Today is World Homeless Day and a chance to reflect and think about people experiencing homelessness and what you can do to help.
The average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 46 for men and 42 for women. People sleeping on the street are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence. More than one in three people sleeping rough have been deliberately hit or kicked or experienced some other form of violence whilst homeless. Homeless people are over nine times more likely to take their own life than the general population. (Statistics taken from the Crisis website.)
It most cases homelessness can be prevented with the correct support.
If you observe a homeless person engage them in conversation and perhaps provide them with a hot drink or some food. Ask them if they would like you to contact Streetlink.
StreetLink is a platform that connects people rough sleeping in England and Wales to support provided by local authorities and charities. The platform relies on alerts submitted by members of the public.
If you do do a referral please include exact location, and a brief description of the person. This enables the outreach teams an easier task locating the person.
Every street link referral within Putney is forwarded to a charity called Spear. They provide a rough sleeper outreach service. They will visit each referred location to find the rough sleeper and offer support. It may take a number of visits for them to build up trust but they will do everything they can to get the person off the streets and into temporary accommodation. They can also refer to other services such as drug and alcohol dependence, and mental health services.
Earlier this year Shop from Crisis opened on Putney High Street. The shop has a range of quality pre-loved clothing and jewellery, and their window display always looks brilliant. All funds raised help Crisis support people on their journeys out of homelessness.