Innovative Inventions to Help Homeless People
England has around 250,000 homeless people (including rough sleepers, sofa-surfers and people living in bed-and-breakfasts). Here are ideas beyond just throwing money at what is a huge issue in society.
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 a local post office or PayPoint outlet.
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.
BillyChip (donate hot drinks and pet food)
BillyChip is a safe secure ‘currency’ that can be bought from participating shops, to give to homeless people to pay for a hot drink or meal, or buy pet food. This enables people to help, while following council advice not to give cash (and also reduces robbery risk).
The idea was set up in memory of a young man (who died in a road accident) who volunteered to help homeless people. The scheme is free (shops are just charged for chips sold) and the welcome pack includes 25 Billy Chips, window decals and marketing materials.
Pubs and bars are not allowed to join, so chips can’t be used to buy alcohol.
Comfortable Sleeping Ideas for Homeless People
Rough sleepers find it difficult to drag around heavy coats and blankets, especially when wet. Sleep Pod is a £30 rain/wind-resistant ‘sleeping tent’ that is lightweight and easy to carry.
Sheltersuit (below) is a wind-waterproof jacket with a large hood to shield the face from rain and streetlights, with a built-in mattress & pillow. It was invented in The Netherlands, by someone who heard that the homeless father of a friend, had died from hypothermia.
Made from upcycled materials, it’s given out free to homeless people across the world.
ShowerBox (free hygiene facilities)
ShowerBox (London and Birmingham) offers free mobile showers to prevent infections and skin issues, and enhance self-care for better chance of finding a job and stable home. Users also get hot drinks, fresh undies and free use of hair clippers.
Homeless people also need free toilets (they can be arrested for indecency if urinating or removing clothes in public places). If there are no hostels, what are they supposed to do?
Rome, Miami and San Francisco all have dedicated free toilets for homeless people, why are we so far behind? It’s also safer for everyone, as addicts have safe disposal bins, for used needles.
We could also do with something like Orange Sky Australia (volunteers drive vans to different towns, so homeless people can take showers and launder their clothes for free).
