Andy Ludlow Homelessness Awards 2012 Shortlist Announced
2nd July 2012
Six pioneering projects which work with homeless people in London have been shortlisted for the 2012 awards and a share of £65,000.
The final order of winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 18 October at the Speaker's House, Westminster.
Further information about the Awards and the shortlisted projects can be found on the London Housing Foundation website via this link.
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Charity CEOs respond to Daily Mail article on homelessnes
4th July 2012
In response to a Daily Mail on-line opinion piece - 'As thousands of servicemen are made redundant, how many will be turned away from homeless shelters that are packed full of immigrants?' - the heads of over 40 homelessness organisations have written an open letter in response.
Dear Sir
Allan Mallinson asked in an article whether "thousands of ex-service men" will be "turned away" from homeless charities because they are "packed full of immigrants". The simple answer is no, only 4% of people sleeping rough in London are from a services background, not 25%.
Most homeless people are neither ex-servicemen nor individuals from overseas. Last year, the majority of homeless hostels saw no asylum seekers or refugees, while nearly half saw no Eastern European migrants. Even when hostels did see people from these groups, for most they made up a minority of clients.
In a recession, charities are struggling to meet a rise in homelessness at a time of cuts to their funding, but to imply that veterans are being denied help because hostels are 'overwhelmed by immigrant need' is misleading.
Redundancies in the forces could add to the homelessness problem but charities will work hard to help anyone who finds themselves on the streets.
Yours,
Click here for the list of organisations that signed the open letter.
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Helping Young People at Risk of Homelessness in Milton Keynes
5th July 2012
St Mungo's has started managing a new service aimed at helping young people in Milton Keynes with housing and support.
The homelessness charity, which manages more than 100 projects in London and the South, will be helping 54 young people, aged between 16 and 21 years, with accommodation and support across five projects.
The young people will be referred into the schemes through the housing teams and care agencies from Milton Keynes Council.
Elizabeth Harper, St Mungo's Regional Director, said:
"We are looking forward to working with young residents and existing staff in these Milton Keynes projects. Some young people don't necessarily have families to rely on, or are at risk of becoming homeless.
"We want to offer the best opportunities to young people in the area, and will be developing Housing Pathway options so people can move from more supported accommodation to self-contained housing as they start to lead more independent lives."
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Without Walls - An Exhibition by Artists Who Have Been Homeless
5th July 2012
Without Walls is an exhibition of art by people who are, or have been, homeless. It is being hosted by The Guardian in partnership with St Mungo's and community arts projects Homeless Diamonds and Cafe Art.
The curatorial team was led by Mark, a former St Mungo's resident, who initiated the project and gave it its title. He commented:
"Without Walls is intentionally ambiguous. Walls can give shelter, protect or confine. And what of psychological walls and how they support our reality constructs for better or worse?
"The exhibition is therefore deliberately un-themed to avoid placing the artists in a 'homeless' box and better reflect each individual's choices, interests and perceptions."
The exhibition is open from 6th to 30th August (private viewing 8 August) at the foyer of The Guardian, 90 York Way, Kings Cross.
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European Commission Reports Growing Significance of Homelessness in the EU
5th July 2012
The latest European Commission Quarterly Review on the Employment and Social Situation in the European Union (EU) shows that homelessness is increasing in the EU.
It notes a shift in the profile of homeless people, with homelessness rising amongst people who have lost their job in the recession and are facing difficulties in paying rent or mortgages.
Homelessness is expected to become an increasingly serious social problem over the coming years. It is increasing in particular amongst foreign nationals and young people.
The review shows that budget-cuts in the context of austerity measures reduce the capacity of services and welfare measures to alleviate homelessness.
This report comes at a time of growing pressure on the EU to enhance support and coordination for Member States on this issue. Last week, the EU Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO)Council Conclusions on "Responding to demographic challenges through enhanced participation in the labour market and society by all", called on Member States and the European Commission to "develop and promote adequate schemes for persons who are homeless".
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CRASH Receives Record Number of Requests For Help
19th July 2012
CRASH received a record number of applications for help from homelessness charities in their first quarter (April to June 2012) up by 50% on the same period last year.
CRASH Chief Executive Francesca Roberts said:
"Many homelessness charities are finding it difficult to meet demand and in the last year alone 75 homelessness projects have closed."
This demand is reflected in the latest Government figures, which showed a 23% increase in the number of people sleeping rough in England.
The worst affected area is London, which has seen a steep rise in rough sleepers. Figures released by homelessness charity Broadway show that in 2011/12 the total number of people seen sleeping on the streets of London rose to 5,678, a 435 increase on the previous year.
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More Than 50,000 People Now Homeless Across England
31st July 2012
Research revealed by SSentif shows that the number of people classified as homeless in England has increased by 14% year-on-year and by 25% in the last three years, with some areas showing an increase of up to 600% in the last twelve months.
SSentif completed a national and regional analysis of homelessness rates and found that 50,290 households were identified as priority homeless by councils in England in the year 2011/12, an increase of 6,130 on 2010/11.
Regionally, the highest percentage increase in homelessness was reported in the East of England, which showed a 44% increase in the number of households accepted as homeless between 2009/10 and 2011/12.
Overall, the only region to have reduced the number of households declared homeless was the North East, which showed a reduction of just over 10%. Elsewhere, there were increases across the board
