The impact of night shelters
Church volunteers are responding to rising homelessness in their communities and people are being helped off the streets as a result
These are the findings of the Night Shelter Impact Report for 2013/14, which has gathered the most comprehensive data yet on the impact of Housing Justice Church and Community night shelters.
The report, released ahead of the start of the winter shelter season in November, documents activities from 21 night shelters in London and a further three beyond, in Wycombe, Southend and Swansea.
Through this sample it discovered that 1,577 guests were offered overnight shelter, and 112,300 volunteer hours were mobilised, valued at almost £1.5 million.
Nine hundred and thirty four guests had some form of case management support (60 per cent of the total) and 491 were helped to move on to more secure accommodation, a 34 per cent ‘move on rate’.
Data was also gathered on the guests in this network of night shelters. Just over 50 per cent were between 26 and 49; over 50 per cent were from the UK, and 27 per cent were from Europe. A total of 888 had been street homeless; 332 were ‘new to the street’, and 317 had been on the street for more than six months.
Housing Justice CEO Alison Gelder said the report busts some of the “outdated myths” about Night Shelters, such as they sustain people in their lives on the street, and that they undermine the work of statutory agencies.
The report also shows “a massive mobilisation of churches, community groups, and volunteers, which is definitely something to celebrate.” However Ms Gelder said that night shelters have always been a complement to the statutory safety net rather than a replacement for it, and that the question must be asked as to why more and more people are becoming homeless.
‘Night Shelters are part of the answer,’ she said, ‘but not a substitute for safe, secure and affordable accommodation which is no longer available to an increasing proportion of the poorest in our society.’
the question must be asked as to why more and more people are becoming homeless
The findings were reflected in Newham, where a new inter-church winter night shelter and support service was launched last year in response to the rising levels of poverty and rough-sleeping. The congregations of Royal Docks Community Church, Memorial Community Church and Bonny Downs Baptist Church signed up as host venues and volunteered their time, venues and resources to help make the project happen.
The night shelter was open for 84 nights and accommodated 61 guests, of which 23 moved into permanent accommodation.
The experience highlighted “a real need to continue strengthening the support services available for homeless people in Newham”, said Sally Mann of the Royal Docks Community Church.
‘Our future vision is not only to provide annual winter night shelters and help people find accommodation but we also want to help people find a sense of purpose and belonging.’
The group has now launched a befriending service and meaningful day time activities, including: volunteering opportunities, community gardening and a warehouse training programme. This year seven churches from across all denominations have signed up to run four months of provision from November to February.
Baptist Times, 23/10/2014