and the agencies they fund with government allocations are facing a funding cliff-edge for homelessness support.

Rough sleeping rose by 18% in the South West in 2023 – and Julian House, along with national homelessness charity Homeless Link, is calling for the Chancellor to renew funding to help rough sleepers rebuild their lives in her Autumn Budget.

Cuts to homelessness support services are short-sighted. They might achieve short-term savings, but in the long-term other public services will take the hit – with increased demands on the NHS and criminal justice systems.  

Research by Crisis estimates that people who experience homelessness for three months or longer cost on average £4,298 per person to the NHS, £2,099 to mental health services and £11,991 to the criminal justice system.

The cliff-edge comes at a time when homelessness and rough sleeping nationally and across the South West is rising sharply. The South West of England has the third highest proportion of rough sleepers in England according to these figures, after London and the South East. According to Centrepoint, youth homelessness in the South West increased by 11% in 2022-23, with 11,300 young people presenting at homeless or at risk.

 

In spite of these risks, vital accommodation and support services for vulnerable people are under constant threat, as government is not legally obliged to provide them. With huge pressure on public service budgets, it is a constant struggle to maintain the provision which can restore a person’s independence, security, and hope for the future.

On this World Homeless Day, Julian House calls upon the public, businesses, and community leaders to come together and take action. 

This is why we’ve joined 75 other organisations in signing Homeless Links letter to Rachel Reeves calling for action in the Autumn Budget-

Homeless Link coordinates open letter to the Chancellor | Homeless Link

“The sheer number of organisations who’ve signed this letter shows how much anxiety the funding cliff-edge is causing homelessness services across the country. Organisations are already considering redundancies and scaling back services. The Autumn Budget is the Government’s final opportunity to give the sector some certainty and prevent the inevitable surge in homelessness that will come if services are forced to close their doors from March.”  Homeless Link CEO Rick Henderson said:

To see what Julian House has delivered this past year, have a look at our 2023-2024 impact report: Our Impact Report 2023 -2024 | Julian House

For more information on upcoming news, subscribe to our newsletter here: Sign up | Julian House | Homeless Charity | Bath

Menu