What is homelessness?
Homelessness is defined as a lack of accommodation or a situation where the tenure is not secure. The following are examples of people under this definition.
Homeless people may be classed as someone who is:
- sleeping rough
- living in insecure/temporary housing [excluding assured/assured shorthold tenants]
- living in short-term hostels, night shelters, direct access hostels
- living in bed and breakfast
- moving frequently between relatives/friends squatting
- unable to remain in, or return to, housing due to poor conditions, overcrowding, affordability problems, domestic violence, harassment, mental, physical and/or sexual abuse etc.
People threatened with homelessness may include individuals who are:
- staying in hospitals, police custody or prison and due for release with no accommodation
- asked to leave by family/friends
- facing possession proceedings, end of short-term/limited tenancy, or threat of legal action
- required to leave owner occupied housing due to possession proceedings
- required to leave current accommodation due to relationship breakdown
Rough Sleeping
People who are sleeping, or bedded down in the open air; people in buildings or other places not designed for habitation.
This will include, for example, people in the streets, in doorways, parks, bus shelters, barns, sheds, cars, car parks, stations, derelict boats, squats or makeshift shelters.
Homelessness and Health
Homelessness is known to be associated with ill health. Single homeless people have a higher risk of early death, largely related to suicide, accidents, violence, alcohol-related disease, and respiratory disease. They are subject to high rates of serious mental illness, TB, bronchitis, foot problems, epilepsy, and infestations. Access to healthcare is difficult for many homeless people. Many find it difficult to register for primary health care. Their difficulty in accessing healthcare is a facet of their wider marginalisation from society.
Between November 2002 and May 2003, Shelter Cymru on behalf of the County Borough Council and funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, carried out a review of homelessness in Merthyr Tydfil in order to develop a comprehensive strategy. This showed that the level of homelessness presentations in Merthyr Tydfil has remained relatively similar for the past two years although the proportion of priority need applications increased by 14% between 2001 -2002. Staff resources have been increased and now include a full time homelessness officer, two full time tenancy support officers and a part-time housing health worker.
This strategy is based on the findings of that review and sets out actions that will be taken forward to achieve the stated aims and objectives.
All Wales Data
The Local Government Data Unit Wales provides information about local authorities' decisions relating to homelessness in Wales [WHO12]
This Release presents information collected from local authorities about their actions under the homelessness legislation for the period January to March 2007, together with comparisons with figures for earlier periods.