High levels of homelessness and housing insecurity have longed plagued Oxford, and thanks to wage inequality, cuts on spending and the cost of living crisis, rates of homelessness are likely to continue to rise. Awareness around homelessness tends to increase around the holidays, as temperatures drops and evenings darken. But the work of Crisis, who has had a service in Oxford since 2011, can be both life changing and life saving, and is needed year-round. With that in mind, Daily Info sat down with Crisis Skylight Oxford, to find out about the charity's current ambitions and the most effective ways you can help:
Could you tell us a bit about Crisis and the work you do?
We are the national charity for homeless people. We know that homelessness is not inevitable. We know that together we can end it. We work directly with thousands of homeless people every year. We provide vital help so that people can rebuild their lives and are supported out of homelessness for good. We use research to find wider solutions to homelessness and together with homeless people and Crisis supporters, we campaign for the changes needed to end homelessness for good.
In Oxford we are based in the Old Fire Station and offer one to one support, advice and courses for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. How we help someone depends on their individual needs and situation. It could be with finding a home and settling in, getting new skills and finding a job, or help with their health and wellbeing.
How has the cost of living crisis affected your users and the services you provide?
As the cost of living crisis continues more and more people are being pushed to the brink and into homelessness. We have never seen an emergency like this. 300 000 households across Great Britain could be forced into homelessness in 2023 because of the cost of living and the economic and social impact of the pandemic.
You only have to do the crude maths, people’s income and bills don’t add up, people don’t have enough to survive on. We're hearing all the time from people having to take drastic measures to cover the rent; people forced to sell their valuables, while others have cut themselves off from friends and family because they can’t afford to travel or top up their phone or pay their internet bill. Across our services we’re referring more and more people to foodbanks, and we’re seeing far too many people being switched onto pre-payment meters even though they are far more expensive. It cannot be understated how dire the situation is.
What misconceptions do people have about the experience of being unhoused?
People become homeless for lots of different reasons. There are social causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment; and life events which push people into homelessness.
People are forced into homelessness when they leave prison, care or the army with no home to go to. Many women experiencing homelessness have escaped a violent or abusive relationship.
Many people become homeless because they can no longer afford the rent.
And for many, life events like a relationship breaking down, losing a job, mental or physical health problems, or substance misuse put people under considerable strain. Being homeless can, in turn, make many of these problems even harder to resolve. However, in nearly all cases homelessness can be prevented and in every case it can be ended.
How can the public help? What's the most effective way to get involved?
There are many ways you can get involved;
You can volunteer, In Oxford we have a range of exciting and inspiring volunteer roles available throughout the year.
You can campaign, homelessness is not inevitable with collective action and political will, we can end it once and for all. We use research and evidence to campaign to change policy and are always looking for people to campaign on our behalf, together we are powerful.
You can donate or fundraise for us, your donations will help to fund Crisis’ response to the cost of living and our year-round work. Information on all the above can be found on our website www.crisis.org.uk
What are your hopes for Crisis in 2023?
We know we are living in very difficult times, our hopes for 2023 are to support as many people as possible to leave their homelessness behind for good and to campaign for the policy changes that can longer term end homelessness across Great Britain.