Homeless need all of our support
OVER the last four years, 2,612 people experiencing homelessness in Newcastle have been assessed by the team at Crisis Skylight Newcastle who help people access the services they need to leave homelessness behind for good.
The circumstances forcing people into homelessness are varied and complex. We’ve seen people struggling to pay their rent, worried about how they’re going to keep their home. Others who have received a no-fault eviction notice and don’t know how they’re going to find somewhere to live due to the severe lack of affordable homes.
We’ve supported people who are ‘sofa surfing’ after a relationship breakdown has forced them to leave their home. And there are the scores of people stuck in the instability of temporary accommodation, living in unsuitable conditions without their own facilities for washing and cooking.
Since 2018, more than £10m has been awarded by Postcode Support Trust, thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. This has helped Crisis to fund vital services and projects to prevent and end the homelessness of people in Newcastle. As well as supporting teams at Crisis Skylight Newcastle, who are the first point of contact for people desperately seeking help, this
funding has also gone towards programmes which ensure people who are homeless get the vital healthcare they need but often struggle to get.
Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have also supported our investment in a number of small business start-ups which provide innovative solutions to tackle the woeful supply of affordable housing. This is desperately needed for people struggling to find a home they can afford.
With the increased cost of living intensifying pressure on households, we know more people will be in desperate need of Crisis’ services this year. That’s why, on behalf of Crisis and the thousands of people we support each year, I’d like to thank players of People’s Postcode Lottery in Newcastle for helping to fund this vital work.
We, and the thousands of people experiencing homelessness across Britain, need your support now more than ever.
MATT DOWNIE, chief executive of Crisis