What if...
What if...
...no one raised money for homelessness charities?
Charities that help and advise homeless or poorly housed people are essential because homelessness continues to be a major social problem.
Although local councils have a duty to help some homeless people, there are many who do not have a statutory right to be housed, and even those with such rights often have to wait months or even years before finding adequate accommodation.
Charities bridge the gap. They don’t just provide a roof over someone’s head; as well as running hostels and emergency accommodation, they provide much-needed advice and liaise with government agencies to help meet homeless people’s needs.
The scale of the issue is often underestimated. In the fourth quarter of 2006, according to official figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government, 17,310 households were accepted as homeless across England. While this was a fall of 3% on the previous quarter, there were still 89,510 homeless households living in temporary accommodation, almost twice as many as in December 1997.
While some charities get funding from the government or the Lottery to help homeless people, they also depend on public donations. Shelter, for example, raised £19m from donations and gifts in 2006, as well as £7m from its shops, which sell second-hand items. Another £3.5m was left to Shelter in wills.
Donations from the public ensure homelessness charities can continue to act independently, criticising government policy when necessary and lobbying for changes, such as more provision of affordable housing.
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