Libraries - helping to tackle homelessness & housing-related issues

As the cold winter months draw in, we are all glad of the comfort and safety of a roof over our heads. However, tens of thousands of people across the UK are facing Christmas and the New Year without a home, in temporary accomodation or with serious housing-related issues.

According to Government statistics, each night in 2015, some 3,569 people slept rough  nearly double the number in 2010. Alongside the obvious risks to their safety and health, people sleeping rough face serious challenges in accessing basic services and support.

When thinking about supporting homeless people and people in temporary accomodation, you may not automatically think of libraries. Yet new research by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and leading social inclusion expert John Vincent of The Network has highlighted a vital role public libraries play both in supporting the acute needs of homeless people and helping to tackle the longer-term impact of homelessness.

In Richmond-on-Thames, for example, Richmond Library Service and local homelessness Charity SPEAR have been working together to run a weekly 'shared reading group' for local homeless people.  The group works well precisely because it’s run in partnership between two organisations with similar aims - helping people to help themselves. The library service provides a venue, reading materials and an experienced librarian to lead the group, and SPEAR encourages its clients to attend and provides additional staff and valuable insight.

Meanwhile, in Stoke-on-Trent, the library service has been working with another homelessness charity, Open Door, which provides hot breakfasts and food parcels for vulnerable and homeless people in the city. Library staff engage with Open Door customers to give them access to ICT,  help develop their digital skills and support them with online forms, job searching, informal learning opportunities and using the library services. Library staff received some feedback about one of the Open Door customers they had supported:

I had [[xxx] in at Stoke today – came back to say thanks and let us know that he is now working at [xxx] Warehouse in Stoke. (he also wanted help printing out his pay slip!) He’s been there about 3 weeks via Best Connection and they’ve already asked him to send a CV and covering note to become employed by [the Warehouse] directly!

In Kirklees, Kirklees Library Service worked with local charity The Mission to develop specific support services for local people with housing issues, based in temporary accomodation or who are looking for housing. As well as providing an affordable café and space for community groups and activities the service offers practical help and support around housing, benefits, job seeking and financial advice.

Building on this collaboration, the library service and The Mission also worked together on a programme of arts activities to help target the longer-term mental health issues arising from homelessness. Working with local artist Stephen Waterhouse and a budget of just ￡450, they were able to deliver arts-based activities which made a real difference to the skills, confidence and well-being of local people. One participant said:

"I was surprised how much I remembered about the books I'd read as a child, and how involved I got in the art sessions. I have been going to The Mission for a long time. I get a lot of advice there and the staff have helped me feel more confident about my future."

Finally, in Newcastle, the library service has been working overtime to provide additional support for the local homeless community. Staff in Newcastle's libraries support homeless customers on a daily basis by providing information regarding showering and laundry facilities in the City as well as locations offering free food day by day. They also refer customers who are in agreement to the Housing Advice Centre (HAC) for confidential advice.

Service Support Assistants meet and greet customers and are able to recognise patterns in behaviour with regulars, build up trust, provide support or advice and first aid when necessary.

These are just a few examples of the extraordinary ways in which our public libraries and library staff are helping people to escape from homelessness, build their skills and tackle the long-term social and health issues associated with homelessness. The Government has recently announced a new ￡50m investment in initiatives which both support the needs of homeless people and seek to prevent homelessness, providing an opportunity for libraries to reach out and engage with homelessness charities across the country.  

If you are interested in learning more about how you can help your library service to make a real difference, contact them today.

To ensure that libraries can continue to extend their services to meet the ever-changing needs of our society, CILIP has launched the Library Fund, an open fundraising initiative in which all donations are passed on to libraries to support good works and initiatives that make a difference. Why not share some of the Christmas spirit by making a donation to the Library Fund today!