There is a mental health and housing crisis that needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency and approached with respect for life and love for people. 

Support and safety, being the remedy for a troubled mind, need to be provided instantly at the first point of contact or immediately where there have been failings.  This is crucial as a mental health crisis can be both a cause and a consequence of homelessness.  

Those who have faced and who are facing the harsh realities of domestic abuse, antisocial behaviour, poor and insecure housing know that support and safety are what help to avoid death, ultimately, by the skin of their teeth.  Arguably, life is tough; it can be a daily grind for most, and many manage to avoid the direst outcomes by the narrowest of margins, yet still endure a life without the security and peace of mind they desperately need.

It is with reasoning that first and foremost, the immediate provision of support and safety must go to those who have found themselves sleeping rough, whilst bearing in mind that vulnerability and need are not by choice.  

As a vulnerable group of people, each individual has their own unique past and circumstances, which therefore determine the different ways in which they carry themselves and endure the harsh reality of such a severe situation. That being said, no individual within this group is in more need than another.

Some integrate or live separately from the homeless community with an awareness of and concern for each other, much like any average family unit. There is the focus of survival, support when needed, and avoidance by some with the use of alcohol, drugs and detachment.

As a voice, the homeless community put mental well-being at the forefront of all concern with little competition with each other, because unlike most groups there isn’t anyone doing any better than the other, other than in terms of mental health, and all that would help one individual at the bare minimum to get themselves out of the situation that they do not want to be in would also benefit the entire community if it were available and easily accessible.

There is a common knowledge of unresolved trauma within the community; they are very much aware of their past and current mental state, the contributing factors to any decline and the blocks they face to make the positive changes for themselves by way of implemented changes within the resources available to them.  Some of the homeless community engage, some give up, some start helping themselves through the trauma that put them on the street in the first place.  

Some wait, patiently optimistic, like a long-term homeless older man who is doing everything that he can do in his present moment to help himself by avoiding socialising with the homeless community to find solace in reading and pride in counting the years, not days, of his sobriety and shares happily with you as a bottle of Lucozade is exchanged.  Some are brave, like the woman evicted through no fault of her own, who continues to smile with you a year on despite inner turmoil, unforgiving societal judgment, a mind filled with faces looking down at her as if she is less than human, and a new, obsessively picked scar on the nose to show that being brave is taking its toll.  Some were patient, brave, and content with a ploughman’s and a packet of crisps, but are now visibly wasting away as they choose to be numb through their existence by smoking spice.  

These three people do not need some help; they require immediate and full support with the acknowledgement of their continued effort and preventive measures by housing put in place so that their well-being can be safeguarded, alongside the rest of their community.  

The very basics that are required which would help a homeless individual who is sleeping rough be able to get up in the morning and start creating the positive changes necessary are just not there, unreachable, fleeting, disheartening and an exhausting process for them, for example:  

• There isn’t a tent or there is a tent but no sleeping mat
• There is an appointment but no phone or no credit
• There is a phone but no charger
• There is a laundry and bathing facility but it is only open by appointment for one day out of a week
• There is a place to use as an address with computers on site for applications, job searches and for leisure but there are no means to travel by train or bus to get there
• There is a breakfast club at 7 am but it isn’t used from lack of sleep at a bus stop at night.

Mental health suffers when we’re trying to survive, but our basic needs are not being met.  Those who sleep rough do try to survive, but information isn’t always provided, provision hasn’t been given, and the minimal necessities and comforts sourced are either stolen or their entire temporary safe place is removed, time and time again, gradually wearing away the individual's initial grit and determination to survive.  We should all want others to survive; there should be no situation so dire that an individual who was clean when they had no choice but to sleep rough on the street is now taking drugs on the high street to self-medicate.  

As a community, the homeless who are sleeping rough should be treated as vulnerable and safeguarded as such.  We must acknowledge that securing stable housing is a fundamental step towards rehabilitation and well-being. That’s why we urge housing departments to be empowered to access necessary funds at the first point of contact to assist with tenancy deposits and act as guarantors when required. This will remove one of the most significant barriers preventing individuals from transitioning from the streets to a safe home.

Additionally, comprehensive triage services for mental health and independent living support should be allocated as standard, with particular attention paid to outreach for those who have endured long-term homelessness. It is vital to acknowledge that without these services, the cycle of homelessness perpetuates, denying these individuals the assistance they so urgently need.

Moreover, we call for complete transparency and the provision of essential resources and information. This includes details about local charities, access to key essentials like mobile phones with credit, travel passes, and basic yet dignified shelter provisions such as tents, inflatable mats, sleeping bags, torches, water, and food provided to all in need by local government working in partnership with local charities so that there are preventative measures and relief in place for theft within communities, criminal damage and abuse of the homeless.  Local hubs with all amenities need to be available in each town to provide a safe space with a triage of care provision in one place.  

Such immediate relief can make a significant difference in the daily lives of those without a permanent residence.  By supporting these measures, we can provide the foundation for a more compassionate society – one where no individual is left to endure alone, and everyone has the opportunity to rebuild and thrive. 

Your help is needed to make this vision a reality.  Your signature can bridge the gap between vulnerability and safety for countless individuals.  Please sign to urge local housing authorities and government bodies to commit to these achievable and life-saving changes, and make a difference today.

Thank you,

Kat