Homelessness


A more fragmented society with looser family and community bonds are part of the complex picture of homelessness, according to homeless charity St. Mungos.

The economic downturn and budget cuts are also beginning to bite according to the briefing paper Homelessness trends and predictions http://www.mungos.org/homelessness/facts(December 2010) prepared by Shelter, Crisis, HomelessLink and St Mungo's.

"Many people only associate homelessness with sleeping on the streets, but the range and scale of the problem is larger than this," the paper states. 

"The majority of homeless people are families or single people who are not ‘sleeping rough’, but are living in insecure or temporary accommodation. Some may have no choice but to squat, or to stay on the sofas of relatives and friends. Others live in supported accommodation, such as hostels, or in temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfast hotels, night shelters and refuges."

Local authorities, like Corby, have a duty to house homeless people and Corby Borough Council's Housing Options provides a drop-in service for anyone threatened by homelessness.

Visitors to the One Stop Shop http://www.corby.gov.uk/node/25516 online or at The Corby Cube will be advised when the next drop in session will be. Advisors will be able to offer a range of advice on the different options available and where to find further support depending on specific needs.
For further information contact housing.options@corby.gov.uk or call 01536 46 46 31/29.

Corby Borough Council considers homelessness to be "a serious issue and has identified resolving homelessness as a key priority within its corporate agenda," according to its website.  "We are proud of the pro-active work we do aimed at reducing and preventing homelessness within Corby and will continue to strive for improvement within this area".

The staging of No Fixed Abode which was sparked by the Council's Housing Option team is part of that commitment.

The umbrella body representing and supporting 500 organisations working with homeless people in the UK is HomelessLink. Their website which offers wide range of information and advice is: http://www.homeless.org.uk/.

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