Homelessness and Health

There are several debates about the average life expectancy of a rough sleeper but what are the real issues affecting their health.

Maintaining general good health on the streets can be difficult, as there is little chance to rest in order to recover from an illness. Health issues can creep up slowly in the form of diabetes (which is often hard to recognise at first by an individual) hep B or C, or HIV. Due to the nature of services provided it may not always be possible to get healthy and nutritional food, so inevitably overall health is affected. 

Accessing medical services should not be too hard as most areas with a recognised homeless population should provide suitable support services. These may include drop in sessions at a day centre, hostel, or in some cases,  a designated surgery for homeless clients.

Managing medication can be tricky, especially if there is nowhere to store it. Many day centres dislike handling or storing medication and GP surgeries are reluctant to provide daily prescriptions. Depending on the medication, it can be very valuable on the streets and can quickly be stolen.

Whilst not all rough sleepers will experience these problems, Outreach Workers need to be aware of these issues and thoroughly asses rough sleepers in order to identify appropriate support services.

Please comment and share your knowledge.

How important is a local connection when finding accommodation for homeless clients?

Many hostels and accommodation providers around the country have waiting lists, as the services they provide are so much in demand. But many of these will have specific criteria when considering applications. One main factor is whether the individual has a local connection to the area. This is particularly the case with councils and Local authorities when assessing duty of care.

However, by prioritising those with a local connection we seem to be making it more difficult for people to travel around the country. The reasons for moving from one place to another can be as simple as freedom of choice, to be closer to family and friends, or to leave an old lifestyle behind.

Although I understand the need to deter people flocking to particular areas, it seems that we are denying them the right to choose where they live. If they are intent on moving to a specific area, they will be forced to sleep out in a new and unfamiliar environment.

Should hostels and accommodation providers be more open to those with local connections, or is it merely a way of preventing a flood of new comers, which could over burden particular areas and services?

At what point is a person no longer considered to be homeless?

For people with a history of rough sleeping, squatting or living in hostels moving into independent accommodation can be challenging. 

The responsibilities of having a tenancy, budgeting and paying bills, together with the possibility of loneliness and isolation, can have a big impact on whether a person can break the cycle of homelessness. But once a person has settled and is comfortable where they are how easy is it to integrate into society with out the stigma affecting relationship or friendships.

 

At what point does a former homeless person leave the lifestyle behind? Is is time bound or can it be a state of mind? 

How will the Community Spending Review cuts really affect homelessness and what are the solutions?

It seems that there are several different ways the Community Spending Review will impact upon homeless clients:   

• Changes to Housing Benefit payments. Anyone under 35 years old (previously 25 years old) will receive just enough to cover the cost of a shared house. Will this affect those living in hostels? How will it affect those single people already in independent accommodation settling after years of homelessness?
• Council Tax Benefit is to be reduced by 10%. How will this affect those already struggling to keep up with household bills and payments?
• Changes to ESA (Employment Support Allowance) and JSA (Job Seekers Allowance) payments depending on contributions made and length receiving specific benefits. How will this affect those most vulnerable and unable to work?
• Less funding for probation services, yet fewer people sent to prison. Where do offenders get support from and where is the incentive to prevent people reoffending?

Please comment if you can identify any more areas relating to homelessness that will be affected by the spending review, with any comments for solutions.