Whilst rough sleeping among homeless people is falling, with 459 people in England sleeping on the streets in any one night compared to nearly 2,000 in 1998, many still live in hostels, squats, bed and breakfasts or in insecure accommodation with family and friends. Many of these will be older people, families with small children or young people. This book looks at the problem of homelessness, homelessness among young people, and homelessness solutions.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Homelessness Issues
What is homelessness?, A brief history of homelessness, Homelessness in Scotland, Homelessness myths and facts, Housing and homelessness, Street homelessness, Street lifestyles, Statistics about homelessness, 23 year low in new cases of homelessness, Older homelessness, Asylum and immigration, Homeless people’s health, Alcohol and drugs.
Chapter Two: Youth Homelessness
The hidden homeless, Youth homelessness statistics, How does homelessness hurt?, Too much, too young, Mental health and youth homelessness.
Chapter Three: Homelessness Solutions
Preventing homelessness, Where to get help , Helping the homeless, Homelessness: key facts, Missed opportunities, Hard work for homeless people, The Big Issue, Emmaus communities, Leanne’s story.
Key Facts
Glossary
Additional Resources
Index
Acknowledgements
• People who experience homelessness are often amongst the most vulnerable people in our society, suffering from a combination of poor housing, unemployment, low income, bad health, poor skills, loneliness, isolation and relationship breakdown. (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 7)
• The latest government figures estimate that there are 459 people sleeping rough on any given night in England. Of these, nearly 50 per cent sleep rough in London. A report for the Office of Deputy Prime Minister, however, has acknowledged that the number of people sleeping rough over the course of a year is at least ten times higher than the snapshot on any given night provided by the street counts. (page 10)
• Around 25 per cent of rough sleepers are aged between 18 and 25, and six per cent are over 60. (page 14)
•Young people who become homeless are more likely to have lived with stepparents, foster parents or relatives by the age of 12 than those who do not become homeless. (page 15)
•About half of people sleeping rough are heavy drinkers and about one in seven are drug addicts. (page 20)
• Over two thirds (69%) of the young homeless people aged 16-25 surveyed by the Mental Health Foundation have mental health problems. (page 27)
Homelessness Study Guide
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.50
ISBN: 978 1 86168 394 6
|
