A safe haven from the streets
THE BBC1 reality series, Famous, Rich and Homeless, brought the issue of homelessness into millions of British living rooms.
Sheffield, like most cities, continues to struggle with the problem, but there are a few places the homeless can go for help.
Ben's Centre is one. A day centre that works with street drinkers, it provides basic necessities such as access to clean clothing, food and cleaning facilities. Funded by a combination of a grant from Sheffield City Council, trust funds and public donations, the centre is a "damp" service, where the street drinkers can come in even if they are intoxicated, although they aren't allowed to drink on the premises.
Opened in 1996, the centre is now run by volunteers and paid staff, headed by project manager, Wendy Bates.
Despite taking her degree in international relations and politics, Sheffield-born Wendy has dedicated her career to the homeless.
"I love it," she says. "I don't see it as dealing with the homeless, I just see it as people. I absolutely love the characters and their brutal honesty. I'm known as being really tough – not much gets past me – but my biggest joy in life is helping them find themselves again.
"There are as many reasons as there are people," Wendy says in answer to why people become homeless.
"Each person has their individual story and it can be the smallest thing that can actually knock you off course."
One of the most common reasons is the break-up of a long-term relationship. In the majority of occasions, especially when children are involved, it is the man who finds himself losing his home. "In a lot of cases, they just can't cope."
Many do not have an extended family and even those who do find that sooner or later, hospitality wears thin. It is then that the street can seem the only option.
"A common misconception is that the council has a duty of care to house everyone," Wendy says. "People think that you can knock on their door and they'll give you a house. It's simply not the case."
Although the council does have a duty to assess every application for housing, the volume of demand means that it can take a considerable amount of time. It is places such as Ben's Centre that offer those sleeping rough much needed support during the process.
At one time, most rough sleepers would spend the night in the city centre, but Sheffield – like many cities – has changed vastly over the last decade with a huge increase in city centre living. This has led to more complaints to police about rough sleepers which, along with the city centre becoming much busier at night, has contributed to the trend of sleeping outside the city centre.
"People may think that there are less people sleeping rough because they are less visible," says Wendy.
"The truth is that they are spending the night in abandoned buildings and the city's wooded areas."
One of the most common characteristics of people who have been homeless for a period of time is that they begin to only think about surviving the day and stop thinking about the future.
"Our mission statement is 'a place of stability for Sheffield street drinkers'. We want to bring some level of stability to their lives."
It's an idea Wendy and her staff take seriously. Volunteers are asked for a commitment of at least six months as this helps bring stability to the lives of those who use the centre. "Some only know it's Tuesday because a certain volunteer is in."
Staff at Ben's Centre try to help the people by encouraging them to think about the future, something than can be very difficult when the most pressing concern is where they will spend the night.
"Of course, we want to break the cycle of addiction," Wendy says, "but you're not going to do any of that until Joe Bloggs knows he's Joe Bloggs and he remembers that he once liked fishing."
Although the centre's future is far from secure, due to funding issues, Wendy and her team remain committed to helping those who use Ben's to begin to get their lives back on track.
Of course, finding somewhere to live is far from the end of the problem.
Nomad is a centrally funded organisation that assists with the next stage: helping people maintain a tenancy by ensuring support and access to services in the local community.
"We try to break the cycle of homelessness," quality development manager Carol Allcroft explains. "There's no quick fix, so we support people over a period of up to two years."
One of the main challenges facing those who have managed to secure accommodation is turning an empty flat into a home. "It's not just about getting into a flat," says Carol, "it's about setting up utilities and helping them handle their finances so that they can maintain their tenancy."
This can be very daunting for some people and without help they can quickly find themselves in arrears and eventually evicted. "We work with the tenant, not for them. By working together, we can prevent homelessness. Without this support," Carol adds, "you're just setting someone up to fail".
Nomad, which works with people in the north of the city, has been helping local people for almost twenty years. "We aim to help people get back into work and even ensure they eat healthily. We work to stop the revolving door cycle where they can end up back on the streets."
It can be a long and difficult process, but Nomad has a strong track record of success. "When we see someone getting their life back on track," Carol says, "it's a great feeling."
www.benscentre.wordpress.com
www.nomadsheffield.co.uk
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Weather for Sheffield
Thursday 24 May 2012
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