Our Just Thinking research project is reaching its climax and will culminate with and event in parliament on Monday 12
th December hosted by Caroline Lucas MP.We are using this event to highlight the enormous challenges that temporary accommodation presents for its residents and to call on our supporters, colleagues, MPs, funders, decision makers and any others to join together in creating systemic change for those single homeless stuck in unsupported temporary accommodation.Hidden homelessness and life in temporary accommodation is very topical across media outlets at the moment, especially since this year is the 50
th anniversary of ‘Cathy Come Home.’ Many are wondering how far have we come and has anything changed? Unfortunately, we feel there hasn’t been a lot of change and that the situation in the near future will continue to get harder, especially for people who are experiencing homelessness but in a more hidden way.Since 2013 Justlife and IPPR North has been speaking to individuals living in unsupported temporary accommodation—the hidden homeless—to discover how living in this type of accommodation affects their health and wellbeing. We know that people move into this type of accommodation for an unspecified amount of time and are often worried about their safety. There is a 50% chance you wont have a lock on your door, you will be sharing toilets and showers that are often in poor condition without consistent heating or hot water, will feel worried or intimidated by others living with them as well as their landlord and pretty much always have no indication of when they will be able to move out. We know that this creates an environment in which mental and physical health deteriorates and it could ultimately lead to an early death.We know that the challenges presented by unsupported temporary will not go away, but we believe that when it is acknowledged as part of homelessness and the residents are no longer hidden, that innovative solutions for systems change will come.If you are interested in being apart of this change, contact: Christa Maciver,
christa@justlife.org.ukFollow the event on twitter and tweet along with us!
#JustlifeinParliament#hiddenhomelessnessnomore*Image Copyright: Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of parliament.
