Entries by Jamie Leeming

The Challenge Of Counting Hidden Homelessness In Britain

Hidden homelessness is unseen, hard to define and even more difficult to measure, reports the Big Issue. While homelessness might conjure up the image of someone bedding down in a shop doorway, the reality is that they are the minority. Thousands of people live in temporary accommodation supplied by local authorities. Others have called on […]

Government Announce £84 Million Injection To Tackle Homelessness

The cash boost is to help prevent homelessness and support families this winter and immediate help for children and families in temporary accommodation, reports Gov.Uk. Thousands of people facing homelessness will be supported by a new £84 million cash injection to councils up and down the country – ahead of winter. Children and families in […]

Bootle Man Left On Housing List For 10 Years Despite Health Issues

Sefton Council’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-29 lays bare the scale of homelessness across the borough, reports the Liverpool Echo. A man from Bootle said he is ‘trapped’ after waiting more than ten years on the housing list. Despite his health needs and mobility issues, Wayne Berry, 52, said he has been forced into […]

Brain Disease Linked To Boxers Found In Homeless People

Scientists found evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of people who had experienced homelessness – the first time the disease had been found in a European non-athlete population, reports the Big Issue. An illness linked to repetitive head injuries seen in contact sports such as boxing and American football has been found in […]

Mixed-Sex Hostels ‘Terrifying’ For Homeless Women

Homeless women calling for more female-only services have said they avoid mixed-sex hostels because they can be “ruthless” and “terrifying”, reports the BBC. One, who found herself in a mixed-sex hostel in Sunderland, said three men “were taken out in body bags” during the first week she stayed there. The housing charity Shelter believes the […]

Counting The ‘Invisible’ Homeless Women Hiding In Plain Sight

It’s early morning near London’s Victoria Station, and three charity workers are meeting to carry out a count of female rough sleepers, reports the BBC. The weather has just started to turn chilly, and thoughts have turned to those – particularly women – sleeping out on the streets. “We’ve known for years that women’s rough […]

Homelessness Nearly Doubles In One Area Of Merseyside

Over the past four years demand for temporary accommodation for families has grown considerably, reports the Liverpool Echo. The number of homeless families living in temporary accommodation in one part of Merseyside has increased by more than 180% in the last four years. This rise in homelessness is being partly driven by private landlords leaving […]