Download - Homelessness – overview of current and foundation issues Revd. Canon Paul Daltry Chair IWNS
What are our aims today?
• Increase confidence• Information can allay fears• A part of something much bigger
than ourselves• Building the Kingdom of God• Awareness that it is about character
as much as information
What is our route plan?
1. Introduction on Homelessness
2. Guidelines for Volunteers3. Health and Addiction4. Personal Safety5. Questions
Housing Justice
• National organisation: Christian voice on housing and homelessness.
• Policy and campaigning role• Practical support to churches + others
involved in responding to homelessness • Projects include: Faith in Affordable
Housing, Mentoring and Befriending• Homelessness Sunday (part of) Poverty and
Homelessness Action Week
Homelessness definitions
• Most visible is Rough Sleeping Street count snapshots (2400 nationally in Autumn 2013) 1800 in 2010
• Hidden Homeless sofa surfers, squatters etc. ½ million (Crisis)
• Homeless Families 81,000 Shelter 2012/13
Headline causes / effects
• Relationship, family breakdown• Lack of resilience, coping skills• Trauma, poor mental health• Substances• Institutions e.g. care, prison, armed
forces • Migration – from EU, rest of the
world• Shortage of affordable housing!
Street lifestyle?
• Complex needs• Relationships• Expression of non-conformity• Rejection of society, materialistic
values• People find solidarity in shared
adversity• But.. no one starts off in life with the
ambition to be homeless!
Church and homelessness
• Mission to serve all, especially people who are poor, suffering exclusion, injustice, discrimination
• Bringing holistic care • Church linked Projects e.g. drop in
centres, shelters, soup runs, advice, signposting
• Advocacy and action• Healing Community not nimbyism