Salford studies highlight complex causes and solutions to homelessness
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Two University of Salford studies of over 250 homeless people and those who work with them have contributed to a major new report into the complex causes of homelessness in the UK and proposes solutions to the problem.
As part of the 'Understanding Complex Lives' report which was launched last week at an event chaired by Channel 4's Jon Snow, researchers from Salford carried out interviews with homeless people in Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham and London.
They discovered that homelessness was often the culmination of a long process which could include drug and alcohol addiction and abuse which started early in life, and that most people they spoke had only become homeless later on in their lives.
The University of Salford contributed two separate studies to the report which highlights first findings from four projects that make up the ESRC's Multiple Exclusion Homelessness Research Programme.
The first project, which had input from the University of Lincoln, interviewed 104 homeless people in Stoke-On-Trent. The research team uncovered a range of complex lives which often included severe childhood traumas, unsettled early lives and dysfunctional social relationships.
The researchers concluded that simplistic solutions based solely on the provision of housing were ultimately ineffective without specialised targeted support work.
In the second project carried out with colleagues from Nottingham Trent University, researchers conducted interviews with 108 homeless people and 44 service providers in Nottingham and London.
The researchers found that support agencies which routinely interact with homeless people identify a range of priorities and approaches in their work. Projects that were most successful in helping homeless people were those able to offer flexible personalised encouragement and support at the service user's own pace.
Dr Phil Brown led the Stoke-On-Trent study. "There are a number of popular myths about homeless people - that they chose to be there or that they don't care about what happens to them," he said. "Our research has challenged this perception. Many people are extremely motivated and are far from victims, but people need opportunities and, most importantly, people who are willing to help them turn their lives around."
Professor Peter Dwyer led the Nottingham and London study and echoed his colleague's views: "Working with agencies we found that there is a mixed approach. All of the support workers are extremely dedicated, but the most successful were permitted to spend a lot of individual time and work flexibly with their clients to tackle the formidable barriers that homeless people face in overcoming their social exclusion."
