Theme of the Month: Homelessness

Homelessness can affect anyone and is not limited to sleeping on the streets. It can include temporary, insecure, unsafe or unsuitable living arrangements. Understanding the different forms of homelessness, recognising when housing difficulties may be developing and knowing where to seek support can help reduce stigma and ensure people receive appropriate help.

Understanding Homelessness

Our Theme of the Month for February focuses on homelessness, what it means, the different forms it can take, circumstances that can contribute to housing difficulties and the impact an unstable housing situation can have.

Homelessness does not only mean sleeping on the streets. Someone may be experiencing homelessness if they do not have a safe, secure and suitable place to live.

Understanding this can help challenge common misconceptions and encourage people experiencing housing difficulties to be treated with dignity, respect and understanding.

Homelessness at a Glance

The key things to understand are:

Homelessness is not limited to sleeping on the streets.
Some forms of homelessness may not be immediately visible.
There is no single reason why somebody may experience homelessness.
Financial, housing, employment and personal circumstances can contribute to housing difficulties.
An unstable housing situation can affect education, employment, finances, relationships and wellbeing.
Someone's housing situation does not define their abilities or potential.
Seeking support early is important if you are worried about your housing situation.
Support is available if housing difficulties are affecting your apprenticeship, training or wellbeing.

What Is Homelessness?

Homelessness can describe a range of circumstances where someone does not have a safe, secure and suitable home.

This can include people who are:

Sleeping rough
Staying temporarily with friends or family because they have nowhere else to live
Living in temporary accommodation
Staying in emergency accommodation
Living somewhere that is unsafe or unsuitable
At risk of losing their current home

This means you may not always be able to tell when somebody is experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity simply by looking at their situation.

Different Forms of Homelessness

Understanding the different ways homelessness can be experienced can help challenge the misconception that everyone experiencing homelessness is sleeping on the street.

Rough Sleeping

Rough sleeping refers to people sleeping outside or in places that are not designed to be lived in.

Temporary Accommodation

Someone may live in temporary accommodation while they wait for a longer-term housing solution. Although they have somewhere to stay, their housing situation may still be temporary or uncertain.

Staying with Friends or Family

Some people may temporarily stay with friends, relatives or other people because they do not currently have a permanent home of their own.

Although they have somewhere to sleep, the arrangement may only be temporary and they may be unsure where they will live in the future.

At Risk of Homelessness

Someone may currently have somewhere to live but be concerned that they could lose their accommodation.

Seeking advice as early as possible can help someone understand the support that may be available before their situation becomes more difficult.

What Can Contribute to Homelessness?

There is no single cause of homelessness. People's circumstances are different and several factors can sometimes contribute to housing difficulties at the same time.

These may include:

Financial difficulties
Difficulty finding suitable or affordable housing
Changes in employment or income
Family or relationship breakdown
Having to leave an unsafe home
Changes in personal circumstances
A lack of suitable accommodation or support

It is important not to assume why somebody is experiencing homelessness. There may be circumstances affecting their situation that are not immediately visible to other people.

How Can Homelessness Affect Everyday Life?

Not having somewhere safe and stable to live can affect many different areas of someone's life.

Education and Training

Housing uncertainty may make it more difficult to concentrate, study, complete work or regularly attend learning and training.

For an apprentice, for example, uncertainty about where they will be staying may make managing work and off-the-job learning more difficult.

Employment

An unstable housing situation can create additional difficulties when working, travelling to work or looking for employment.

Finances

Housing problems and financial pressures can be closely connected. Managing everyday costs may become more difficult when someone's circumstances are uncertain.

Health and Wellbeing

Housing difficulties can place additional pressure on someone's physical and emotional wellbeing.

Relationships

Difficult or uncertain circumstances can affect relationships with family, friends, colleagues and other people.

Everyday Routines

Activities that would ordinarily be straightforward can become more difficult without somewhere safe and stable to live.

For apprentices and learners, stable accommodation can be an important part of being able to focus on learning, training and personal development.

Challenging Stigma Around Homelessness

Homelessness should be discussed with understanding rather than judgement.

Someone's housing circumstances do not define who they are, their abilities or what they can achieve.

How You Can Help Challenge Stigma

You can take a more supportive approach by:

Avoiding stereotypes about why somebody is homeless
Using respectful language
Recognising that everyone's circumstances are different
Treating people with dignity and respect
Remembering that homelessness is not always visible
Listening rather than making assumptions
Respecting someone's privacy if they choose to share their circumstances with you

Recognising When You Might Need Support

Housing difficulties do not always happen suddenly. Seeking support sooner may help you understand the options available to you.

You may want to speak to someone if you:

Are concerned about losing your current accommodation
Are staying somewhere temporarily because you have nowhere else to live
Are unsure where you will be able to stay in the future
Do not feel safe or secure in your current accommodation
Find that your housing situation is affecting your learning, training, work or wellbeing

You do not need to wait until your circumstances become worse before speaking to someone.

Housing Difficulties and Your Apprenticeship

Housing problems can make it harder to manage work and apprenticeship commitments.

If your circumstances are affecting your attendance, learning, training or wellbeing, speaking to someone can make LSP aware of your situation and allow you to discuss the support you may need.

You can speak to:

Your LSP tutor
Your Support Coach
The LSP Safeguarding Team
Another appropriate member of staff you trust

If you are worried about somebody else's safety or wellbeing, you can also raise your concern with an appropriate member of the LSP team.

Getting Help and Support: What to Do Next

If you are experiencing homelessness, think you may lose your accommodation or are worried about your housing situation, you do not have to manage the situation alone.

If You Are Worried About Your Housing

Consider these next steps:

Speak to someone you trust. Letting somebody know what is happening can be an important first step.
Seek housing advice early. You do not need to wait until you have nowhere to stay before asking for advice.
Tell LSP if your apprenticeship is being affected. Speak to your tutor, Support Coach or the LSP Safeguarding Team.
Explain how your circumstances are affecting you. This could include difficulties with attendance, work, learning or wellbeing.
Use appropriate housing support services. Local authorities and established housing organisations can provide information about housing and homelessness support.

If there is an immediate risk to your safety, seek urgent help through the appropriate emergency services.

Key Takeaways

Remember:

Homelessness is not limited to sleeping on the streets.
Someone can experience homelessness even when they temporarily have somewhere to stay.
Housing difficulties are not always visible.
There is no single cause of homelessness.
Homelessness can affect learning, employment, finances, relationships and wellbeing.
Someone's housing situation does not define their abilities or potential.
People experiencing homelessness should be treated with dignity and respect.
Avoid making assumptions about somebody's circumstances.
Seeking support early can help you understand what assistance may be available.
You do not have to manage housing difficulties alone.

Frequently Asked Questions About Homelessness

Does homelessness only mean sleeping on the streets?

No. Homelessness can take different forms, including temporary or emergency accommodation, staying temporarily with other people, living somewhere unsuitable or unsafe, and being at risk of losing your home.

Can someone be homeless if they are staying with friends or family?

A person may still be experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity if they are staying temporarily with someone else because they do not have a safe and secure home of their own.

What should I do if I think I might lose my accommodation?

Seek advice as early as possible. If your housing situation is also affecting your apprenticeship, training or wellbeing, speak to your LSP tutor, Support Coach, Safeguarding Team or another appropriate member of staff you trust.

Can housing difficulties affect an apprenticeship?

Housing uncertainty can make areas such as concentrating, studying, attending training, travelling to work and managing everyday routines more difficult. If this applies to you, speaking to LSP can help make the team aware of your circumstances.

Who can I speak to at LSP?

If housing difficulties are affecting your apprenticeship or wellbeing, you can speak to your LSP tutor, Support Coach, the LSP Safeguarding Team or another appropriate member of staff you trust.

Summary

Homelessness can take many different forms and can affect people in a wide range of circumstances. It is not limited to rough sleeping and can include temporary, insecure, unsafe or unsuitable living arrangements, as well as situations where someone is at risk of losing their home.

Understanding these different experiences can help challenge stereotypes, reduce stigma and encourage people experiencing housing difficulties to be treated with dignity and respect.

Most importantly, if you are worried about your housing circumstances, you do not need to wait for the situation to become worse before asking for help. If your circumstances are affecting your apprenticeship, training or wellbeing, support is available through LSP.