In a country where people can own two or three homes, these are the stories of those who don’t have one.
All three girls and their families have endured the emotional trauma of being thrown out of their homes. With nowhere to go they are absorbed into the hidden world of bed and breakfasts, hotels, safe houses and temporary accommodation. With all of their belongings locked away in storage the girls are literally left with the clothes they stand in.
Living in overcrowded and cramped conditions often miles away from school and friends, the fate of homeless families falls to anonymous council departments who judge and decide if they deserve to be helped and housed. If they are found “Intentionally Homeless” then the Council can remove them from its homelessness statistics, and no longer has a responsibility to house them beyond 28 days in a B&B. Shelter and other charities have seen that the numbers found “intentionally homeless” have increased considerably since central government instructed Councils to “reduce homelessness”.
Meanwhile the impact on families and children are devastating. The children in particular face isolation, social exclusion and bullying; they may also miss months of schooling.
Home is something we don’t fully appreciate until it is taken away, its not until this happens that you understand just how important it really is, and how bleak and terrifying life can be with No Home.