Need-to-know about homelessness

To understand the scale of the crisis, it is important to know that 'homeless' is an umbrella term. There are four main types of homelessness:

Rough sleeping

Sleeping in the open air commonly includes streets, doorways, parks or bus shelters.

Temporary accommodation

The length of time someone can stay in temporary accommodation can vary from one night to indefinitely.

Hidden homelessness

People who have been homeless, but found temporary accommodation by staying with friends, family, squatting or other unsecure accommodation.

Statutory homeless

Local authorities have a duty to secure a home for some groups of people. Every year, tens of thousands of people apply, but due to limited space and funding, very few are successful.

Homelessness and poverty are more common than most people realise, with over 300,000 people without a permanent home in the UK, including a staggering rise of young people aged between 16 and 25 years old. The Fine & Country Foundation works with a range of charities to reduce these figures.

Through the combined knowledge and experience of these homeless charities, big and small, we have learnt about issues affecting homeless individuals and innovative strategies to support them as they break the cycle of homelessness. Some charities have bespoke move-in packs, while others have developed new workshops to support mental and physical well-being, like gardening programmes. 

Internationally, we have almost finished rebuilding a remote Nepalese village called Thangpalkot1. The village, along with vast areas of Nepal was devastated by the April 2015 earthquake. Through our partnership with Campbells Foundation, we have learnt about an effective method to help the village and provide sustainable support. Find out more about the project here. 

Have you seen someone who needs help? StreetLink connects homeless charities and local authorities with those sleeping rough. If you see someone, report them on the app or website. 

For help contacting or supporting your local homeless charity or overseas project, contact us at foundation@fineandcountry.com or call us on +44 (0)20 3368 8221. 

More from Fine & Country