The number of people who are becoming newly homeless is rising. According to the latest government data, 3,628 individuals were recorded sleeping rough in London between July and September. This is a 24% increase on the same time last year. Of these, more than 50% were newly homeless and sleeping on the streets for the very first time – 35% more than the same time last year.
Glass Door Homeless Charity has witnessed an increase of 9% in the demand for its services –and thousands more are predicted to become homeless this winter.
Among the guests the charity helped last winter is Elaine (not her real name), who was living an abusive relationship. When the turmoil in her relationship caused her health to deteriorate and she suffered a stroke, she knew she could not stay living with her former partner. Elaine had nowhere to go, and no idea who to reach out to. After confiding in a GP receptionist, she was given Glass Door’s number. She was immediately provided with a warm, safe place to sleep. She remembers how this support changed her life:
“If it wasn’t for Glass Door, I would have been on the streets in the cold. I was provided with a Glass Door caseworker who understood what I was going through and really cared. They provided me with safety, security and support.”
As the weather gets colder, Glass Door is now seeking donations to its Christmas Appeal to give the homeless shelter, meals and access to its emergency support services this Christmas and throughout the winter months:
£31 could help provide someone with safe shelter, a hot evening meal and breakfast for the night;
£95 could help provide ten new guests with an advice session from Glass Door caseworkers at one of our partner daytime centres;
£226 could help fund a “move-on” package with personalised support sessions and a deposit top-up to help someone move into stable accommodation;
£434 could help support two guests to stay in our emergency winter shelter for one week.
For more information visit: https://www.glassdoor.org.uk
To give people like Elaine shelter and hope during the hard, cold months of winter, the charity will be operating emergency night shelters across London. Opening on 5th December 2022 and running for 16 weeks until the end of March, the shelters will provide safe emergency shelter, a hot evening meal and breakfast for 75 people each night, in close partnerships with local churches and communities.
Guests staying in night shelters will be supported by Glass Door’s trained caseworkers to build their path out of homelessness.
“At Glass Door, we are expecting hundreds of people like Elaine will turn to Glass Door with nowhere else to go, looking for a way off the streets this Christmas. We already see a rising number of people turning to us in desperate need of support. We are ready to provide a safe, warm welcome.” Says Jo Carter, Interim CEO.
