UK Poverty Post

Thousands of homeless people have mental health problems – it’s time something was done to help them

Around a third of rough sleepers on London’s streets have a diagnosed mental health problem. While that’s sobering enough, the really shocking fact is that this figure has remained static for more than a decade. Without more targeted action, not only by government’s housing ministry but also by the Department of Health, the concern is that the situation is not likely to improve in the near future, especially in a time of economic downturn.

That’s why St Mungo’s is focusing its energies during this year’s Action Week (5-12 July) on mental ill health and homelessness.

Why now? Of course a lot has already been said about mental health and homelessness, but the point we’re trying to make is that not enough has been done. The number of people contacted rough sleeping on the streets of London in the last 12 months increased by 15 percent. A total of 35 percent of those had mental health support needs according to the outreach teams and homelessness staff who worked with them. As the number of rough sleepers rises, so the number with mental health problems is also likely to go up.

But what do homeless people think about mental health issues? As part of Action Week we have launched a peer research study called Happiness Matters. Peer research is a useful tool; vulnerable people can often feel more comfortable talking about their experiences with someone who’s been through a similar experience. So we asked our residents – on any one night we house 1,400 men and women – if they would like to be involved in this research. Of those that said yes, some helped frame the questions and received interview skills training in order to interview their peers, others agreed to be interviewed.

Here are some of their comments:

“I lost my business and my family and the system let me down and I found myself on the streets without any money”; “Through depression [I] found it hard to keep up with [my] rent and other personal issues”; “Depression, boredom, dreams fade, lack of ambition”.

And what do they see as the solutions? “Counselling, harm reduction and, most importantly, listening and understanding”; “More funding, more drop-in centres for mental health. Reduction of waiting lists to see professionals”, “Sometimes you need to talk to someone to try to get to the root of the problem instead of just dishing out medication”.

That’s why we’re launching a £1 million Mental Health appeal during our Action Week. The money will go towards funding specialist staff (crisis intervention as well as a specialist mental health person to work alongside our successful Putting Down Roots gardening programme); developing our supported housing for those with mental health problems; promoting well-being, extending training and enabling more research and lobbying projects.

There’s also some fun stuff that our clients, staff and volunteers are involved with this week. On Sunday we held a fundraising Bridge Walk. Staff and clients raised money as they walked five miles over five of London’s bridges. There’s a parliamentary reception on Monday evening and a Garden Party at Westminster Abbey where former clients will be speaking about the Putting Down Roots programme, some of the team responsible for the Key Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this year.

There are Open Days at a number of hostels where residents will be showing art, trying various therapies and talking about mental well-being generally. On Wednesday, our member’s body, Outside In, is gearing up for “Reasons to be Cheerful” day. In the morning they will be looking at the Happiness Matters research, talking about it and running some role plays. Continuing on the theme of mental well being in the afternoon, there’s yoga, acupuncture and massage all lined up as well as a Scalextric competition, we hear!

In the Happiness Matters peer research, we also asked interviewees what they would say if they had five minutes with the Prime Minister. Their replies included: “Give them [homeless people] as much support as they can get and re-house them in appropriate accommodation as long as it’s safe and secure” and “More funding and more professionals that have the understanding and the TIME to listen.”

One person also suggested: “Take all the thousands of pounds from the MPs that are claiming for second homes and expenses and re-channel it into dedicated mental health project for vulnerably housed and homeless. And ensure councils make their long term empty housing available for those in need.”

By the end of this week, the hope is that more people, from politicians to the public, might know a little bit more about what it really is to be homeless, how much mental ill health can be both a cause and a factor in homelessness and what action can be taken to ensure that everyone has a decent place to live, something meaningful to do and satisfying relationships with other people – as well as the good health to enjoy them.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Oxfam GB.