What is homelessness?
The Housing Act 1996 defines a person as homeless if they either:
The Housing Act 1996 defines a person as homeless if they either:
- Have no accommodation available to occupy
- Are at risk of violence or domestic abuse
- Have accommodation but it is not reasonable for them to continue to occupy it
- Have accommodation but cannot secure entry to it
- Have no legal right to occupy their accommodation
- Live in a mobile home or houseboat but have no place to put it or live in it
A person is threatened with homelessness if it is likely that they will become homeless within 56 days. People become homeless for lots of different reasons. Homelessness can be caused by structural issues, such as housing supply or unaffordability, or individual issues such as bereavement or mental health problems.
Crisis have explained the different types of homelessness which include:
- Rough sleeping – the most visible and dangerous form of homelessness
- Statutory homelessness – either lacking a secure place in which you are entitled to live, or not be reasonably able to stay and have contacted the local authorities for assistance
- Hidden homelessness – those who are not entitled to help or have not contacted their council for support. Many stay in hostels, B&B's, or on the sofas or floors of friends and family
- At risk of homelessness – people who are more at risk of homelessness than others due to factors such as low paid jobs or insecure housing.
It’s happened to me
Talk
- Talk to someone you trust. Talking things through with someone can sometimes help. This could be a friend, family member or someone at City St George's.
- Student Welfare and Engagement Officers are first points of contact for any wellbeing or student experience related issues. Students can discuss any challenges or life-circumstances which may be affecting their wellbeing and ability to engage with their studies.
Report
- Students can report concerns using City St George's Report + Support platform. You can choose to do this without providing your personal details or you can request support from an adviser by filling in the form with your contact details.
Support
Students can connect with staff across the University:
- Student Health and Wellbeing provide students with practical, emotional and specialist disability related support. Students can complete the e-referral form to access these services.
- Student Support Services are a multi-disciplinary team that provides support, expert advice and guidance to students. You can contact them through our Support@City platform
- The Chaplaincy Team offer pastoral support to everyone, welcoming every faith, belief and culture and students with no faith, and can be contacted directly.
- The SU Advice Service offer support for students who have experienced any form of harassment, bullying or sexual violence, either on campus, online or off campus. You can access support here.
Other sources of support
- Get help from your Local Council
- Shelter provides a free emergency helpline on 0808 800 4444 which is open Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm and weekends/bank holidays 9am – 5pm. They also offer a webchat for those who don’t want to call, available Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm.
- Centrepoint provides a hotline for people aged 16 -25. You can call 0808 800 0661 between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. They also provide a Live chat option to speak directly to an advisor.
- Crisis offers 9 Skylight centres to support to finding housing, employment and develop new skills across Great Britain.
- Samaritans (116 123) provides 24-hour confidential emotional support to anyone in distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide.
- Childline provides a confidential helpline for under 19s. You can call 0800 1111 to speak to counsellor, you can send them an email or log in for a 1-2-1 counsellor chat.
- The Mix offers support for under 25s on a range of topics and through different mechanisms such as a helpline, crisis messenger, one-to-one chat or counselling services .
It’s happened to someone I know
Talk
- Listen. Just taking the time to listen to someone and talk about what has happened to them can help. If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support. It’s important to listen to what they want to do and respect the decision they make. If they do not wish to seek support or report what has happened to them, you can ask them if you can make a report on their behalf without providing their personal details. These six active listening tips might help you support them.
- Thank the person for the disclosure and acknowledge that you believe them.
- Give options. When they have finished talking ask them if they are okay to talk through some possible options and next steps. Remember, it is important that they decide what they want to do.
Report
- Students can report concerns using City St George's Report + Support platform. They can choose to do this without providing their personal details or they can request support from an adviser by filling in the form with their contact details.
Get Support
There are many ways to access support at City St George's and a number of external organisations that provide specialist support. You can encourage the person to access the support they need.
Your mental health and wellbeing
If you are supporting someone, make sure you look after yourself. If you’ve heard something distressing or if something is troubling you, you may also want to access support for yourself.
- Vivup, City St George's Employee Assistance Provider (0800 023 9324) - Their telephone helpline provides staff members with expert support for life's ups and downs - 24/7, 365 days a year. Whatever mental, physical, financial or personal issue you're facing, you can find a wide range of resources to help you.
- The Wellbeing@City Hub provides details of additional information and support on wellbeing for staff members.
Student support and resources are available on the Student Health and Wellbeing pages on the Student Hub and students can complete the e-referral form to access these services. Students can also seek support through Student Support Services or contact staff in the Chaplaincy Team directly. Students can also access additional support through the Students’ Union.