 Issues Today Volume 3: Homelessness
Editor: Lisa Firth
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £5.95
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 32
ISBN: 978 1 86168 400 4
Published: June 2007
The number of homeless people who sleep outdoors - rough sleepers - has fallen in recent years. However, there are still 459 people sleeping on the streets in England on any one night, and many other homeless people live in hostels, squats, bed and breakfasts or with friends. Young homeless people and children are one of the most vulnerable groups in the UK. This book looks at the problem of homelessness, and at some solutions.
The information comes from a variety of sources, including government reports and statistics, newspaper and magazine articles, surveys and polls, academic research and literature from charities and lobby groups; articles have been tailored to an 11 to 14 age group. Additionally, at the end of each chapter is a page of activities relating to the articles and issues raised in that chapter.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Homelessness Problems
What is homelessness?, A brief history of homelessness, Homelessness: myths and facts, Street homelessness, Factors which increase risk of homelessness, Street homeless people's health, Older homelessness, How does homelessness hurt?, What do we know about the homeless?, Too much, too young, Mental health and youth homelessness, Activities.
Chapter Two: Homelessness Solutions
Where to get help, Homelessness: key facts, Preventing homelessness, Two case studies, The Big Issue, Hard work for homeless people, Emmaus communities, Activities.
Key Facts
Glossary
Acknowledgements
• Crisis estimates that there are around 380,000 single homeless people in Great Britain, including those staying in hostels, B&Bs, squats, on friends' floors and overcrowded accommodation. (page 1)
• Only a tiny proportion of homeless people are on the street. Most stay on friends' floors or with family, sometimes in precarious arrangements that can go wrong. (page 3)
• About half of people sleeping rough are heavy drinkers and about one in seven are drug addicts. (page 6)
• Shelter estimates that over 1.6 million children in Britain are living in housing that damages their health, their education and their future. (page 8)
• Family conflict is the main immediate cause of homelessness amongst at least two-thirds of homeless young people. (Page 9)
• Over two-thirds (69%) of the young homeless people aged 16-25 surveyed by the Mental Health Foundation have mental health problems. (page 13)
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