Finding the Way Home Isolation and activity among the greatest risks to someone with high support needs “ Ihat SiasonteheresI,’dhroe fffomytimes,a ven kf, yfouiieewedaehruoegttnevt’nmwodtebotthguohtnetfoerewytivitcadnassenilenol,modero B who had been formally homeless but now living alone in the are back living with family, you still need that community in ordinary housing. People who had been support, you need that backup. homeless often thought the combination of isolation and Male with long term experience of living rough, 43. boredom were potential risks because of their association with mental illness and also because they could also restart, or exacerbate, problematic drinking and drug use. Service providers tended to share this view and discussed “ ItmI’ll drrnkeronekyourehends urgoefmrrewo,oyouayr, buovidhsinpeluvideotirouronrertviiceyato atnlpotusoymvehtorelouedt worikity,vtfcaodcleletapposcoerppneewihegtsodolllhpamwdeeahdhnyatsdgrntehnotiagkstrif,onwndeioasctunootdrogvgenhiattehhtcmorospseksnirudya,yttpaouoyefiaoeysunaachtbd,neaifli…merlobfoiopgaasih’Ia into paid employment. Existing employment related services know what I mean, it’s a trap in that sense. were often thought to be relatively thinly provided and Male, long term rough sleeper, 52. operating in a difficult context due to the ongoing recession “ Inohatvatisupthe tt,hbngt,itisneadiontchbtece4eoouvyoaorte anoranwhetofoeach aaaonworrleieqsctarnuprporedsigfotreecgtryiragepaidedcinvrraetesneruubcdaurstsrhotpnwiertdieyvloeNd.piewcsi,egdinnuianeambteac,lieaybivtddaschaudwkretiwonndgionaiispikvdeorpwm’ugesrf’Iu.yhyk,2ehnasioasdtenlaots’tnuiodruooypsnionoeiloasliosit day, it’s no good having a key-worker who visits providers. ten minutes a day and is fecking off. Concerns about PHF and HFL services leaving people Male, history of long term rough sleeping, 51. ‘isolated’ in ordinary housing have been raised in the USA and elsewhere. Some housing-led services place considerable People who were homeless repeatedly emphasised that emphasis on community integration, but an evidence base on alongside a roof over their heads, help with support needs and how successful these services are at countering isolation, sufficient financial support to be able to meet basic housing boredom and worklessness is yet to be developed (see and living costs, the need for something to do was also very Chapter 2). important. Many reported wanting some kind of work or something productive to do during the day and linked activity to counteracting boredom and isolation. Some people who had recently been homeless and been rehoused reported making heavy use of the daycentres and other services provided by Simon Communities and other service providers that gave them somewhere to go and something to do during the day. “ Ionesomeutnoyohurpetw,bi,o’s’sa neatbahng.eittheno ebtealcba..voaigeoryedcyinahttuitnaooreuofgootoertdneevcoymald come over here. You don’t want to be sitting there on your own. Like I did suffer from drink in the past and I know that if I got bored with myself I’d be back to it, but I don’t want that. Male, history of long term homelessness, 51. 25
Finding the Way Home
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