HOMELESSNESS -

 

The facts about homelessness and abuse in Blackpool and the UK are disturbing and often overlooked.

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The following statistics are a stark reminder of the real extent of the homeless problem happening right now in the UK:

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• Almost 600 people died while homeless in England and Wales in 2017.

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• The average age of death was just 44 for men and 42 for women, compared with 76 for men and 81 for women among the rest of the population.

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• A homeless rough sleeper is 9 times more likely to commit suicide than the average person.

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• There has been a 165% increase in Rough Sleeping since 2010.

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• 170,000 families and individuals are experiencing the worse forms of homelessness in Britain.

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• This is expected to almost double in the next 25 years unless there is change.

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92 % of Private rents in Britain are unaffordable for single people, couples or small families who receive support • through local housing allowance.

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• 8,900 people are estimated to be sleeping in tents, cars and public transport in the UK.

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• Every year more than 150,000 young people across the UK ask for help with homelessness.

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• One in six prisoners report being homeless before they are taken into custody.

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• According to sources and during the pandemic an estimated 320,000 people are now homeless in Britain.

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The chief executive of Shelter, Polly Neate, said: “It’s unforgivable that 320,000 people in Britain have been swept up by the housing crisis and now have no place to call home. “These new figures show that homelessness is having a devastating impact on the lives of people right across the country.

 

Due to the perfect storm of spiraling rents, welfare cuts and a total lack of social housing, record numbers of people are sleeping out on the streets or stuck in the cramped confines of a hostel room.

 

We desperately need action now to change tomorrow for the hundreds of thousands whose lives will be blighted by homelessness.

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The majority of people sleeping rough in England are male, aged over 26 years old and from the UK. Meanwhile the Office for National Statistics found men who are living on the street outnumber women at a ratio of six to one.

 

However, the figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are thought to be an underestimate as they are based on single-night snapshot accounts and estimates. Lucy Abraham, chief executive of London homelessness charity Glass Door, told The Big Issue in response to the 2020 figures: “We need to be critical of using what is essentially a best guess of what rough sleeping looks like on a given night as a proxy for how many people are actually homeless in the UK.”

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DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

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Drug and alcohol addictions are serious conditions that can overcome even the strongest character. Both accepted and treated as genuine medical conditions. As such, people with alcohol and drug addictions are entitled to help from the NHS just as is anyone with any medical condition. 

 

Sometimes, however, seeking help can be easier said than done and for many, simply walking up to an NHS hospital or GP isn’t the right step forward, or simply doesn’t seem possible.

 

We are here to help anybody in the journey of rehabilitation. We are discreet and understanding with many of our own volunteers coming from drug and alcohol-related problems themselves.  

 

Please use the form on this page if you would like us to help you on your path to recovery. We promise to come back to you as soon as possible.