Walking through the streets of Exeter this past term you can’t help to have noticed a growing problem, or at least a problem growing more visible; that of homelessness. Exeter now has the 5th highest number of rough sleepers and homeless in the UK, which marks an increase of 30% since 2011. The reasons for this increase are varied and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why more people are being forced to live rough on the streets but the harsh economic climate, government cuts to local council provisions and a lack of affordable accommodation isn’t helping. As well as the problem of people sleeping rough on the streets, a further 300 families are living in temporary, substandard accommodation, increasing the strain upon council housing provisions.
The reasons why people end up on the street are as complex and varied as the individuals they affect, there are no straightforward causes or easy solutions and you can’t necessarily say that it is the fault of the individual. Kay Hammond, project manager at Emmaus Exeter, a charity focused on helping the homeless, said that “homelessness is not what you think, yes there are a lot of drugs and alcohol, but there’s also a lot of returning service personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder, and a lot of families- people who never thought they’d end up homeless. You cannot necessarily say it’s someone’s fault or that people want to be homeless”.
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The homeless charity St Petrocks http://www.stpetrocks.org.uk/ states that the demand for their services has risen 31% in the last two years, demonstrating how this is a problem which is only getting worse. Since opening in 1994 they’ve helped over 10,000 people and helped over 8,200 into accommodation. I spoke to student Lauren Kay-Lambert, who volunteers for the charity about her views on the problem:
Lauren, do you think that homelessness has become a bigger problem in Exeter in the past year?
No, I think homelessness in Exeter has always been a big problem.
If so, why do you think this is?
I believe that homelessness has always been a big problem because people are more aware of it. I believe that public perception of the homeless is changing from an opinion of the homeless as being drunk and on drugs permanently. This is a wrong generalization and it is interesting to see that from a study I have recently conducted on attitudes towards homelessness, students at Exeter are against the statement that all homeless people fall into the category of always being drunk. I think the causes of homelessness differ. I think that once people fall into homelessness, it is very difficult to get out of. I do think that the current economic situation has also played a massive role in making homelessness a bigger problem. It is very difficult for people to find work and without work; they have no money to stabilize their situation.
What do you think is the best way to tackle/ approach the problem?
For the most part, I think you can only help individuals who are homeless if they themselves are willing to get out of their current situation. Having said that, there needs to be some government intervention; in no way do I think it should be the sole responsibility of the individual to get out of homelessness, they need the support from the government to do so. Overnight shelters, soup kitchens and free treatment addiction programs are extremely beneficial to many living on the streets. For these people, I think there needs to be support every step of the way, until they are stable.
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Walking down Exeter high street it can be easy to turn a blind eye to the people sheltering by M&S or asking for change whilst reading a book outside Sainsbury’s. When stumbling out of Timepiece they can even seem like a nuisance, an awkward inconvenience you would rather ignore. But then think about how fortunate you are to be going home to a warm bed, in a safe house; your most imminent worry being your fast approaching deadlines, not finding somewhere to rest your head. It can be easy to push the thought of them out of your mind, to undermine the problem by blaming the individual, not the complex circumstances and lack of provisions which put them there. Because it’s easier to argue that it’s the fault of the individual, to convince yourself that they are solely to blame, to dismiss them as “probably being a drunk or on drugs”, than to accept that as a society we are failing to provide for many of the most vulnerable. So next time you see a homeless person in Exeter don’t simply push it to the back of your mind, or dismiss it, think instead about what you could do to help.
Emmaus Exeter have opened a charity boutique on Paris Street, selling second hand upmarket and designer clothing, with the profits going to helping homelessness in Exeter. You could pop along there and grab yourself something new to wear. Alternatively you think about ways to help fundraise for St Petrock’s or you could donate wanted items to the charity, a list of which can be found here. Or if you want to get more involved you could find out how to, like Lauren, volunteer at the charity.
Sources: thisisexeter.co.uk; emmaus.org.uk/exeter; stpetrocks.org.uk
Photo Credits: thisisexeter.co.uk; stpetrocks.org.uk