People can become homeless for any number of reasons. For
some, it arises only once in their lives. For others, it can be something which
happens again and again. It can even become a permanent state of living.
Whatever the cause and whatever the pattern, people who struggle with
homelessness face an uphill struggle back to normality.
The charity Crisis
is at the forefront of the fight against homelessness in England, Scotland, and
Wales. Crisis works to help people and prevent homelessness in many ways, such
as by working directly with homeless people; by providing advocacy, support,
and information; and by contributing to multi-agency campaigns and research
efforts to tackle the root causes of homelessness. Crisis works directly with homeless people to
contribute to research, and also works with landlords and housing agencies to
help homeless people get into affordable homes.
Thomas
Noel Collister Jackson is a regular supporter of Crisis, among other
charitable causes. A regular Christmas lunch for Crisis, directly funded by Mr.
Jackson’s organisation, is organised each year. Without the support of Mr.
Jackson and other philanthropic individuals and organisations, Crisis would not
be able to continue its essential work.
The Plan to Tackle
Homelessness
Essential to the long-term effort to end homelessness once
and for all, Crisis has worked with other organisations and supporters to
develop a costed, evidence-based plan including implications for government
policy and solutions which can stand the test of time.
This plan has been developed in association with leading
experts in the field. A comprehensive review of existing research, a
wide-ranging public consultation, and consultation with government experts were
all undertaken.
Ending homelessness starts by looking at the three major
factors of the problem:
·
Sleeping Rough: Those who have to sleep
outdoors are among the most at-risk members of the homeless community. Crisis is
committed to identifying and supporting rough sleepers to help them off the
streets.
·
Everyone Should Have a Home: Homeless
shelters and hostels provide temporary accommodation for many. It’s essential
to bring people back into long-term accommodation as soon as possible.
·
Prevention: The best way to tackle the
problem is to stop it happening in the first place. Making support available to
those at risk before they become homeless is essential to tackling the problem
in the long term.
The foundation of the work of Crisis and its supporters is
that in the modern world, everyone should have a home.
