World Homeless Day
10th October is World Homeless Day.
Here are some frightening statistics about homelessness in the UK. There will, in addition, be those not counted in these figures because their homelessness is hidden in some way.
In 2026 the number of households in England that are statutory homelessness, meaning that local authorities have a legal duty to assist, is 83,850’. The number of households in temporary accommodation is 135,000’; and the number of children living in temporary accommodation is 177,000’. The number of people sleeping rough is around 8,748”
These are quite large numbers. They are simply a snapshot of the homelessness situation as we experience it today. Whilst it may be easy to explain them away as people choosing homelessness as a life-style choice or are in some way culpable for their own predicament, these arguments struggle to explain why homelessness has grown significantly in recent years. At the end of 2023, City Harvest (a London charity working with the homeless and hungry) commented on the trend in England saying, “The homelessness situation has got a lot worse in the past 15 years … Today, there are 74% more people sleeping rough in the UK than there were in 2010.”
Homeless charity Crisis published a report at the end of last year of research undertaken by Heriot Watt University and the University of New South Wales. They found that since “2012 core homelessness has increased by a total of 45%.”
The Children’s Society highlight some of the implications for homelessness for children.
· It can be detrimental to their physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing.
· It’s harder to have access to healthy food or hygiene products.
· Some children go to school in the morning not knowing where they will be sleeping after school, making children feel anxious and that they don’t belong.
· Education is disrupted when families are constantly on the move.
· Children find it more difficult to develop friendships, focus in class, and find good places to study and do their homework.
· The number of homeless people does not have to rise as we have seen here in the UK for many, many years.
However, homelessness is not something that is impossible to address.
Forty years ago, Finland had the worst homelessness challenge in the whole of Europe with 20,000 people of their 5 million population living rough on the streets. By 2020, that number had fallen so far that practically no one slept rough on any given night. Their Housing First programme provided a permanent home for homeless people, with no preconditions, and then gave people the opportunity and support to address other problems. Finland’s model worked because five necessary and sufficient conditions held simultaneously;
(i) political continuity across multiple governments,
(ii) a constitutional right to housing,
(iii) sufficient affordable housing stock,
(iv) reliable multi-year funding,
(v) a working coalition of government, non-profits, and municipalities.
However, in 2024, homelessness in Finland increased for the first time in eleven years. Why? There was a political decision to cut budgets for housing advice in half.
You can find out more about Finland’s Housing First initiative here: https://futuropia.eu/housing-first-how-finland-solved-homelessness/
Homelessness also impacts across the world as war, conflict, oppression and climate change displace people from their homes. Around 120 million people have been displaced, of which 69 million have moved within their own countries (known as internally displaced people – IDPs), the rest have crossed international borders. The UNHCR estimates that approximately 45 million displaced people are children, representing 38% of the total displaced population.
As faithful followers of Christ, how does our faith shape our understanding of, and response to, homelessness? How do we regard homelessness – as a life-style choice, a consequence of individuals making poor decisions, or an outcome of unjust economic and political systems, or some other factor(s)? Should we be concerned that some people have no place to call home? What priority should homelessness be given among the many economic and political challenges we face?
Through Isaiah, God criticises his people for their unfaithfulness. God said;
“‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: here am I.” (Isaiah 57: 6-9a)
Matthew records Jesus telling a parable about a King, (Matthew 25:31-46) which ends;
“I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”
John urges our compassion;
“How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3: 17-18)
So, what is God saying to us in these passages about people who are homeless and how we should respond? How does our faith in Jesus Christ impact upon our attitudes, values and actions with regard to people who are homeless? How does that influence our political stance with regard to social policy, and our vote at the ballot box.
When we say the Lord’s Prayer, we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. That prayer throws a question back at us; are we creating a world that is becoming increasingly more like God intends it to be? If not, why not?
PRAY
Loving God, we thank you for our homes. Forgive us that we have created a world where so many have no place to call home and where so many live in precarity. We bring to you all who will sleep rough tonight, and all for whom the place where they will lay their head is not their home. For people who feel forgotten, for all carrying fear, trauma, loneliness, addiction, poor mental health, or grief, may they know you love them and that you are with them.
Bless all who work to support people who are homeless. We thank you for their commitment to others.
Help us not to become complacent, or judgmental. Help us to make our prayer, that your will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven, a reality, so the world becomes more like you intend it to be. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
