Comments for Losing and Finding a Home

Comment on About the research and blog by nickiglassbrook

nickiglassbrook — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:28:16 +0000

I have just found your blog and interested that in an article posted through QNI that you mentioned Housing First Initiatives and Personalisation. I have been involved with implementing both. In Exeter there has been a housing first model operating for nearly 10 years which I helped to establish. It has not always been plain sailing but a lot of learning (less about the clients, more about the agencies involved). We also have a scheme run with the city council that places rough sleepers stright in to the temporary accommodation . I also coordinated an individual budgets pilot in Exeter and North Devon which has been evaluated. I am happy to share my learning with you

Comment on About the research and blog by Nicki Glassbrook

Nicki Glassbrook — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:22:47 +0000

I have just stumbled upon your blog and read with interest your comments about Housing first initiatives and Personalisation of services for rough sleepers. I have set up both things; a housing first style model has been running in Exeter for nearly 10 years now, it has not been plain sailing but… I also coordinated a pilot in Exeter and North Devon which allocated individual budgets to entrenched rough sleepers which was evaluated. I am happy to share all my findings with you.

Comment on Homeless services in Stoke-on-Trent by How to Generate Content for an Academic Blog: An Unfinished Guide « Gareth's Blog

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:52:52 +0000

[...] resource – one of the most used pages on homelessinstoke.com is a list of homeless services in the city. People constantly Google search this information. As it is the most comprehensive and up-to-date [...]

Comment on Why do people sleep rough in winter? by “Rough Sleeper in the Rain” & “The Big Yawn”: L(i)OVE improv(e) “There is a Better Way” | alisonboston

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:42:45 +0000

[...] Why do people sleep rough in winter? (homelessinstoke.com) Share this:ShareLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was posted in Experimental, Improvised, Listen: Soundcloud Tracks, Music, Safehouse, Vocals and tagged Affordable housing, alison boston, Brighton Gigs, Calgary, Crisis (charity), England, Experimental Music, experimental vocals, free jazz improvisation, Grant Shapps, Homelessness, Local government, London, SafeHouse Collective. Bookmark the permalink. ← HerVaGISTY’sPEECH:I:Am a PIEce of MEat Fly to Absentia:Vocal Anthem → [...]

Comment on Do People Adapt to Homelessness? The Role of Social Networks by salfordgareth

salfordgareth — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:46:30 +0000

Hi Joe,

Thanks for sharing your personal reflections. It sounds like your experiences of being part of a homeless network was closely related to street activities. There were fewer instances described to us in this research of street networks, but I remember some of those that did said they found other homeless people to be a threat to their safety, especially if they didn’t know whose patch they were on. It sounds like the people you met were more welcoming than this. In contrast, the people in this research were more likely to describe the social networks that existed in hostel accommodation, often in very positive ways. This seems to contradict what is currently thought in the homelessness literature I’ve read, which suggests that meeting other homeless people is bad news.

Gareth

Comment on Do People Adapt to Homelessness? The Role of Social Networks by Joe Hatch

Joe Hatch — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:45:20 +0000

There is a social network of homeless people. To say that one “adapts” to a specific environment assumes a state of mind not just a state of being. They may have found food and some sort of shelter on a more or less regular basis but social relationships are not of the kind that are long lasting even though they may be very close for a time. The population is transient as well, and this detracts from the longevity of the friendship.
From personal experience, there is a core group which survive together on a day to day basis while others were more independent but still welcomed by the core group. For example travelers which hitch hike from city to city are welcomed into the core group. The main activity was squegeeing, and pan handling, (both of which I refused to do) which was used to buy the alcohol for that evening. This only my experience from three months of homelessness, I’m bi-polar and was in Mania at the time which really didn’t help matters, but I thought my personal reflections on what I had experienced might add to the debate.

Comment on Do People Adapt to Homelessness? The Role of Social Networks by Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:49:40 +0000

C’mon Gareth! What kind of questions are those?

“Do you think that people adapt to homelessness?”
Humans adapt to everything! So what are you asking here?

“Do you think that other people have a role in sustaining a person’s homelessness, or helping people out of it, or perhaps both?”
Yes, No and Maybe! So what are you asking here?

I’d love to engage here (in a positive way) but can only guess at what it is you’re *actually* asking. And you know what to “assume” does

Looking forward to some clarification.
By the way, keep up the good work – love the blog!

Comment on Why do people sleep rough in winter? by john bloggs

john bloggs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:17:28 +0000

Hi All..
Noticed Gareth has asked 2 more Questions..
1: Do you think people adapt to Homelessness….
its starting to get a bit clincal i think,like asking the question about capacity of someone who has had a brain injury,and the deciding which or what level a person can make a decision specfic response,when having problems with medication that can effect outcomes of responses.. Service users/service providers which break down into many areas of support,or lack of,or just following standard procedure,and protoculs laid down….
Adaption can come in many forms when talking about homelessness,first of all when saying homelessness,what is really meant by this term,streets,hostel,bedsit.b’b etc..could you say someone studing at a universty is temp homeless,if staying in lodgings,or halls of residence,or HMOs looking at the bigger picture,anyway its getting away from the point but i think worth considering,just depends from which side the mirror your looking at..
If your on the streets,its a case of basic instints come to the forefront we all have as human beings..Food..Shelter..Sleep..Saftey.
Thats your main 4 goals each day..have a look at all the sleepouts going on around the country,they all have those 4 main ingrediants.
Its not for me to say,whether they are really representative.of what its like to be on the streets,but will this YES “have ” do adapt to live on the streets,some do it better than others,one of first things you have to learn is the ” knowledge “…
The “knowledge” yes just like a taxi driver learns the “knowledge” by this i mean,where all the centres are you can get in with,free,or cheap food,within a walking distance for many,what times they open,what time to get there by if its quening up system to get in..
I had this off to a tee,within 3 months,each day planned where to go,what i would get who i knew i would see there..saturdays the worst day,not many services open,but picked up on Sundays..saturday afternoons go find somewhere to sleep,i used to go to parks,sleep in deckchairs during warmer days,mix with Joe public,who ever they maybe,smoker no problems,pick up other peoples fag ends,you also get to know the black bags of unsold food from shops is thrown outside at close of day,just get ther before rubbis collectors,of better still get friendly with staff behind counter,tell them why throw it,i can share it with others,which takes us into Question 2…
Let me finish question one with this Yes if you are on streets for any length of time its a case you do adapt,but you realise its happening at the time,until you leave homelessness,and homeless realated issues behind if ever..example: more labels ex,or former homeless used at lot within research,service providers,media..
And last but least,How can research projects verify that someone is street homeless,at the time of interview,when interviwing people in daycentres,better to get out there,with a outreach team if nessary,and talk to people own their own turf so to speak
Sorry its a bit of a meander this comment,but written i hope with a bit of depth….
regards
John

Comment on Why do people sleep rough in winter? by john bloggs

john bloggs — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:00:27 +0000

Hi teresa..
Importants points as you say,and relate to why people sleep out,winter summer,Important during winter ! because as tempreture drops to freezing and below,everybodys! blood pressure raises to overcome the cold,so if you are weakend by the experiance of sleeping out,more prone to seizures,heart attacks,and other health related problems…Hands i giveaway with someone whos been on streets some time,especially during winter,hands get the elements,you may get given gloves during winter..How many on the streets ( proper ) not daytime homeless..wear gloves..Have a look round next week,also look for red faces another sign,when someone on streets at night..In past when using homeless daycentres during winter,could always tell whos IN whos OUT by the ruddy face,plus all you wanted to do was sleep in the warm for a few hours,sleeping out in the cold,knocks the stuffing out of you ! sleeping in a bag or not ! Longer your on streets less likley to use a sleeping bag,because you are ” vunerable ” to attack,or get urinated on, cant get out of a bag quick,so way round this is get new cardboard everyday,or stash blankets and cardboard in a safe place,pick up at night,If in a big town,two or three locations do this board and blanket,cause never know how each day exactly where you be,cause of different opening time of different projects..This just a example of my times on streets..
Took over two years for my hands and NAILS to recover from the homeless experiance,but still have the ” street look ” in the eye,yes eyes !..Think the wealth of experiance of Jeremy would put this point about eyes,in a better frame of language, i would call it a ” inner pain ” which shows in eyes..and categorically state..street homeless is NOT a lifestyle ! and as someone else said last night,” its not even a life ” Winter Summer or anytime !
regards
john

Comment on Why do people sleep rough in winter? by Teresa Cairns

Teresa Cairns — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:29:19 +0000

Hello John, think you make some very important points here. Agree, its difficult talking about sleeping rough/general homelessness from the comfort of not having to, but important to attempt some understanding, even if its partial. I’d argue life stories listened to over time allow 2 things: space & time for the listener to gain a better understanding of the many complex issues that lead to people becoming & staying homeless. Also, often people who are homeless have told their story to agencies in ways that fit with funding criteria/expectations ie what do I say to get a bed, food, support? We find people shift the emphasis of the story they tell us over time as they talk through their own understanding of their predicament, why they’re where they are. They also change over time.

Resources for people to speak for themselves are important; equally, researchers/film makers like ourselves have a contribution to offer in attempting to tell people’s stories in ways that enable them to be heard & also dont just reinforce existing stereotypes – it shouldnt be either/or but both approaches.

I’m also actually a great believer in learning from the past in order not to forget what’s happened; also in order to change things now & for the future, as you say.

preventative measures also have political implications when you’re talking about lack of jobs, poor/expensive housing, limited public housing, limited mental health services, squeezed support services…

A long way from asking ‘why do people still sleep rough in winter?’, but all related.