A new survey conducted by the homelessness charity St Mungo’s reveals that there may be harmful misconceptions around the leading causes of homelessness in the UK.
Participants were shown a list of 19 possible causes of homelessness in a multiple-choice question. Reviewing some of the answers given provides interesting insight:
The charity’s polling suggests that some people believe homelessness may be a personal choice, with almost a fifth (18%) selecting this as one of the main causes of homelessness.
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- 64% of respondents believe that one of the main causes of homelessness is alcohol or drug issues.
- Half (50%) of respondents selected poverty, and the same proportion selected lack of affordable housing to rent or buy as one of the main causes of homelessness.
- Just 18% identified a lack of support for migrants as one of the main causes of homelessness
In response, the charity is here to challenge these misconceptions. It cautions that homelessness is a complex issue caused by multiple factors, and is never a personal choice.
Ish Camp, Regional Head at St Mungo’s, said: ‘Misconceptions, such as homelessness being a personal choice, are incredibly harmful. They contribute to stigma and shame, which can stop people from accessing support, leaving people vulnerable to serious harm and even death.”
“There are numerous, personal, and systemic reasons which contribute to why people may become homeless,” says Ish Camp. “This is what makes resolving the problem such a challenge as there is not one single solution that works for everyone. Every human being is different, and approaches need to be tailored to work for individuals if we want to resolve this complex issue.”
“St Mungo’s is here to challenge misconceptions and stereotypes around homelessness,” Ish Camp says. “Our teams get to know clients as individuals, understanding their unique needs to help as many people as possible into safe and warm accommodation, where they can begin rebuilding their lives in the way they want to.”
While evidence shows that mental health issues and alcohol and substance support needs are more common among people experiencing homelessness, St Mungo’s warns that this is a consequence of homelessness rather than a cause.
In reality, complex support needs frequently arise or exacerbate as a direct result of somebody losing their home, rather than being a sole cause of homelessness.
The rising cost of living, a lack of affordable housing, relationship breakdown, the death of a friend, partner or relative, low wages and unemployment, a lack of support for newly-recognised asylum seekers leaving Home Office accommodation, and domestic and other abuse are also factors that may contribute to a person becoming homeless.
Based on the same polling where participants were shown a list of 19 possible causes of homelessness in a multiple-choice question, St Mungo’s believes there is a relative lack of awareness around these nuances.
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- 44% of those polled by St Mungo’s identified relationship breakdown as a significant factor, selecting it as an answer among main causes
- 39% selected domestic or other abuse as one of the main causes of homelessness
- 18% selected bereavement as one of the main causes of homelessness
- 36% of respondents chose low wages and the same proportion chose lack of support for people leaving the armed forces as one of the main causes of homelessness
- 46% cited unemployment as a main cause of homelessness.
Visit mungos.org to find out more about the roles of the charity’s frontline workers.
