Homelessness is a real problem in the United Kingdom, and one that more people are at risk of than you might realise. According to the charity Broadway, which deals with homeless people in the UK, most of us are only three paycheques away from losing our homes.
This holiday season, 35,000 people will face homelessness. These people aren’t “deadbeats”, or “down and outs”, but normal people that have had a short run of bad luck. There are a lot of homeless shelters in the UK, and those shelters do their best to help people, but they don’t have the resources to help everyone. They prioritise women, teenagers, and the elderly and infirm, but if you’re a healthy young man then you could find yourself on a long waiting list to get any assistance at all.
Empty Homes
There are an estimated 350,000 long term empty homes in the country, and many other empty apartments that aren’t covered under the Housing Act. These properties could be turned over to homeless people, but the red tape discourages housing associations and councils from making the effort to bring an empty property back to life, even though the government rewards councils for getting houses off the empty property list.
Charitable Schemes for Homeless People
There are many groups and charitable schemes that are working towards improving the situation for homeless people in the UK. Real Lettings, for example, is a company that will help landlords by refurbishing abandoned properties and then letting them out to homeless people. They do the work that the landlord doesn’t want to do. The landlord gets some rent on a property that had been empty for a long time, and a homeless person gets a roof over their head.
They don’t just abandon the homeless person once they’re housed, either. They will help the person to find carpets, furniture, and basic appliances, and offer them support in other ways too, providing money management advice, and help with benefit claims if necessary.
To a homeless person, even a roof, some carpets, and a bed feel like a massive luxury. Especially during the winter, a time when many homeless people don’t even know if they’ll be able to survive to see the New Year.
What Can You Do To Help?
If you’d like to help homeless people in your area, then there are a lot of charities that would be glad of your time, or a financial donation. Centrepoint, the Salvation Army, and Shelter all work with homeless people.
If you aren’t in a position to give financial aid, even information would help. Do you know of any abandoned properties in your area? You can report them online, and get them added to the empty homes register.
Finally, don’t forget The Big Issue magazine. The Big Issue is sold by people who are homeless or “vulnerably housed”, and is a legitimate business venture. When you buy from a seller of The Big Issue, you’re helping someone to help themselves out of a difficult situation.
This post was written on behalf of Stewart Groom Flooring, a carpet fitter Leicester who also sells carpets Leicester.
