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The hidden truth about homelessnessExperiences of single homelessnessin England

Kesia Reeve

Report summary, May 2011

2 The hidden truth about homelessness

Key Findings

Thisstudyexplored,indetail,theexperiencesandcircumstancesofsinglehomelesspeople.Itfoundthatthemajorityare‘hidden’,stayinginsquats,sofasurfing,orsleepingroughandwithnostatutoryentitlementtohousing.Intotal,62percentofrespondentswerehiddenhomelessonthenighttheyweresurveyedand92percenthadexperiencedhiddenhomelessness.

The key conclusion to emerge from this study, then, is that single homelessness and hidden homelessness are synonymous. In other words, to be a single homeless person in England in the main is to be ‘hidden’ (from support, advice and statistics).

Severalconsequenceswerefoundtoflowfromthis:

• Singlehomelesspeopleresorttodesperatemeasurestoputaroofovertheirhead.Thestudyuncoveredevidenceofpeopleengaginginsexworktopayforanightinahotel,committingcrimesinthehopeofbeingtakenintocustody,andformingunwantedsexualpartnershipstosecureabedforthenight.

• Peoplewhocouldhavepromptlyexitedhomelessness,hadtheyreceivedtherightassistance,joinapopulationoflong-termhomelesspeoplewithincreasingsupportneeds.

• Vulnerablepeoplewhoseneedsshouldbemetthroughexistingsystemsof

Background and Key Findings

support(roughsleeperteams,hostelsandsuchlike)arebeingleftwithoutassistanceincircumstancesseverelydetrimentaltotheirhealthandwellbeing.

‘Hidden homelessness’ and the consequences which flow from it can be traced to the lack of assistance single homeless people receive from local authorities.

Evidenceemergedthatsinglehomelesspeoplewhomaybeentitledtoaccommodationaredeterredfromapplying,manyaremisinformedabouttheirentitlements,notallaregiventheopportunitytomakeahomelessnessapplication,localauthoritiesdonotalwaysfulfilltheirdutyto‘adviseandassist’homelesspeople,andthatwhenadviceorsignpostingisoffereditisoflittleornouse.

Theconclusionsfromthisstudypointtoa need for local authorities to improve advice and assistance as well as a broader need to reconceptualise homelessness.

Homelessnessisnotjustaboutpeoplesleepingroughandthethousandsofstatutoryhomelesspeopleintemporaryaccommodation.Thereisasizeablegrouphiddenfromviewinsquats,withfriends,inpolicecells,withstrangers,orsleepingroughinlessvisiblelocations.Theyareasvulnerable,andtheirhousingsituationsasprecariousastheirmorevisiblecounterparts.

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Background

ThisreportsummarypresentskeyfindingsfromastudycommissionedbyCrisisandconductedbytheCentreforRegionalEconomicandSocialResearchatSheffieldHallamUniversityinresponsetoconcernsthatsinglehomelesspeoplearefailingtoaccessthesupportandassistancetheyrequiretoescapehomelessness.Manysinglehomelesspeoplearenotentitledtohousingwithinthetermsofthehomelessnesslegislationanddonotaccessthetemporaryhousingavailabletothem.Thisstudyfoundthatlivingoutsidemainstreamhomelessnessprovisioninsquats,onfriends’sofasandanywhereelsetheycanfindtemporaryshelter,manysinglepeoplearehiddenfromsupportandadviceservices,absentfromhomelessnessstatistics,andrenderedinvisiblebytheirhousingsituations.Theyhavenotbeenthefocusofpolicyandarerarelythesubjectsofresearch.Thisstudysoughttoshinesomelightonthisneglectedgroupofpeople,exposing‘hiddenhomelessness’asaveryrealandcontemporarysocialproblem.

Methods

TheresearchwasconductedbetweenJune2010andJanuary2011.Itcomprised:asurveyof437singlehomelesspeople,conductedduringoneweekinJulyindaycentresforthehomelessin11townsandcitiesinEngland1;andin-depth,biographicalinterviewswith27singlehomelesspeoplewhoare,orhavebeen,‘hidden’.

1Thesecomprised:London,Birmingham,Oxford,Stockport,Newcastle,Blackpool,Manchester,Southampton,NewtonAbbot,SheffieldandBrighton.2Forafullerdiscussionondefinitionsemployedandentitlementsunderthehomelessnesslegislationseefullreportof‘Thehiddentruthabout homelessness’.

Thereisnoagreeddefinitionofhiddenhomelessnessandthetermisinconsistentlyapplied2.Forthepurposesofthisstudy,hiddenhomelessnesswasdefinedas‘non-statutory homeless people living outside mainstream housing provision’. Thatis:

• Thosewhomeetthelegaldefinitionofhomelessbuttowhomthelocalauthorityowesnodutytohouse(becausetheyhavenotapproachedordonotmeetthecriteriainthehomelessnesslegislation),and;

• Whoseaccommodationisnotsuppliedbyahousing/homelessnessprovider.

“I’d stay there only for one night at a time but it would be once a week with different friends so I weren’t in the way. I used to meet up with different friends different nights, go back and early morning I’d be gone. I used to tidy everywhere, to say thank you, coz I never had no money or any income...one night and that’s it, leave a thank you summat like two bowls of cornflakes and milk for ‘em.” (Harvey, aged 33, talking about his late teens)


Table 1 — Have you ever lived in any of the following housing situations?

%

Sleepingrough 76

Stayingwithfriendstemporarily 70

Hostel 43

B&B 41

Squatting 39

Stayingwithfamilytemporarily 37

Nightshelter 36

Prison 33

Temporaryhouse/flatarrangedbytheLocalAuthorityorsupportagency

25

Refuge 16

Other 7

n=3643(nonstatutoryrespondentsonly)

Themajorityofsinglehomelesspeopleareinfacthidden:62percentofthosesurveyedwerehiddenhomelessaccordingtothedefinitionadoptedforthestudy(see Figure 1).

62%ofrespondentswerehidden homelessonthedaytheywere surveyedand92%hadexperienced hiddenhomelessness

Exploringrespondents’housingcareersfurthersuggeststhathiddenhomelessnessaffectsanevengreaterproportionofsinglehomelesspeopleover time.Manyspendmostoftheirhomelessnesscareershidden,failingtonegotiateaccesstohostelsandsupportedhousingordoingsosporadicallybeforereturningtohiddenhomelessnessonceagain.Forexample:

• Nearlyall(92percent)surveyrespondentshadexperiencedhiddenhomelessness.

• Surveyrespondentsweremorelikelytohavesleptroughandstayedwithfriendsthantohavestayedinahostel,andsquattingwasmorecommonthantemporaryhousingarrangedbyalocalauthorityorsupportagency(see Table 1).

• Mostsurveyrespondentshadneverstayedinahostel(57percent)orintemporaryhousingarrangedbyalocalauthorityorsupportagency(75percent).Thisincludedrespondentswithalonghistoryofhomelessness(43percentofthosehomelessformorethan6yearshadneverstayedinahostelortemporaryhousingarrangedbythelocalauthorityorsupportagency).

• Onlysix(outof24)interviewrespondentshadspentmoreoftheirhomelessnesscareerinhostelsandotherhomelessnessprovisionthaninhiddenhomelessnesssituations.

• Foreverymonthinterviewrespondentshad(collectively)spentinformalprovisiontheyhadspentoverthreemonthssleepingrough,insquats,withfriendsorinotherhiddensituations.

Inaddition,mostrespondentshadmovedthroughanumberofprecarious,hiddenhomelessnesssituationswithsomehavingspentyearsmovingbetweenfriends,squatsandroughsleeping.ThisisdemonstratedinTable 1,whichpresentsinformationaboutallthehousingsituationsinwhichsurveyrespondentshadeverstayed.

What is the scale and experience of hidden homelessness?

Nancy’shousingcareer,presentedinFigure 2,(page6)illustratessomeofthefindingspresentedinthissection.Shehas,forexample,spentherentirehomelessnesscareerhidden,neveraccessingahostel.MostcommonlyNancyreliesuponfriendsbutshehasmovedthroughmanyformsofhiddenhomelessnessincludingsleepingrough,inatent,squattingandwithfamilymembers.

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3Onlynon-statutoryrespondentsareincludedbecause,bydefinition,statutoryrespondentsarenothiddenhomelessregardlessoftheir accommodationsituation.4Thisfigurederivesfromwhere364non-statutoryrespondentsreportedstayingonthenightpriortobeingsurveyed.537%ofsurveyrespondentswerenon-hiddenonthenightbeforethesurvey.6TransitionalhousingincludestemporaryhousingarrangedbyalocalauthorityorsupportagencyandcanincludeB&Bsifthelocalauthority hasprovidedit.762%ofsurveyrespondentswerehiddenhomelessonthenightbeforethesurvey.

Figure 1— Scale of hidden homelessness (where single homeless respondents spent the previous night)4

Hidden lives

• Themajorityofrespondentshadspentmostoftheirhomelesscareers‘hidden’.

• Nearlyallinterviewrespondentsstayedinahiddenhomelesssituationwhentheyfirstbecamehomelessandeventhosewhowentontoaccessformalprovision(iehostels,nightshelters,refugesandaccommodationprovidedbylocalauthorityorsupportagency)returnedtohiddenhomelessness.

• Respondentswhohadbeenhomelesslongerwerenomorelikelytoaccessformalprovisionthanthoserecentlyhomeless.

• Foreveryonemonthinterviewrespondentsspentinformalprovisiontheyspentoverthreemonthssleepingrough,insquats,withfriendsorinotherhiddensituations.

Non-hiddenhomeless5

Hiddenhomeless7

Hostel

Stayingwithfriendsandfamily

Squatting Roughsleeping

Nightshelter Transitionalhousing6

Other


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Thisstudyfoundthatsinglepeople,findingthemselveshomeless,notentitledtotemporaryaccommodationthroughthelocalauthority,andunabletoaccesshostelstypicallysleeproughorrelyonfriends.Squattingandstayingwithfamilyarealsorelativelycommon.

Rough sleeping

• Roughsleepingwasthemostcommonexperienceofhomelessness:76percentofsurveyrespondentsand25interviewrespondentshadsleptrough.

Nearlyhalfthehomelesspeople interviewedhadsleptroughwithin threemonthsofbecominghomeless

• Themajorityofrespondentshadenduredsustainedperiodsofroughsleeping.Morethanhalf(59percent)oftheroughsleeperssurveyedhadbeensleepingroughcontinuouslyformorethanonemonthand31percentformorethansixmonths.Jasonwasoneofseveralinterviewrespondentswhosufferedextendedperiodsofroughsleeping.Hedescribedhisexperience:

“My mates, they gave me a tent and I put the tent up in [common land] and that’s where I was for about a year and a half… when the snow was on the floor and everything, on a grass verge.” (Jason)

• Singlehomelesspeopleresorttoroughsleepingearlyintheirhomelessnesscareers:seveninterviewrespondents(outof25)sleptroughontheirfirstnightofhomelessnessand12hadsleptroughwithinthreemonths.

• Itwasmorecommonforsurveyrespondentstohavesleptroughthantohavelivedorstayedinanyothertemporaryorpermanenthousingsituation.

Nearlyhalftheroughsleeperssurveyed hadnotbeeninrecentcontactwitha RoughSleeperTeam

• Roughsleepingisthoughttobethemostvisiblemanifestationofhomelessness.However,evidencefromthisstudysuggeststhatasignificantproportionremaininvisible.Intotal,44percentofthecurrentroughsleeperssurveyedhadnotbeenincontactwitharoughsleepers’teaminthepastmonth.Manyreportedsleepingoutofsight,forexampleintents,garagesorinlessvisiblelocations.

Hopeforexampleexplainedthat:

“We had a tiny tent that was hidden by bushes so you couldn’t even see it”. (Hope)

andNeilreported:

“I was sleeping on scaffolding, it was out of the way, nobody bothered me up there”. (Neil)

Squatting

• Squattingisnotamarginaltenureamongstthehomelesspopulation.Infact,ten(of26)interviewrespondentsand39percentofsurveyrespondentshadsquatted.

Squattingisnotamarginaltenure— 39%ofsurveyrespondentshadsquatted

• Asmallnumberofsquattersdescribedreasonableconditionsintheirsquatandtalkedpositivelyabouttheirexperiences.Formany,however,thedistinctionbetweensquattingandroughsleepingwasdifficulttodiscern,withrespondentsdescribingdereliction,discomfort,andlifewithnoamenitiesorfurniture.

Forms of hidden homelessness


Douglasforexampleexplainedthat: ”It was rat infested, water everywhere, needles, urine, smashed ceiling, freezing cold in winter, candles, tin foils, needles, cans, drugs”. (Douglas)

• Squattingisnotalwaysenteredintolaterinrespondents’homelessnesscareersonceallotheroptionshavebeenexhausted.Squattingwasthefirstportofcallforsome.

• Onceapersonhassquattedtheytendtoreturntosquattinganumberoftimes—respondentsrarelysquattedjustonce.

Staying with friends and family

• Friendsandfamilyareheavilyrelieduponbysinglehomelesspeople:70percentofsurveyrespondentsand24interviewrespondentshadstayedwithfriendswhilehomeless;while37percentofsurveyrespondentsandnineinterviewrespondentshadstayedwithfamily.

• Themajorityofrespondentsturnedtofriendswhentheyfirstbecamehomeless.Eleven(of25)interviewrespondentsstayedwithfriendsontheirfirstnightofhomelessnessandafurtherthreestayedwithfamilymembers.

• Mostcommonly,respondentsonlystayedwithfriendsforafewnightsatatime.Thiswassometimesaconditionimposedbythehostbutconcernstomaintainfriendshipspromptedrespondentstomoveonquicklyoftheirownaccord.

AsAndreaexplained:

“When you start living with friends the friendship deteriorates… so not to end any friendship on a bad note we always stay a day or two”. (Andrea)

• Sofasurfingrepresentsaninsecureandprecarioushousingsituation.Thisis

illustratedclearlybythefactthatrespondentsoftensleptroughfollowingastaywithafriend(onequarteroftheroughsleeperssurveyedhadlastbeenaccommodatedbyfriendsorfamily).Nancy’sdescriptionofahouseinwhichshestayedtemporarilyemphasisesthispointfurther:

“I slept on the couch there for a while on and off but then she’s too heavy a drinker for me, couldn’t cope with it”. (Nancy)

• Somerespondentswereonlyabletorelyonothersfortemporaryaccommodationbyofferingservicesinexchange for a roof (thisincludedcooking,cleaning,personalcare,andinterpreting)andthisoftenledtoariskofexploitation.

A range of other hidden homelessness situations were also revealed. These were:

• Privatelyrunhomelessnesshostels,offeringextremelypoorconditions.

• Caravansandtents,pitchedinwoods,wastelandorfriend’sandfamily’sgardens.

• Hotels,B&Bsandbackpackerhostels,as

aprivate,payingguest.

• Inprisonorhospital,duetobereleasedordischargedwithnowheretogo(thisalsosometimesincludedpeopleseekingtobehospitalizedorgivencustodialsentencesinordertosecureaccommodation).

Itwasclearfromrespondents’accountsoftheirtimespentinsquats,withfriends,incaravansorprivatehotelsthatallformsofhiddenhomelessnessofferextremelyinsecure,vulnerableandprecariousaccommodation.Theimmediateprospectofroughsleepingalwaysloomslarge,frequentlybecomingareality,andtheexperienceofhiddenhomelessnesscanincreaseaperson’sneedsandvulnerabilities.Harvey’sstory(seeoppositepage)illustratesthesepointswell.

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WhenHarveywas19hespentayearandahalfsleepinginalargeupturnedwheeliebinwhichakindlyrestaurantownercleanedforhimandlinedwithcardboard.Hedevelopedphysicalandmentalhealthproblems,beingdiagnosedwithschizophreniaandhospitalisedwithfluidonthelung.Heexplainedthatwhenhewasdischargedfromhospital:

“I came out in the jeans they cut off me…back to mark one, staying in the wheelie bin for about two days sick as a dog.”

AfterabrieftwoyearinterludespentlivingwithapartnerHarveyreturnedtoroughsleeping,squattingandsofasurfing.Assumingnohelpwouldbeforthcomingfromthelocalauthorityhedidn’tapproachthem.

Nowinhislate20’sHarveyrevisitedtheCity’shostels.Spaceswerescarceandhewouldqueueeachnightinthehopeofsecuringabedforthatnight.ItwasonlywhenHarveygotintouchwithalocalhousingassociationwhichoffersarangeofservicestohomelesspeoplethathefinallyaccessedthehelpandsupportafternearly20yearsofhiddenhomelessness.

Case Study: Harvey

Harveyranawayfromhomeattheageof14toescapeabuse.Familyfriendsagreedtoaccommodatehimuntilheleftschoolso,attheageof16,Harveyfoundhimselfhomelesswithnoincome(hewastooyoungtoqualifyforbenefitsanddidnotknowabouthardshippayments).Hestayedwithfriends,spendingjustonenightwitheachsoasnottostraintherelationship,andsleptroughtherestofthetime.

Harveyapproachedthelocalauthority,a‘form’wascompletedonhisbehalf(Harveyisilliterate)butheheardnothingfurther.HarveyreturnedtotheLocalAuthoritytopursuehisapplicationbutstillnoresponsewasforthcoming.Heapproachedthetwodirectaccesshostelsinthecitybutwasineligibleduetohisage.

Harveyspentthenexttenyearssleepingrough,squattingandstayingwithfriends.Heengagedinsexworkonseveraloccasionswhenhewas16and17sohecouldbuyfoodandpayforanightinaB&B.Thehouseshesquattedwereusuallyderelictandhedescribedtheminthefollowingterms:

“You find empty buildings where you’re not going to bother anyone…doesn’t matter if the windows are put through, you’re going to make your own little cardboard bed…and put paper down your trousers.”


8Thistablerefersonlytothoserespondentswhowerehiddenhomelessonthedaytheyweresurveyedaswewereinterestedinthesupportneeds ofhiddenhomelesspopulation.

Thediversityinthesampleofsinglehomelesspeoplewhoarehiddenisstriking.Peopleofallagesandapproximately30nationalitieswererepresentedinthesurveysample,and55percentwerefromaminorityethnicgroup.Amongstthehomelesspeopleinterviewedwerethosewithmultipleneeds,ahistoryofoffending,andaddictionaswellasthosewholedstablelivesuntilbecominghomelessbecauseofjoblossorrelationshipbreakdown.

Hidden homeless respondents can be characterised into two main groups:

• Peoplewhocouldhaveexitedhomelessnesspromptlywiththerightassistancebutwhoareatriskofjoiningthepopulationoflong-termhomelesspeoplewithcomplexneedsiftheirhiddenhomelessnessendures.

• Vulnerablepeoplewithhighsupportneedsforwhomasystemofsupportexists(roughsleeperteams,supportedhousing,hostelsforparticularclientgroups)butwhoarenotaccessingthisassistance.

Somerespondentswithnohistoryofhomelessnesshadledrelativelystablelivesuntiltheircircumstanceschanged.Whenherrelationshipbrokedown,Marieforexample,movedfromasituationofhavingbeenadequatelyandsecurelyhousedfor58yearstosleepingonaparkbench.Anotherrespondent,Basia,ahighlyskilledprofessional,wasmaderedundantandgaveupherexpensiverentedflatsoshedidnotfallintoarrears.Basiahadbeenhiddenhomelessforeightmonthswhenshewasinterviewed,asituationsheneveranticipated:

“My plan was to find a contract that I can be sure I will have a regular income and get somewhere that I can rent….it was never planned....I told myself it would be one month, a month and a half [staying with my friend]” (Basia)

Somerespondents,then,justneededtogainafootholdonthehousingladderoradequatelypaidemploymenttoexithomelessnesswhileothersrequiredhighlevelsofsupport.Somehadownedtheirownhomesandsomehadneverhadsettledhousing.Notwithstandingthisdiversity,theprevalenceofcertaincharacteristicsandneedsarenoteworthyandinclude:

Who are the hidden homeless and what are their needs?

Table 2 — Indicators of support needs

%

Hasspentmostoftheiradultlifeunemployed 36

Hasmentalillhealth 34

Hasexperienceddrugdependency 32

Hasaphysicalhealthproblemordisability 35

Hasexperiencedalcoholdependency 34

Wasexcludedorsuspendedatschool 29

Hasexperiencedviolence/abusefromapartner 23

Hasexperiencedviolence/abusefromotherfamilymembersorfamilyfriends

25

Hasbeeninlocalauthoritycare 25

Haschildrenbeinglookedafterbysomeoneelse 26

Hasliteracyproblems 21

Sometimesselfharms 17

Hassufferedthedeathofalongtermpartner 6

Hasbeeninthearmedforces 7

n=2618

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9A8nationalsincludenationalsfromtheeightEasternEuropeancountriesthatjoinedtheEUin2004-CzechRepublic,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania,Hungary,Poland,SlovakiaandSlovenia.

• Multiple exclusion—Manyrespondentswerevulnerable,withsignificantsupportneeds.Long-termunemployment,mentalandphysicalillhealth,poorliteracy,experienceofcare,disruptededucationandsubstanceabusewerecommonamongstthosesurveyed(see Table 2).Abuse,isolation,contactwiththecriminaljusticesystemandbereavementfeaturedprominentlyinthelifestoriesandhomelessnesscareersofinterviewrespondents.

• Mental ill health—34percentofsurveyrespondentsreportedmentalhealthissuesandtheinteractionbetweenmentalhealthandhomelessnesswasclearinthebiographiesofthoseinterviewed.Deterioratingmentalhealthhadsometimestriggeredhomelessnessandatothertimessustainedit(seeLorna’scasestudybelow).

• Repeat and youth homelessness— Respondentshadcommonlyexperiencedhomelessnessyoung(42percentbytheageof20),anddidsomorethanonce(69percenthadbeenhomelessmorethanonceand27percentfivetimesormore).

• A8 nationals9—Asignificantproportion(17percent)ofsurveyrespondentswerefromanA8country.UnemployedA8nationalsarenotentitledtoHousingBenefitandcancurrentlyonlyclaimJobSeekersAllowanceiftheyhavebeencontinuouslyemployedforthepast12months.Withoutemploymentmostcannotcoverhousingcosts(includingthecostsoftemporaryaccommodation).A8nationalsarethereforeparticularlyvulnerabletohiddenhomelessness.

Case Study: Lorna

Lorna,asingleparent,firstexperiencedhomelessnesstenyearsagoattheageof29followingamentalhealthbreakdown.LornahasbeensectionedunderTheMentalHealthActseveraltimesand,eachtime,hereightyearolddaughterwasplacedintemporarycare.Onthisoccasionshewasplacedintocarepermanently.Lornaexplainedthat“the last time they took her off me altogether, I was left in the family home on my own and from there it [mental health] deteriorated and I ended up homeless”.

LornawasnotcopinginherhomeandanNHSmentalhealthteamplacedherinaresidentialfacilityforpeopleexperiencingmentalillhealth.AfterafewweeksLornawasaskedtoleavefornotacceptingthesupportonoffer.Lornaexplainedthat“my mental health was too poor to talk to

anybody.” Lornasleptroughforawhileandthensquattedinsomedisusedflatswhichhadbeenemptiedpendingredevelopment.Whenworkbeganontheflatsshereturnedtothestreets.

Lornawasinoccasionalcontactwithamentalhealthoutreachteamduringthistime.In2007theyfoundheraplaceinasupportedhousingprojectbutayearlatershewasaskedtoleaveforfailingtoengagewithsupport: “I wasn’t accessing support, I wasn’t getting on with living there, I was too poorly, I suffered with hearing voices”.

Lornareturnedtothe(nowredeveloped)flatswhereshehadsquattedandfoundabincupboardwhereshehasspentmuchofthepasttwoandahalfyearssleeping.Duringthistimeshehasalsoservedtwoshortprisonsentencesfor‘personal’shoplifting.


Thisstudyfoundhiddenhomelessnesstobeaveryrealandhighlyprevalentfeatureofsinglehomelessness.Italsofoundthatbeinghiddenhomelesswascharacterisedbyinsecurity,risk,andpersonaldanger,withrespondents’accountsoftheirtimespentsofasurfing,squattingorinotherhiddensituationsrevealingahostofdetrimentalconsequences.Theseincluded:

• Insecurity—Hiddenhomelesspeoplehavenorighttoremainintheiraccommodationandrarelyknowhowlongtheycanstaythere.Respondentswereoftenonlyabletostaywithfriendsforanightortwoandwhenarrangementscametoanendtheycoulddososuddenlyandwithoutnotice.Thethreatofeviction,similarly,alwaysloomedforsquatters.

• Poor living conditions—Wereakeyconcern,particularlyforroughsleepersandsquatters.Manyrespondentslivedwithoutaccesstobasicamenities(theyweresleepingrough,orfriendsinsistedtheystayedoutduringtheday,ortheirsquathadnorunningwaterorelectricity).Lornadescribedlifewithoutaccesstobasicnecessitiessuchasshelterandwashingfacilities:

“Not being able to get washed, you need to get washed. Being out in the rain and if you scrape your skin you can feel dirt on you. Just to be stood there freezing in soaking wet clothes.” (Lorna)

• Criminalisation—Severalrespondentshadbeenarrestedorimprisonedforoffencesrelatingtosquatting,othersreportedshopliftingtobuyfood(atleastonehadbeenimprisonedforthis)ortopayforanightinahotel,andothershadengagedinsexworkforthesamereason.

• Exploitation—Severalrespondentsfelttheyhadbeenfinanciallyexploitedbyfriends

withwhomtheystayed.Douglasforexample,reportedthathisfriends,“…kept ripping me off for money all the time. I was the only one that was working, I’d decorated the house for them, bought them a bed, bought them meals…in the end they just bled me dry”. (Douglas)

• Risk to personal safety—Hiddenhomelessnesshadexposedrespondentstosignificantdangers.Severalhadbeenattackedwhilstsleepingrough:“I’ve been stabbed, I’ve had a gun to my head…sleeping rough, people coming up beating you up.” (Harvey)Othersdescribedbeingaccommodatedbyfriendswhosehomeswerefrequenteddailybydrugusers,andtherisksassociatedwithstructuraldecayinsquatswerepointedto.Firesafetywasaconcernforsquatters,particularlyinpropertieswithnoelectricitywherecandleswerefrequentlyused.Eric’saccountofhisfirstepisodeofhomelessnessattheageof13highlightstheriskstowhichhiddenhomelesspeoplecanbeexposed:

“In the early hours of the morning I met this girl…she ran away from her foster parents…the first night we slept round this schizophrenics house and then she ended up becoming a prostitute and getting heavily involved in crack. So we’d sleep round her boyfriend’s places or her friend’s places.” (Eric)

• Health impacts—Thedetrimentalhealthconsequencesofhiddenhomelessness,particularlyroughsleepingandsquatting,wereclearlyevident.Theeffectsofexposuretocold,poorlivingconditionsandofwalkingalldayornightwasreportedbymanyrespondentsandincludedchronicasthma,hypothermia,infections,andfrostbite.

Causes and consequences of hidden homelessness

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Aclearcorrelationemergedbetweenperiodsofhiddenhomelessnessanddeterioratingpersonalandhealthcircumstances.Correlationswereevident,forexamplebetweenperiodsofhiddenhomelessnessandincreasedcriminalactivity;deterioratinghealth;increaseddrugoralcoholconsumption;andvictimisation.Thesestoodincontrasttorespondents’lifetrajectorieswhileinsettledhousingorformaltemporaryaccommodation.

Jason’shousingcareerillustratestheshiftingfortunesofhomelesspeopleastheymoveinandoutofhiddenhomelessness,(see Figure 3 overleaf).EachtimeJasonsleptroughorstayedwithfriendshiscircumstancesdeteriorated.Hisdruguseescalated,forexample,andhestartedcommittingpettycrime.Whenhestayedinahostelfortwoyearshiscircumstancesimprovedmarkedly,takingonvolunteerworkandaccessingamethadoneprogramme.

ParticularlystrikinginJason’shousingcareer,andinthehousingcareersofmostrespondents,wasthelackofengagementwithhousingandsupportservicesduringepisodesofhiddenhomelessness.Respondentsmadeextensiveuseofdaycentresbutcontactwithothersupportserviceswasrare.Asaresult,fewwerereceivinganyhousingadviceorsupportforotherissues(druguseormentalhealth,forexample).

Itisherethatthefullimpactofhiddenhomelessnessbecomesclear.Withoutaccesstoadviceandsupportrespondents’prospectsforresolvingtheirhomelessnesswerebleak.Andwhenissuessuchasdruguse,mentalillhealth,trauma,anddisengagementfromthelabourmarketgounresolvedtheyintensifyordeteriorate.Theeventualconsequenceswhichflowfromthisare:

• Hidden homeless people start resorting to desperate measures to accommodate themselves: intheabsenceofassistancetosecurehousing,somerespondents

hadresortedtosexworkinordertofundtemporaryaccommodation(20percentofwomenand3percentofmen),ortoshoplifting(30percent).Respondentshadspentthenightorformedanunwantedsexualpartnershipwithsomeonetoobtainaroofovertheirheadforthenight(28percentofwomenand14percentofmen).Indesperation,manyhadalsolookedtoinstitutionssuchashospitals,policecellsandprisonsforshelter.Forexample,28percenthadcommittedacrimeinthehopeofbeingtakenintocustodyforthenight,20percenthadavoidedbailorcommittedanimprisonableoffencewiththeexpresspurposeofreceivingacustodialsentenceasameansofresolvingtheirhousingproblems;and18percenthadpresentedatA&Eforthesamereason.

• People who could have promptly exited homelessness join a population of long-term homeless people with increasing support needs. Withtherighthelp,oraccesstotherightresources(work,housing,incomeoraccesstospecialistsupport)manyofthoseinterviewedwouldhavequicklyexitedhomelessnessandsustainedindependentliving.Butthosewhocouldexithomelessnesspromptlyriskjoiningtheranksofthosewithcomplexneedsiftheirhiddenhomelessnessendures.Inotherwords,theexperienceofhiddenhomelessness(poorconditions,insecurityandlimitedengagementwiththenecessarysupportservices)mayservetobolsterthenumbersofchronicallyhomelesspeople.

• Vulnerable people whose needs should be met through existing systems of support (rough sleeper teams, hostels and such like) are being left without assistanceincircumstancesseverelydetrimentaltotheirhealthandwellbeing.Asaresult,issuessuchasmentalillhealth,disengagementfromthelabourmarketanddruguseintensifyordeteriorate.


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15

Hiddenhomelessnesscanbetraced,toasignificantdegree,tosinglepeoples’lackofentitlementtoaccommodationwithinthetermsofthehomelessnesslegislation,andtothelimitedassistancemanyapparentlyreceivefromlocalauthorities.Therewasevidencethat:

• Many single homeless people do meet the priority need criteria. Ofthesurveyrespondentsrecognisedasbeinghomeless(mostofthosewhomadeanapplication),45percentwereacceptedasbeinginpriorityneed.However,nearlyhalfofthesewerefoundtobeintentionallyhomelessandsonotentitledtoaccommodation.

• Single homeless people often leave local authority offices without receiving meaningful advice and assistance. Localauthoritieshaveastatutorydutytoprovide‘adviceandassistance’tohomelesspeopleyetonethirdofrespondentsrecognisedashomelessdidnotseeanadvisor.Othersweregivenunhelpfuladvice,signpostedtohostelswhichwerefullorgivenuselesswrittenmaterial.Jason,forexampleexplainedthat“they just gave me leaflets what I already had before”.

• Single homeless people are not always given the opportunity to make a homelessness application. Itistheoutcomeofahomelessnessapplicationthatestablishesaperson’srighttoassistance(ifonlyintheformof‘advice’ratherthanprovisionofhousing)yet20percentofsurveyrespondentsleftcouncilofficeswithoutmakinganapplication.

• Single homeless people are deterred from approaching local authoritiesbecauseofpreviousnegativeexperiencesofdoingsoorlowexpectationsabouttheoutcome.Chris’scommentwastypical-“didn’t even bother going [to the council], I knew I’d get the same old bullshit, just get sent away, get used to it. They don’t care, they’re not interested”.

• Single homeless people are misinformed about their entitlements, servingtodeterthemfromapproachingalocalauthorityorpursuingahomelessnessapplication.Respondentswereundertheimpression,forexample,thatbeingemployed,beingintemporaryhousing,orhavingpriorrentarrearsrenderedthemineligibleforassistance.

• Single homeless people who may meet the priority need criteria are not approaching local authorities. Morethanonequarterofthesinglehomelesspeoplesurveyedhadneversoughthelpfromalocalauthority.Yetmanyhadsignificantvulnerabilities(29percentsufferedmentalillhealthforexample)andmayhavemetthepriorityneedcriteria.

Thelocalauthoritywasthekeyroutethroughwhichrespondentssoughttoaddresstheirhousingproblems,particularlyintheearlyphaseofhomelessness.Thisrequestforassistance,then,representsakeyopportunitytofacilitateaccesstoappropriatesupportandhousingservices.Afailuretograspthisopportunitycan(anddid,formanyparticipatinginthisstudy)resultinlongspellsofhiddenhomelessness.Subsequentopportunitiesforre-engagingwithsinglehomelesspeoplecanbefewandfarbetween.

Chrisisacaseinpoint(following page).Hisstoryillustrateshowinadequateadviceorsignpostingcanrendersomeonehiddenhomelessformanyyears.Chrisranhishouseholdcompetentlyfor15years,carryingoutalldomesticandadministrativechores.Withadequateassistancehewouldhaveexitedhomelessnessandsustainedhisowntenancy.Instead,hehasbeenhiddenhomelessperiodicallyforfiveyears,hisphysicalandmentalhealthareslowlydeterioratingandhefacestheadditionalbarrierofbeingan‘exoffender’duetooffencesrelatingtosquatting.

Why are single homeless people hidden?


Chris’s story

Chriswenttolivewithhisgrandmawhenhewasaged15,followingproblemsathome.Hecaredforhisgrandma,whosufferedpoorhealth,doingallthecooking,shoppingandcleaning.In2005,whenChriswas30,hisgrandmapassedaway.Hewenttothecouncilandwastoldhecouldnotsucceedthetenancy.

Oneday,Chrisreturnedhometofindthelockshadbeenchanged.HemayhavebeenservedwithanevictionorderbutChriscannotreadduetoseveredyslexia.Hereturnedtothecouncilofficesandpresentedashomelessbutwastoldhedidnotfitthecriteriaand:

“all they did was give me a booklet which I can’t read.”

Estrangedfromhisparentsandwithfewfriends,Chriswalkedarounduntilhecameacrossanemptyflatandsquattedthereforaweek.Facingharassmentfromlocalkidshemovedontoadisusedwarehouse.

Afteramonthhewasarrested,chargedwithbreakingandenteringandgivena12monthprisonsentence.Chrishadsomejuvenileoffencesonhisrecordfrom15yearsagobutnothingsince.OnreleasesixmonthslaterChriswasgiventhesame‘homefinderpack’hehadbeenprovidedwithbythecouncilandhisdischargegrantof£47.Heinformedtheprisonthathewas

homelessbutnofurtherassistancewasoffered.Chriswenttothecouncilandwasgivenhisthirdhomefinderpack.Hesquattedinanotheremptyflat.Afterafewweekshemetalocalwoman,embarkedonarelationshipwithherandmovedintoherflat.

OverthenextfouryearsChrisandhispartnerseparatedandreunitedmanytimes.EachtimetheyseparatedChrisfoundanemptybuildingandsquatted.Hewasarrestedandimprisonedforbreakingandenteringafurtherthreetimesduringtheseyears(hewasgivensentencesofsixmonths,fivemonthsandtwomonths).Hereturnedtothelocalauthoritytwicemore,eachtimeonreleasefromprison,andwasgivenyetmorecopiesofthestarterpackandtoldhedidnotfitthecriteriaforrehousing.Hisrelationshipirretrievablybrokedownwhenhecameoutofprisontwomonthsago.Hedidnotreturntothelocalauthority.Hehasbeensleepingroughsince,tooscaredtosquatbecausetodosowouldbreachhislicense.Heusesalocaldaycentreforfoodandwashingfacilitiesbuthasnocontactwithotherservices.

17

Otherfactorscontributingtohiddenhomelessnessincluded:

• Scarcity. Placesinhostels,transitionalandemergencyhousingarelimited.Directaccessplacesarescarcerstill.Respondentsreportedapproachinghostelsbutrepeatedlyfindingtheywerefull,orofhavingtoqueueforhoursinthehopeofsecuringabedforthatnight.

Douglas,forexample,explained:

“Since 1999…we’ve lost [X] night shelter, we had [X] day centre which was run by social services where you could get breakfast and dinner, that closed. We lost [X] night shelter, that shut, now we’ve lost [X hostel]. We’re losing bit by bit our options are getting narrower.” (Douglas)• Eligibility and exclusion criteria.Eligibility

andexclusioncriteriaalsorendersomeineligibleforthetemporaryhousingavailableintheirlocalarea.Respondentshadbeenexcludedfromhostelsbyvirtueoftheirage,supportneeds,orbecausetheywererecentlyarrivedinthearea.Josephforexample,reportedthat:

“Got eventually told where the night shelter was…and at my age they wouldn’t allow me in coz I was too young. (Joseph then aged 16)

Douglasalsoreported:

“We found a night shelter, we stood there for nearly three hours waiting to get in…we were first in the queue but when they opened the door they refused to let us in, they said ‘we only let in the locals’ so we spent the night behind some shops. The next day we found there was a main hostel but they wouldn’t accept us, ‘the place is full.’” (Douglas)

• Ineligibility for welfare benefits.Entitlementtowelfarebenefitsiskeytoaccessingtemporaryhousing.Thoseineligibleforbenefits-includingmanyA8nationals,someotherforeignnationals,failedasylumseekers,youngpeopleundertheageof16andsomeundertheageof18-weresimplyunabletomeetanyhousingcosts.

Basia,anA8nationalreported:

“When I basically lost the job I was still paying [rent] for maybe a month or so but then I couldn’t anticipate how long I would be out of work and because I was not entitled for the benefits either, so luckily I had friends.” (Basia)

• Lack of knowledge. Manyrespondentshadlittleawarenessoftheassistanceavailabletosinglehomelesspeople.Thiswasparticularlytrueintheearlystagesofhomelessnessbutnotallaccruedknowledgeovertime.Unawareoflocalhostels,adviceagenciesorsupportservices,theserespondentswerenotfindingtheirwayintothesystem.

Marie,forexample,hadverylittlemoney, nopriorexperienceofhomelessness,no familynearbyandnoknowledgeofhostels andotherhomelessnessservicessoshe startedsleepinginalocalpark.She explainedthat:

“I haven’t got family down here and I was literally on the streets. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know where to go.” (Marie)


• Itisessentialthatservicesforsinglehomelesspeoplearegivencontinuedfinancialsupport,particularlythoseofferingtemporaryandtransitionalhousing.Anyreductioninanalreadyscarceresourcecouldhavecatastrophicconsequencesforsinglehomelesspeople.Hiddenhomelessnesswillcertainlyescalateiftherearecutstothenumberandqualityoftheseservices.

• Thereisaneedtogatherstatistics

capableofgeneratingrobustestimatesofthescaleofsinglehomelessnessandofhiddenhomelessness.Asastartingpointlocalauthoritiesshouldberequiredtocollectinformationaboutthehousingcircumstancesofallsinglehomelessapplicants.

• Thereisaneedtoacknowledgethatroughsleepingremainsasignificantproblemacrossthecountry.Thepopulationmaybesignificantlylargerthanweknowittobe,andpeoplearestillsleepingroughforextendedperiodsoftime,interspersedwithperiodsofotherhiddenhomelessness.Thecommitmenttoendroughsleepingcanonlybeachievedifrenewedeffortsaremadetoengageroughsleepersandotherhiddenhomelesspeoplewhoarenotbeingreachedandmakehousingandsupportservicesavailabletothem.

For Local Authorities

• Novulnerablehomelesspersonshouldbeleftwithoutsupport.Peoplewhoarefoundtobehomelessbuttowhomthelocalauthorityowesnoduty(forexamplebecausetheyarenotinpriorityneedorareintentionallyhomeless)shouldalwaysbereferredtorelevantagenciesabletohelpthemresolvetheirhousingproblems.

Despitestatutorydutiesplaceduponlocalauthoritiestoprovideadviceandassistancetosinglehomelesspeopleandavaluablesectorofferingsupportandaccommodation,manyapparentlyremainmarginalised,unabletonegotiateaccesstobasicassistance,housingandsupport.Thisincludesvulnerablepeopleexperiencingmultipleexclusion.Theconsequenceisapopulationvulnerabletodeterioratinghealth,personaldanger,criminalisation,andenduringhomelessness.

Theseconclusionspointtoaneedtochallengecommonconceptualisationsofhomelessness.Thefocusofattentiononroughsleepers,thestatutoryhomelessandthoseinhostelsfailstocapturethefullrangeofprecarioussituationsinwhichsinglehomelesspeoplefindthemselves.Thereisasizeablepopulationhiddenfromviewinsquats,withfriends,inpolicecells,withstrangers,orsleepingroughinlessvisiblelocations,andthispopulationisasvulnerable,andtheirhousingsituationsasprecariousanddetrimentalastheirmorevisiblecounterparts.

Thesefindingspointtosomeimportantissuesworthyofconsiderationbyserviceprovidersandpolicymakers.Drawingonthisevidenceaseriesofrecommendationsaremade:

For Central Government

• CentralGovernmentmusttakeconcreteactionstoimprovelocalauthoritycompliancewiththestatutorydutytoadviseandassistallhomelesspeoplewhichcouldincludestrengtheningthedutyplacedonthem.

Recommendations

19

• Considerationshouldbegiventowaysinwhichtheadviceandassistanceofferedbylocalauthoritiescanbemademoreeffectivetoachievepositivehousingoutcomes.

• Betterlinks,relationships,andreferralroutesshouldbeestablishedbetweenlocalauthoritiesandrelevanthomelessnessandsupportagencies.Thepointatwhichahomelesspersonapproachesalocalauthorityrepresentsakeyopportunityforearlyinterventionwhichisnotbeingmaximised.

• Allhomelesspeopleshouldbeprovidedwithaccessibleinformationontheirrightsandentitlementsandabouttheapplicationofthehomelessnesslegislation.Thereisaneedtoeradicatemisinformation,mythsandmisunderstandings.

For Service Providers• Daycentresshouldbebettersupported

toassisthomelesspeopleintoaccommodationortosignpostthemtorelevanthousingproviders.Hiddenhomelesspeopledisengagedfromservicesdoaccessdaycentressotheseorganisationsrepresentakeyopportunityforresolvinghiddenhomelessness.Fundinghousingcaseworkerswouldbeonewayofachievingthis.

• Thereisaneedforsupportandoutreachservicestargetedspecificallyatsquatters.Thispopulationmaybemoresizeablethanpreviouslythoughtwithmanysquatterslivingindireconditions.

• Itisessentialthathomelessnessprovision

(hostels,transitionalhousing,nightshelters)ineverylocalityisavailabletoallagegroupssothatno-oneispreventedfromaccessingtemporaryaccommodationbyvirtueoftheirage.

About this project

ThisreportwaswrittenbyKesiaReevefromtheCentreforRegionalEconomicandSocialResearchatSheffieldHallamUniversity.Theresearchinvolvedasurveyofsinglehomelesspeoplein11differentcitiesandtownsinEnglandandin-depth,biographicalinterviewswithsinglehomelesspeoplewhoare,orhavebeen,‘hidden’.

For more information

Thefullreport,The Hidden Truth about HomelessnessbyKesiaReeve,withElaineBatty,ispublishedbyCrisis.Itisavailableasafreedownloadfromwww.crisis.org.uk

©Crisis2011ISBN978-1-899257-67-6

Get in touch

Crisis66 Commercial Street London E1 6LTTel: 0844 251 0111Fax: 0844 251 0110

www.crisis.org.uk

© Crisis 2011ISBN 978-1-899257-67-6

Crisis UK (trading as Crisis). Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094. Company Number: 4024938

About Crisis

Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. We are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change.

Our innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help homeless people to transform their lives. We measure our success and can demonstrate tangible results and value for money.

We are determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and advocating solutions informed by research and our direct experience.

We have ambitious plans for the future and are committed to help more people in more places across the UK. We know we won’t end homelessness overnight or on our own. But we take a lead, collaborate with others and together make change happen.

Homelessness ends here

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