Reality bites

A startling report by the National Audit Office (NAO), released at the start of the year, reveals just how ill-prepared government officials were for the task of housing the UK’s homeless during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. The government has set itself the ambitious aim of ending homelessness by 2024, but woefully underestimated just how many people needed housing as it launched its Everyone In scheme last year. The NAO says 33,139 people took part in the scheme between its roll-out in late March and November 2020, but officials working on the project were reliant on a survey stating only 4,266 people slept rough.

Census 2021

STOP PRESS: The 2021 census will take place in England and Wales on 21 March, the Office for National Statistics confirms. The census is for everyone in England and Wales, including homeless people and people sleeping rough. This year the census will be conducted primarily online. • Find our more at https://census.gov.uk

Pandemic legacy

Dismal reading in the Observer, with news that more than 70,000 households have been made homeless in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic. Figures compiled in late January also reveal a staggering 207,543 households approached their local council for assistance avoiding homelessness or helping with the threat of homelessness between April and November 2020. Of these households, 70,309 were “owed the relief duty”, meaning they were already homeless when they approached their council. David Renard, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, warned: “Councils will need further support in the difficult weeks and months ahead to move people into safe and secure housing”.

Is that all? 

Not to worry, all of your troubles can be remedied! All you’ll need is the modest sum of £5,000, an amount easily saved, says the Conservative Mayoral candidate for London, Shaun Bailey. Yes, Bailey proposes homeless people in the capital should simply save up £5,000 for a deposit on a share of an affordable home. When asked by Inside Housing if he was suggesting families in temporary and emergency accommodation could afford the deposit, Bailey clarified, “Not all of them, but some people could. A full proportion of people could.”

• London Mayoral Elections & Scottish Parliament Elections on 6 May
  
  
  

Meals on wheels

The Museum of Homelessness set up a mobile homeless task force in central London for the winter, providing weekly support for people sleeping rough – by way of hot drinks, snacks and warm kit. The goods are handed out by a team of volunteers every Monday from 8.45pm in the West End until the trolley storing everything is empty.

Parkhead proposal

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde submitted plans for a new health and social centre in Parkhead to the council in January. Glasgow Live reports the centre will provide a range of primary and social care services to the local area’s homeless population, providing support for mental health, addiction, criminal justice and sexual health. The application for the centre states “critical to this concept is the creation of an open, welcoming and caring facility that is easy to navigate and pleasant, calm and uplifting to inhabit.” 

Solutions Journalism training in action with Giselle Green, a former BBC News journalist who now runs a project to highlight solutions-focused news stories. Giselle helped train 12 writers with homelessness experience for the Pavement via online talks and individual sessions. “I’m really pleased to be working with the Pavement to help give a voice to people with experience of being homeless. As a strong advocate of solutions journalism, I’m delighted to have the chance to show how this approach can strengthen the impact of their stories. I've been very moved and also inspired by the conversations I've had with the trainees about their own circumstances and their ideas for what they'd like to write about for the Pavement. I'm sure their stories will resonate with readers but also offer hope and practical help." Several of the trainees have contributed to this issue, and we look forward to their special takeover in May. Training funded by European Journalism Centre. © Pavement

Warm coat: A number of take one leave one (TOLO) rails appeared at the start of the year, and will be running into March. Visitors to TOLO rails can take a free coat to keep warm this winter, or donate one to be put on to the rail. The Peckham TOLO rail has appeared every Saturday since mid-January underneath the Peckham Arch, just by the library. An organiser of the scheme, Saf, told the Pavement there are plans to expand. “My hope is that we will syndicate to other rails around the UK… and they can become semi-permanent, unmanned rails where people take and replenish clothes.”
TOLO rails are across London and other parts of the UK.
Follow @peckhamtolo on Instagram © Jake Cudsi

Access Hub: at 389 Argyle Street is run by Simon Community Scotland, and provides vital support to homeless people in Glasgow City Centre. This new service launched in September 2020, and is open Mon – Sun from 9am – 5pm. Call the Street Team on 0800 027 7466 for urgent out-of-hours assisstance.
www.simonscotland.org © Iain McLean

Congratulations to the creative superpowers at Accumulate who have just published a graphic novel. The Book of Homelessness, billed as the “world’s first ever graphic novel created by people affected by homelessness”, began life as creative workshops in January 2020.
Founder of Accumulate, Marice Cumber said: “this beautiful book shows the complexities of homelessness, and what causes it, and the struggles that people have undertaken to succeed and flourish.”
Contributor Amalia said the workshops, “Helped me use my talents to create pieces of art and poetry for the book. The sessions helped me to grow and transform and heal from domestic abuse, from being homeless and unstable.”
Visit accumulate.org.uk  to buy, or follow @accumulate_ldn

Brummie chefs cook up a fundraising feast: Michelin star chef Glynne Purnell (R), who is often on TV, teamed up with Birmingham City Council to host a virtual cooking show on 8 December. The Big Birmingham Cook-A-Long will support a scheme helping homelessness charities via Change into Action. Guest appearances included Birmingham Cllr Sharon Thompson (L), in charge of Homes & Neighbourhoods, who was a homeless teen.
© Big Birmingham Cook-A-Long

Homeless Project Scotland set up by Colin McInnes and volunteers, registered as a charity in June 2020 after starting up as a food run in October 2019. Amazingly, during March–August last year it distributed 3,500 meals each week to hostels and vulnerable families all over Scotland. You can enjoy a hot meal at the Friday night soup kitchen run by the Glasgow City Mission (now an Overnight Welcome Centre). Typical dishes include chilli, chicken curry, soups and veggie pasta, usually eaten by around 190 homeless and vulnerable people. Colin says shifting this amount of food around was only possible thanks to People’s Ford in Edinburgh giving a transit van free of charge and Arnold Clark buying them a van. “We’re travelling over 7,500 miles a month,” adds Colin.
© Homeless Project Scotland

Access Hub: at 389 Argyle Street is run by Simon Community Scotland, and provides vital support to homeless people in Glasgow City Centre. This new service launched in September 2020, and is open Mon – Sun from 9am – 5pm. Call the Street Team on 0800 027 7466 for urgent out-of-hours assisstance.
www.simonscotland.org © Iain McLean