There is no average day in the life of someone facing homelessness.
When you’re living on the streets, things can be unpredictable as you’re constantly faced with new environments, people and challenges.
At the same time, we see many people sleeping rough who are tired of monotony. It’s difficult to find ways of passing time when sleeping rough (that’s why we offer so many activities for people to get involved in).
But what can the realities of homelessness look like on a day-to-day basis?
Morning
People living on the streets could wake up in a park, doorway or anywhere they feel safe. This is often early in the morning so that they can be alert as people begin to fill the city.
At this time, it can still be dark and cold so many will begin their day looking for places to get warm, clean up or have breakfast. It’s not always possible to find these basic necessities when homeless. People may spend their whole day looking for these things while others access a day centre, like ours at The Connection, where showers, food and spaces to rest are available.
Afternoon
Later in the day, people sleeping rough can face different obstacles.
Many people are exposed to violence and substance abuse. We supported Jade after she began using drugs while on the streets.
“I started drinking and taking drugs… You’re not aware of time really, days and more days and nights turn into all the same”.
– Jade
Unfortunately, increased exposure to substances while facing the intense stress of street life on the streets is a dangerous combination. 65% of people sleeping rough in 2021/2 needed support with substance misuse. These experiences can be very traumatic. This is why we have dedicated Outreach teams who go out and chat to people facing homelessness. If people are ready to chat, we can assess what support is best for them and encourage them to visit our centre.
Evening
Nighttime can be the most challenging part of sleeping on the streets. This is because dark, cold and busy environments, like London at night, can become dangerous quickly. Being struck in these spaces, with no shelter to turn to, can feel unescapable and really threatening.
Getting to sleep can also be tricky on the streets. Sleeping on a bench, pavement or doorway can be very uncomfortable and causes serious health issues in many. When people visit our centre for the first time, they often sit down and go straight to sleep before showering or eating due to this.
What is a day in the life like for people facing homelessness?
People sleeping rough are likely to face some form of the day we’ve described. Whether this is for a day or years at a time, it can have a serious impact on someone’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
It’s also important to consider that there are many forms of homelessness outside of sleeping rough including statutory homelessness, hidden homelessness and people at risk of homelessness – all of whom face their own challenges.
Ultimately, there is much more to homelessness than any one person’s story can hold. And while people’s stories are key to understanding homelessness, we have a lot more to learn.