Steps to Stability: How to Help Homeless People Find Work
Just take a few minutes to think about what we often see: go into a major town or city, and you’ll see people literally sleeping on the streets. Often with their loyal dogs.
Councils do what? They install ‘hostile architecture’ (with spikes or devices so homeless people can’t lie down on benches). And free toilets are increasingly banned, so then homeless people have nowhere to visit the toilet. If they go to the loo on the street, it’s classed as a public indecency offence.
We have big homelessness charities, and they have good hearts. But in a country of 67 million people, why do we now have over 350,000 people classed as homeless in England? It’s shocking.
How to immediately help homeless people
If you see someone sleeping rough, send a report to StreetLink, whose outreach teams visit rough sleepers at night, to alert them of support to find benefits and accommodation (if the person is under 18, call 999). Also read about how to help homeless people with dogs (indie shops can sign up for BillyChip that can be given to homeless people to buy food, pet food and hot drinks).
Homeless people can claim benefits, giving the address of a family member/friend, hostel or job centre. This helps to pay for food (and pet food), interview clothes and rent deposits. People without bank accounts can use the government’s Payment Exception Service to collect benefits from post offices or PayPoint outlets.
The Big Issue (founded by Lord John Bird)
The Big Issue (also in a version for northern England) sells magazines to vendors and then they sell them to people on the street and keep most of the profits (they also have card machines, if you don’t have cash).
Founded by Lord John Bird (a previous scallywag who spent time in prison), he now campaigns against homelessness in the House of Lord ((he was once asked to stand as London Mayor – he refused, so they got Boris Johnson instead!)
When someone signs up to sell Big Issue, they keep half of each portion sold. If you subscribe to receive the magazine for a year, they earn up to £75 a year. So if 100 local people subscribed, a homeless person would earn £7500 (or double that if 200 people subscribed).
Even on the street, selling over 100 magazines earns them £250 per week.
Once signed up, the vendor can access support through six Hand Up pathways:
- Housing (access to and maintenance of secure, affordable and stable accommodation)
- Wellbeing (access to adequate food, weather-appropriate clothing, home energy and toiletries)
- Health (access to right care and treatment for physical and mental health including addiction support needs)
- Money (Support with budgeting and access to benefit and debt advice)
- Digital (access to reach essential services online)
- Citizenship (help to gain official ID and developing language skills)
Then at a later date if the vendor wishes to move on from selling magazines, they receive New Future pathways support:
- Education and training in numeracy, literacy, civil skills
- Volunteering – access to community opportunities
- Support for people entering paid jobs after time away from work, or for the first time.
- A Hand Up Fund (small grants towards training and qualifications, like setting up a first home.
So next time you see someone selling a Big Issue, you know that it’s not just a case of giving a fiver and nothing happens. You are really helping to transform that person’s life long term!
The Pavement (a free magazine for homeless people)
The Pavement is a free magazine for homeless people, put together and handed out by volunteers. You can download a free Rights Guide for Rough Sleepers (pdf – print it off at a library) which outlines your rights about move-ons, sleeping rough, taking a pee in public and benefits. You can also print a letter to hand in at the office, when you claim benefits.
Street Newspapers worldwide
International Network of Street Papers is now a worldwide movement, thanks to John Bird. There are now 92 streets in 35 countries, with over 3 million readers, which have put a collective £200 million plus in the pockets of homeless vendors.
Emmaus (giving homeless people a job and home)
Emmaus is a network of communities across England, that do great work to help homeless people find jobs, paid income and stable homes. People can donate unwanted items (including white goods) to one of their many shops nationwide.
Homeless people are then trained to do up items and create PAT tests to ensure they are safe for resale. The sales at the shops help to fund the work of the charity. People who join an Emmaus community (which can then lead to a long-term home and job) receive:
- A room of their own
- Nutritious meals
- Support for wellbeing
- Training and personal development
- Work experience opportunities
- A small weekly allowance
Some allow dog friends. Check each community as it could differ (for instance, one community has a resident cat who has ‘adopted’ one of the residents, by spending most of the time in his room!)
Examples of how Emmaus helped
- A former teacher from Hungary at risk of becoming homeless, now has a job and is about to move into his own council flat.
- A former heroin addict who lost everything, refused to even set foot at Emmaus at first! He was persuaded, then got a job driving a van to offer food deliveries. He’s now no longer an addict and lives in a beautiful bungalow, having trained as a heating engineer.
- A man who had removed from his home age 13, joined the army but then ended up living on the streets in Southampton. He asked the council for help, but got nowhere. Then he found Emmaus. Today he has a degree in history and politics!
How you can help Emmaus
If you have unwanted white goods or furniture, you can donate them to a local branch. Note that there are strict rules on tags for fire safety (otherwise you’ll have to phone your council for collection if you can’t take items to the tip).
But if items are okay, then donating them helps to provide work experience, jobs and income for Emmaus residents. This also saves thousands of tonnes of items going to landfill each year. If the furniture is just a bit battered, that’s okay as it helps residents do items up in upcycling workshops.
Here’s a list of what Emmaus do accept. Most local Emmaus stores also offer local collection (and some have online eBAY stores to purchase goods, if you don’t live nearby).
There are presently 29 Emmaus communities nationwide, with 20 to 40 companions. But the aim is to use funds raised to build more where they are needed.
Some also run garden centres, selling plants and shrubs, and companions make garden furniture and bespoke planters.
If you live with animal friends, learn more on pet-friendly gardens (and avoid facing indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows).
