In the UK, a cost of living crisis is occurring.
This means that the prices of goods and services are rising faster than incomes. For many this means their basic costs, like food and housing, will be more than they can afford.
Due to this, people are finding it hard to cope and are having to cut back on their spending.
Many factors have contributed to the cost of living crisis, including:
As a homeless charity, we’re especially concerned about the rising cost of housing. This is leading to a housing crisis as many are being priced out of their homes while rents and mortgages are going up all over the UK.
This can make finding a safe, affordable and accessible home impossible.
The cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on people’s lives. Many people are struggling to make ends meet and are having to cut back on their spending on all essentials.
The crisis is also harming mental and physical health.
The cost of living crisis affects some people more than others and could explain why we’ve seen a dramatic rise in demand for support at our day centre in Westminster.
How the cost of living crisis is affecting homelessness?
Simply put, the cost of living crisis is making homelessness more common and difficult to escape.
This is what happened to Jamie.
If you’d met Jamie a few years ago, you might think his story is fairly similar to yours. The ex-veteran had a good job that came with housing and was pretty happy in life. That was until he was made redundant with little warning.
From there, Jamie stayed at hotels until his money ran out. Then he started to sleep in St James’s Park in central London. It felt like a hopeless situation until he was directed to us.
Luckily, we were able to support Jamie out of homelessness but many are still struggling.
According to the Ministry of Justice, Evictions were up 98% at the end of last year. Additionally, over 3 million households reported that they fear skipping meals to keep up with rent and stay in their homes.
We’ve felt this impact first-hand in our centre. The number of people visiting The Connection has increased by over 45% in the last year with more people struggling to pay their rent or find a place to stay that’s within their budget.
This tells us that homelessness is becoming easier to fall into in the UK. It’s painful to see this but we know that with the right support and policies in place, it is completely preventable.
How you can make a difference?
We know donating isn’t possible for everyone right now. If you feel able, any amount would be greatly appreciated and could fund anything from a hot meal to a new home.
If you can’t give, please sign up to our email community. This means you’ll get updates on our work and will be the first to know about what’s going on for people sleeping rough – including lots of other ways to get involved and show your support.