Roles: UX designer, Product designer
Tools used: Figma, InVision Freehand, Miro
Duration: 3 weeks
Homelessness is defined as a state of not having a permanent home or place of residence, which includes staying in hostels and sofa-surfing. There are a variety of reasons why people become homeless, but one of the most common is a lack of affordable housing. Some people are unable to pay their rent or mortgage payments due to unforeseen circumstances such as job loss or divorce. Aspects such as mental and physical health also play a role.
People from all walks of life are affected by homelessness. According to Shelter, certain groups are more vulnerable to homelessness than others. Those leaving home for the first time or leaving care, pregnant with nowhere to stay when the baby arrives, struggling to make ends meet on benefits or a low wage, from abroad without the right to claim benefits, an asylum seeker or refugee and those leaving prison are all at risk.
St Mungo's carried out research in 2013, which revealed that 43% of people who slept rough for the first time had issues with alcohol or drug usage. For others, it was a contributing reason for them becoming homeless, while for others, it was a way of attempting to deal with other issues they face. This hasn't changed much because new research shows that the number of individuals sleeping rough is increasing and that many of them are suffering from and/or dying from preventable drug and alcohol problems. According to the findings, 12,000 people who were sleeping rough or at risk of doing so in 2018/19 missed out on life-saving drug and alcohol treatment. Poor mental health is also prevalent among persons who are homeless or sleeping rough, according to the study. Over 40% of the people encountered had a mental health issue. Many, on the other hand, may never have access to proper treatment or assistance.
As stated by Shelter, in 2021 there are currently over 274,000 homeless persons in England, including 126,000 children. Based on the most recent Shelter's analysis of official rough-sleeping and temporary housing numbers, one in every 206 persons in England is currently homeless. On any given night, 2,700 individuals sleep rough, almost 15,000 single people live in direct access hostels, and roughly 250,000 people live in temporary housing, the majority of whom are families.
National Statistics indicate that more people who sleep rough in the UK are men, with an overall population ratio of around six men to one woman.
Rough sleeping levels vary in the UK with recent peaks being in 2017/2018 because of different methods and statistics used, it is difficult to report trends on homelessness in the UK as a whole.
From what I gathered, homelessness in England has been increasing year on year for the last five years, peaking just before the pandemic, the number of homeless households surged from 207,600 in 2018 to over 219,000 towards the end of 2019. However, Homeless Link compared between 2019 and 2020, there was a 37% decline in the number of homeless people it estimated that rough sleeping was lower than in prior years, presumably due to policy measures such as providing emergency housing to people who sleep rough during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the number of people sleeping rough has risen by 52% since 2010 ( Graph below).
During the pandemic, the positive impact of government policies was recognised, particularly the pause in evictions and temporary increase in local housing allowance, as well as the boost to Universal Credit, which played a critical role in keeping people in their homes and reducing homelessness.