{"id":598,"date":"2020-12-11T13:10:42","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T13:10:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jointpublicissues.org.uk\/?p=9052"},"modified":"2020-12-11T13:10:42","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T13:10:42","slug":"homeless-outreach-in-the-winter-of-coronavirus-looking-to-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/standrewsurcrustington.org.uk\/?p=598","title":{"rendered":"Homeless Outreach in the Winter of Coronavirus: Looking to the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the third in a series of three blogs addressing the homelessness crisis and the changing response of churches to homelessness during coronavirus. You can read the first blog, on the contexts of changing need and changing policy,\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. You can read the second blog, a round-up of our webinar with Housing Justice, <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. You can explore further resources\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

This year has
\nproduced an entirely new and increased set of challenges for those experiencing
\nhomelessness, and the people working alongside them. At the same time, a set of
\nunique opportunities have presented themselves in the journey to end
\nhomelessness for good. \u2018Everyone In\u2019 proved that with the right political will,
\nthere are the means to practically eliminate rough sleeping in a series of
\nweeks. Many churches have used this time to reimagine their own response to
\nhomelessness through widening their brief to include preventative measures and
\nbefriending schemes.<\/p>\n

As we look towards
\nthe new year, we are again faced with a new set of distinct challenges and opportunities.
\nThe recent Spending Review<\/a> has given us a flavour of the Government\u2019s
\neconomic priorities as it starts to phase into \u2018recovery\u2019 rather than
\n\u2018response\u2019. The longer term economic consequences of the pandemic will be
\naccompanied by the uncertain but undeniable impact of Brexit, altering the way
\nthe UK can respond to rough sleeping. For churches who have adapted their work
\non homelessness this winter, the new year presents a chance to entrench the
\nbest of these temporary changes, and re-centre and refocus their outreach work.\n<\/p>\n

The Foundations: the Spending Review<\/h2>\n

The Government\u2019s recent Spending Review sets the climate and
\nfunding landscape that organisations and churches will be responding to
\nhomelessness within. <\/p>\n

The Spending Review included a number of measures to address
\nrough sleeping and homelessness.  Most
\nsignificantly, it featured \u00a3254
\nmillion of resource funding to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness<\/a>,
\nmarking a 60% cash increase in overall funding for rough sleeping and
\nhomelessness compared to last year. <\/p>\n

Whilst this additional funding was warmly welcomed by
\ncharities and organisations working in the sector, the consensus is that
\nmeasures focusing on rough sleeping and homelessness alone are likely to be
\nineffective alone. They need to be accompanied by well-funded services that
\nprevent people from ending up on the streets in the first place. In response to
\nthe Spending Review, Homeless
\nLink<\/a> have highlighted that without a fully funded welfare safety net, the
\nprogress made through \u2018Everyone In\u2019 in the first lockdown may be in vain. Similarly,
\nShelter<\/a>
\nhave drawn attention to the absence of funding for the building of social
\nhousing , and the hidden freeze to housing benefits due next year. This freeze
\nwill mean a real-time cut in income for families struggling to pay rent, likely
\npushing some onto the streets as they are unable to keep their homes against
\nthe backdrop of an increasingly unstable job market.<\/p>\n

Accompanied by currently planned removal of the \u00a320 uplift
\nin Universal Credit, the consequences of the Spending Review are likely to hit
\nmany of the poorest in our society the hardest. <\/p>\n

These funding changes many mean that shorter term, Churches
\nand homelessness organizations will see a minor increase in funding. But they
\nwill alter the nature of the issues they are attempting to respond to \u2013 likely
\nexacerbating the root causes of homelessness and leading to an incremental rise
\nin rough sleeping throughout 2021. <\/p>\n

Impact of Brexit<\/h2>\n

When the UK leaves the EU at the end of 2020, we will be
\nentering unchartered territory, so it is difficult to comment definitively on
\nhow this will impact the experiences of rough sleepers and outreach. <\/p>\n

However, some projections and forecasts have focused on the
\nrelationship between Brexit and housing issues. A 2018
\nreport by Homeless Link<\/a> identified four key areas that would be likely to
\nsee an impact: immigration status and rights, access to housing, healthcare,
\nemployment and homelessness services, funding for homelessness prevention and
\nrelief and the \u2018bigger picture\u2019. <\/p>\n

It has already been announced that from 1st<\/sup>
\nDecember, non-UK nationals could
\nface deportation<\/a> if they are rough sleeping. A large number of
\norganisations have written to the Government asking for this decision to be
\nreversed, but it is likely that the impacts of Brexit will continue to impinge
\non the rights of non-UK nationals who are rough sleeping or in unstable
\naccommodation.<\/p>\n

You can read our guide to supporting an application to the
\nEU Settlement Scheme from someone who is rough sleeping here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some Permanent Changes in our Approach to Outreach?<\/h2>\n

During JPIT\u2019s homelessness webinar at the end of November, our
\npanellists agreed that while the pandemic had presented manifold challenges for
\nthe housing and homeless sector, opportunities had also arisen.<\/p>\n

Churches can seize this moment to swing towards policy and
\nadvocacy work more decisively and permanently, creating a landscape of outreach
\nwhich addresses the root of the problem and works in preventing homelessness
\naltogether. This includes befriending schemes and community programmes which
\ncan create a stronger support network, but also has a strong policy angle.
\nChurches can advocate for a more comprehensive safety net than Universal Credit
\ncurrently provides, to prevent people ending up on the streets altogether.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, as Churches and as Christians, we want to see an
\nend to homelessness, and a world where foodbanks and night shelters simply are
\nnot needed. Moving away from an intervention based response towards
\npreventative actions should mark a step towards this. <\/p>\n

There are certainly challenges likely to arise over the next
\nyear. The political and practical landscape of homeless outreach has changed
\nand will continue to shift as we respond to the pandemic, to Brexit, and to government
\nspending priorities. But we can use this moment to advocate for real change and
\na shift towards preventative measures. This could be a moment to change the
\nconversation towards ending homelessness altogether.<\/p>\n

A Prayer…<\/h2>\n
\n

Jesus, <\/p>\n

Thank you for the work of people who are changing the conversation around homelessness. <\/p>\n

Thank you for this moment of potential, for our ability to work towards the eradication of rough sleeping and other kinds of homelessness, and for your enduring love for the most vulnerable in our society. <\/p>\n

We pray that this moment will not be wasted, and that the challenges of 2021 will be turned into opportunities for real change among outreach workers, policy makers, and the lives of people experiencing homelessness in the UK today.<\/p>\n

Amen <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This blog was written collaboratively by Lucy Tiller<\/a> and Meg Read. <\/p>\n

The post Homeless Outreach in the Winter of Coronavirus: Looking to the Future<\/a> appeared first on Joint Public Issues Team<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the third in a series of three blogs addressing the homelessness crisis and the changing response of churches to homelessness during coronavirus. You can read the first blog, on the contexts of changing need and changing policy,\u00a0here. You can read the second blog, a round-up of our webinar with Housing Justice, here. You […]
\nThe post Homeless Outreach in the Winter of Coronavirus: Looking to the Future appeared first on Joint Public Issues Team. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-urc-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t