This coming Tuesday (10th October) is World Homeless Day. It is also a day on which for some time World Mental Health Day has been held. The occurrence of both these awareness days on the same date is perhaps not accidental because sadly there is often a close relationship between mental ill health and the causes of homelessness for many people.
World Homeless Day’s primary purpose is to raise awareness of the serious issues faced by the homeless population globally, as well as giving a focus to some of the issues which can act as a cause of homelessness.
This past week I was speaking with a former colleague who is now working for a charity that supports people who are homeless. I was reflecting with them that from my own awareness there seemed to be more rough sleepers in the centre of Glasgow when I walked through the city than I could remember for some time. It would appear that personal observation is not an inaccurate one. I was also struck by an observation he made which was that he and colleagues are seeing more and more older people becoming homeless and that older people’s homelessness is often ‘hidden and hard’.
According to a report from Shelter there are around 300,000 people across the United Kingdom who are currently experiencing homelessness. In Scotland a Scottish Government report at the end of last year highlighted the growing extent of homelessness which is indeed on the rise, increasing 10% from previous data.
One of the particular issues which interests me personally is the growing number of older persons who are becoming homeless. This is the hidden homelessness my ex-colleague referred to. Indeed, one of the first people I ever met in a residential care setting was someone who had spent a great deal of his adult life being homeless. By the time I had met him he was in his late seventies and bore all the scars from years of living rough, or time in various hostels and temporary accommodation settings. He found himself in a care home supported by understanding staff and fellow residents and perhaps for the first time in a long time having his specific needs addressed in an inclusive and positive manner. He had first become homeless as a result of a relationship breakdown and from personal mental health struggles and had found it increasingly hard to both get a job and to get himself out of the spiralling addictions which had become his lifestyle. Over the years it has become clear to me that many residents in our care homes have lived with chaotic lives up until that time.
Whilst the Scottish Government report last year highlighted that the majority of those who are homeless are under the age of 49 there is still a sizeable group (some 12%) who are over 50. It also showed that older people often fail to maintain accommodation (frequently in the private rented sector) as a result of physical as well as mental health issues. Yet this older group is least likely to take up the opportunity of temporary accommodation.
Age UK has argued that it is important for our older age citizens that we recognise that homelessness does not just mean rough sleeping. It can equally be circumstances where an older person does not feel that it is safe to remain in their own home or has been forced out of their own place because of family or community breakdown. It can also be the case that the death of a partner or a spouse can make someone homeless. Sadly, we are also increasingly aware that the cost of living crisis has prevented some people from maintaining their homes to a standard that makes them safe, and even more common that a developing or new disability or illness makes someone’s home no longer suitable to meet their needs.
As we move into autumn and winter many of us are concerned that the homes of many of our older citizens will not be fit for purpose and that many older Scots will join the growing numbers of those who are in reality homeless even if they are not noted in the official statistics. Despite record figures being reported in the media of those being made homeless in Scotland, as Citizens Advice Scotland have stated this may only be a fraction of the true story:
‘Citizens Advice Scotland spokesperson Aoife Deery said: “This is the horrifying impact of the cost of living crisis and the housing emergency. There is a serious risk these figures are the tip of the iceberg, as people can’t keep up with essential spending.
“Across the Citizens Advice network we have seen that advice on actual homelessness has been growing as a proportion of housing advice for the past few months. In fact, homelessness advice in December 2022 was up 34% from December 2021 as a proportion of all homelessness advice.”
I hope we can all of us this coming Tuesday and in the days and weeks to come reflect on the issue of homelessness in our communities, and most especially to think of older people and the reasons they may become homeless.
In so doing we might ponder the words of Ian Macmillan who wrote in last year’s Big Issue for last year’s World Homeless Day:
A Shakespearean Sonnet About Doors by Ian McMillan
It’s not much to ask. Just a door to lock.
A door that won’t break when someone kicks it.
Door with a keyhole. Respond to that knock
Or not. My choice. It’s broke so let’s fix it:
The world, I mean. Not the door. That’s ok.
It’s my door, to my room. Look: here’s the key.
The world, though. That’s different. Somewhere to stay
Is what we all need. Somewhere to be me
And not just someone you blithely ignore
When you see me sleeping on the street.
Let’s begin with this. A door. Just a door
To start with. A door. Food. Then light and heat.
The world must respond to this simple truth:
Let’s all have a door. Let’s all have a roof
National Poetry Day: Read this exclusive poem about homelessness by Ian McMillan – The Big Issue
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Donald Macaskill
