2007-02

HOME-LESS
In our work we often come across
vulnerable people who are either homeless
or have been given a home by the
council but have nothing in it and are
struggling to maintain their tenancy for a
variety of reasons..
Sometimes people are homeless
because they are escaping domestic
violence such as one young lady we
came across recently who had had to
escape from another city because her
children’s father had abused their
children or the single mum who had
been hounded out of her home because
of an orchestrated campaign to force
her out for no apparent reason other
than she decided to stand up to a gang
of youths who were throwing stones at
her window. We also work with people
who have been granted asylum or who
have not been granted asylum and are
in an even worse position than those
who have. One family of asylum
seekers which we came across recently
had had to escape their home country
because the father was a political
journalist in a country which did not
appreciate the dictator being criticised..
He and his whole family had to escape
in the night with just the things they
were wearing to escape the clutches of
the secret police. They eventually made
their way to this country because the
father spoke excellent English and
spent two years being moved round the
country until their case for asylum could
be heard and eventually were resettled
in Sheffield.
Some people are evicted from their
rented accommodation by their landlord
because they can not pay the rent or
because they have lost their job or
through ill health. Still others are forced
out of the family home because they
have reached the age of sixteen and
because they are no longer in full time
education the family allowance has
been stopped. Some people come out
of care at sixteen and find that they
have no where to go. Others come out
of prison or hospital with no where to
go. They are found accommodation by
various agencies throughout the city but
with little family support they really
struggle to maintain a lifestyle that any
of us would find tolerable let alone
enviable.
Anyone who is homeless is entitled to
be placed in what is called interim
accommodation. This is short term
accommodation which is often funded
and supported by the council but not
necessarily owned by them. This will
either be a flat in a block of flats wholly
reserved for people needing a home or
may be individual homes dotted
throughout the city. The agencies which
support these people are generally
under funded and under supported in
their efforts. The quality of accommodation
varies depending mainly on its age.
We recently delivered some furniture to
a lady in interim accommodation which
St Chads Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
email: office@stchads.org
Church Offices: 15 Camping Lane, Sheffield S8 0GB Page 10 web site: stchads.org
Tel: (0114) 274 5086