1. December 31, 2012 [TCP2005 HOUSING POLICY]
Who is homeless in Newcastle and Why? What solutions are there? Page 1
TCP2005 Housing Policy
Who is homeless in Newcastle and Why? What
solutions are there?
Dong Lin (Lucas)
12/31/2012
Module Tutor: Ms Rose Gilroy and Mr Paul Crompton

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Who is homeless in Newcastle and Why? What solutions are there? Page 2
Introduction
The phrase of ‘the homeless’ was firstly defined by a small group of activists, who
has led by Robert Hayes and Mitch Snyder, on January 1981 in America. The
definition has mainly described towards those people, who has slept in the public
spaces, hovered on the streets, searched food from rubbished bins and asked for
hand-outs (Jencks, 1995). The homelessness is widely considered as a global
critical social issue and the causes of homelessness are unimaginable complicated.
The massive government programs and regressive social cutbacks are the prior
reasons to address the complexity and diversification of homelessness. Besides the
above two main reasons, the aspects of poverty, unemployment,
deinstitutionalisation, and economic dislocation are strictly related to homelessness
as the leading causes, and followed by the lack of emergency shelters and food
banks, the reductions in social programs and insufficient of affordable housing as the
rest key factors, which has been indicated by some voluntary organisations (Daly,
1996). Professor Daly (1996) has mentioned that the issue of homelessness needs
to be effectively confronted from three different perspectives such as public policy
(political), voluntary organisations (social) and individuals themselves.
The purpose of this report is basically discussing the homeless issue in Newcastle
generally from ‘who’ and ‘why’ two core direction by analysing the statistics and
voices from the homeless people as evidence base, and briefly cover the variety
works to prevent homelessness particularly in Newcastle for both present and future
period, and follow a summative conclusion as the backup and the end of the report.
The Main Discussion
Who is homeless in Newcastle?
From general perspectives, there are three major groups of people can be described
as homelessness, for example, they are older skid row males (alcoholics or
substance abusers), ‘shopping bad ladies’ and deinstitutionalised people. In fact,
homelessness has affect variety types of people such as low-income single mothers,
battered women with children who have fled their homes, workers displaced by
economic change, runaway youths and elderly people with low fixed incomes
(physical and mental health problems), temporary job seekers, recent immigrants,
refugees (find the work or escape from problems), ex-prisoners and those recently
released from detention centres or mental hospitals. These people are or have
certain risks to become homelessness and there are very little common points
between each of the individuals except lack of shelters (Daly, 1996).
According to Professor Daly (1996) that 71% of those certified as homeless were
women and children and the other 12% were pregnant women without children
because the special protection of national legislation in Britain. He further indicated
that the majority homeless people, who have little education backgrounds and most
of them have left school around age 15 without any marketable skills and
experiences, in Britain (Daly, 1996).
Why are they become homelessness?
There are multiple problems that cause people to become homelessness such as
accidental (suffering from natural disasters), physical and mental (relating to poverty
or health problems or poor living environment), political (wars and ethnic conflicts),

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Who is homeless in Newcastle and Why? What solutions are there? Page 3
social (lack of social interaction, marginalisation and discrimination) and economic
(unemployment) difficulties in general views (Daly, 1996). All the above causes are
directly or indirectly related to the issue of ‘lack of shelters’, which is directly
connected and contributed to the issue of homelessness. It can be divided to
absolutely homeless; periodically without shelters (e.g. migrant workers and youth);
temporarily homeless (sudden unemployment or serious health problems) and
potentially homeless (single mothers, refugees and weak elderly people) (Daly,
1996).
Evidence of Research
The Current Situation in Newcastle
The Newcastle City Council (2011) has listed homeless prevention as one of the
prior goals to achieve, even it seems like an unavoidable issues for each city. They
will try their best to help local citizens to avoid becoming homelessness, especially to
those priority categories, under Homelessness Legislation. The Newcastle
Homelessness Forum (NHF) has established in 1996 as the Service Providers
Information Network. This organisation has gathered a group of representatives from
voluntary and statutory agencies across the sector to share relevant information and
discuss the current surrounding homeless issues, and learn and analysis the
previous experiences to tackle the homelessness in the quarterly meetings (NCC,
2012). The statistics has indicated the positive development process in the current
situation of Newcastle.
The Statistics
The statistics has basically separated to two different types. The first one is the
quarterly ‘P1E’, which is completed by the local authority, under the homelessness
provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Act and the Homelessness Act 2002. The
second one is ‘Sector Total Homeless Review Indicators (HRI’s)’, which is collected
by the Newcastle Homeless Liaison Project, and for the purpose of the homeless
people, who are looking for accommodation, and the people, who has moved
through homeless and supported accommodation within the city. Both of the
statistics has been updated to ‘Oct-Dec 10’ period, which is the latest available
version from the Newcastle City Council website (Newcastle City Council, 2011).
The ‘Oct-Dec 10’ P1E statistics has collected variety information and separated to
different major sections. The first section is the decision taken for household
application, which has been divided to five different categories of ‘Eligible,
unintentionally homeless and in priority need’ (white: 29, black: 6), ‘Eligible,
homeless and in priority need, but intentionally so’ (white: 3, black: 0), ‘Eligible,
homeless but not in priority need’ (white: 79, black: 29), ‘Eligible, but not homeless’
(white: 128, black: 11), and ‘Ineligible’ (white: 3, black: 2). The statistics has shown
the homelessness rate for white back ground people was three times than black
background people in Newcastle during that period, and the age distribution for the
group of ‘Eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need’ is concentrated on
youth (age 16-24: 17 applications) and middle age people (age 25-44: 16
applications, age 45-59: 10 applications), and was mainly focused on ‘Couple with
dependent children’ (12) and ‘Single parent household with dependent children’
(Male: 2, Female: 21) (NCC, 2011). The last set of numbers has been reflected the
protection of national legislation towards women against homelessness (Daly, 1996).

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Who is homeless in Newcastle and Why? What solutions are there? Page 4
The second section is focusing on the reasons to apply households for
unintentionally homeless group of people. There are 28 applications have been
applied because of the overcrowded reason (1 child: 14, 2 children: 6, 3 or more
children: 6) and 7 pregnant woman cases. These two were considered as the major
representative between 1st October and 31st December. The third section is related
to the reason for loss of last settled home for the same group of people above, and
the main reason was ‘no longer willing or able to live with parents’ (10 cases), ‘no
longer willing or able to live with friends or relatives’ (6 cases) and ‘house violence,
involving partner’ (5 cases) (NCC, 2011). The fourth section is emphasising on
working rate of accommodation arrangement and homelessness prevention by local
authority during this particular period. The survey has stated that local authority has
arranged total 32 accommodations and prevented total 952 homeless cases (585
households were able to stay in existing home and the rest 357 households were
moved to alternative accommodations) at the end of this quarter (NCC, 2011).
The HRI’s survey has mainly focused on the statistics of accommodation summary
from 4th October 2010 to 2nd January 2011 and the information has been counted
from five different types of characteristic such as Local Authority (LA), Emergency
Access (EA), Non-Emergency Access (NEA), Womens Refuge (WR) and Floating
Support (FS). There are total 777 beds and 456 cases (Sleeping rough 20.4%,
parents 14.3% and Friends 12.0%) have been admitted, and 441 cases
(Disappeared 10.2%, Moved on 30.2%, Planned 50.3% and Evicted 8.8%) have
been discharged during this period. Most of the people have chosen to stay in this
temporary accommodation within a year (Up to 7 days 19.7%, 1 month 15.4%, 3
months 27.7%, 6 months 13.6% and one year 17%). The status section has
highlighted that Newcastle was the major area of connection, which has occupied
409 out of 440 cases (92.7%), the number of male (54.9%) was little bit higher than
female (44.7%) and the most concentrate age group was 25-49 (52.2%). The survey
also indicated the reasons of eviction (Violence to staff/residents 43.6%, Rent
arrears 20.5% and Disruptive behaviour 20.5%) and the importance of social needs
(Alcohol problems 28.6%, Offenders 23.6%, Drug problems 23.4% and Rough
sleeper 21.3%) (NCC, 2011). The percentage has shown the alcohol and drug (52%)
were considered as the major problems in Newcastle. However, they were not the
main groups of people, who have been evicted from temporary accommodations.
Therefore, they got well control since they have entered to those accommodations,
which have provided by local authority.
These two surveys have shown obvious drop, which has compared with the statistics
at third quarter (the applicants, who have belonged to eligible and unintentionally
homeless group, has decreased 37, the number of beds has decreased 21 and the
number of admitted cases has been dropped 19) (NCC, 2011). The statistics has
been collected by Newcastle City Council. Therefore, they should be considered as
reliable and represented the major situation in the city. However, the figures have
focused on applicants and percentage rather than actual number of people and not
all of people make their returns/responses (minority). The analysing this statistics
have directly reflected the homelessness issue remain as the prior problem for the
city, the effective working rate and well management towards homelessness and the
situation is getting better and better in Newcastle.

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The Voice of Homelessness
A woman has described herself like “I feel anger towards an uncaring society…to be
homeless means that you have no rights, but homes are a right, not a privilege”
(Daly, 1996). “I need a place to stay. My legs are badly ulcerated…Not the shelters
or the flops, they are not for me. The police took me off the subway and to the Men’s
Shelter a few months back, but I couldn’t stay. I am 68 years old and I can’t defend
myself down there” (Coalition for the Homeless, 1983). Terry McClintic (1996) has
told his story of becoming homeless, “When my family and I became homeless…I
didn’t feel like the man of the family anymore…I kicked myself each day and kept
repeating to my wife to just leave me and go to her parents’ home…The nights were
very frightening [sleeping outdoors]…the most dangerous elements from society are
out there…I didn’t sleep good, not one night…” According to Mesler (1995) that
Malika Saada Saar, a coordinator of the Family Rights and Dignity Program for
AricanAmerican single mothers in San Francisco, has convinced that, “In our society,
women are told that if you are slient, you are strong…Our silence is what forces us
to stay with crack and to stay with an abusive relationship. For women – and
especially for women of color – to raise their voice as a community is a revolutionary
art.”
Although the interviews and voices were taken from different people, places and
times, but the most of homeless people have the same feeling of uncertainty,
depression and even angry, and they do suffer certain things in common, like health
problems, low incomes and inadequater housing to stay, there are significant
differences among the groups considered at risk (Daly, 1996). For example
particularly in Newcastle, Rough Sleepers, who must fear for their personal safety;
Teenages, who have high possibility of learning disorders, emotional difficulties and
illness (dependency on alcohol and drug) with little education background and lack of
remarkable skills, which has guaranteed an unforeseeable future for them;
Offenders, People with disabilities (both mental and physical) and frail older people
(NCC, 2011). The Newcastle City Council have tried their best to served them with
the existing social service facilities and used variety of methods to prevent
homelessness in the city for now and the future (NCC, 2011).
Homeless Prevention In Newcastle
The definition of homelessness prevention is often unclear (Pawson, 2007).
According to Heintjes (2005), who has make a clear distinction between ‘prevention’
and ‘early intervention’, stated that the actions to prevent homelessness relate to
people already accommodated whereas early intervention is straight forward to
those people ‘in crisis’ . However, the central government has recently produced a
clear definition towards homeless prevention, which has covered three topics of
‘helping households to remain stay in their current accommodation’, ‘delaying a
household’s need to move out from current accommodation and giving enough time
to prepare an alternative one for them to move in’ and ‘finding an alternative
accommodation for a household’ (ODPM, 2005). There are many
organisations/departments taking charge from different areas and working together
to prevent homelessness in Newcastle.
More Affordable Housing
Providing more affordable housing units is listed as one of most effective way to

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Who is homeless in Newcastle and Why? What solutions are there? Page 6
prevent homeless. The Newcastle Survey of Housing Need and Demand has stated
that the city needs 558 additional units of affordable housing per year and reflected
the huge pressure on local housing demand. The city council has prepared variety
ways to delivery affordable housing to local citizens such as ‘Public Subsidy’, ‘Land
Release Programmes’, ‘Low Cost Home Ownership’, and ‘Private Finance’ because
the target is tough and a little bit unrealistic (RSPAHWG, 2008). The best solution is
making full use of existing housing stock as much as possible to meet the
requirements (e.g. empty homes) (RSPAHWG, 2008) and working with housing
company such as Your Home Newcastle, which has managed council properties and
provided series support services for Newcastle City Council, has currently dealt
around 29,000 tenanted and 1,500 leasehold homes (YHN, 2012).
The example of The Housing Strategy for Older People in Gateshead has successful
proven that providing new affordable housing and Lifetime Homes has directly linked
to the objective of supporting people to stay in their own home for longer, which is
certainly related to prevent homeless (Gateshead Council, 2007). Therefore, more
affordble housing (especially council housing) can give more living places for local
people (especially for those in priority) and release the homelessness pressure for
the city by certain chance.
Easier Access to Secure Housing
The local city council has aimed to ensure that all residents have easy access to a
secure and affordable housing with fine quality that enables a good quality of life
(NCC, 2012). The Housing Advice Centre (HAC) has provided variety of supports
such as find accommodation through Your Choice Homes (YCH) system, easier ‘bid’
for properties instead rather than wait for them, Housing Association, which has
provided low cost social housing units, Private Rental Sector and Supported
Accommodation, which supplied range of temporary accommodations that meets the
needs of people, who are in crisis becoming homelessness, and those people, who
already are homeless and require longer-term support (NCC, 2011) with The
Newcastle Gateway, which has played the role as a single access point for the
emergency situation and short-term supported accommodation and let statutory
agencies particularly in Newcastle to refer clients to supported accommodation
services across the city (NCC, 2011).
Besides finding suitable accommodations for homeless/people in crisis, The HAC
has also provided helps for people to remain stay in their existing homes especially
on reducing pressures on mortgages and rents (NCC, 2012). The housing problems
such as terrible living environment (lack infrastructure services, violence and anti -
social behaviour), poor quality of living place (lack privacy and security) and
overcrowded has threated people to abandon their homes from past until nowadays
(Daly, 1996). For example, The Prohibition Orders Protocol is managed by
Newcastle City Council and for the purpose to tackle houses, which are not capable
for living, an prevent homelessness (NCC, May 2009).
Poverty Reduction and Benefits
Poverty is considered as one of the main reason to cause the issue of homelessness
and mainly affect people like young workers (unemployment), disabled persons,
ethnic minorities, lone-parent mothers and their children, who would not be able to
afford their existing homes (mortgage and rent) and become homelessness (Daly,

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Who is homeless in Newcastle and Why? What solutions are there? Page 7
1996). The city council has given several benefits, for example, Income support,
which is possible to be claimed by people who do not have to be available for and
actively seeking jobs such as carers and lone parent (NCC, 2011), Jobseekers
Allowance, Payment Benefits， Finding Accommodations and Employment and
Support Allowance especially for people, who has claimed as ‘without
accommodation’ (NCC, 2011).
Better Support for Vulnerable People and Families
‘Rough Sleepers’ is the word to describe those people, who are sleeping rough in
public places (e.g. streets, parks and bus stations). They do feel angrier, frighten and
uncertainty and eager to experience home more than any other people because their
dark and deep life experiences (Parsell, 2012). According to the latest statistics
(NCC, 2011) the percentage of rough sleepers (21.3%) has represented as one of
the largest group among all homeless people in Newcastle and they are the people,
who needs accommodations in priority.
Newcastle City Council is taking series of actions to reduce the number of people
sleeping rough on the streets or other public places and presented two key aims,
which are to ensure nobody should sleep rough in the city and give the proper helps
to enable rough sleepers to obtain and sustain suitable accommodations (NCC,
2012). The Newcastle Reconnections Policy and Practice Note has specifically
introduced the way to create a fair system that enables rough sleepers to return to
their home area in planned and safe way. This policy can effectively reduce and
prevent rough sleeping incidents in the city and protect the local resources as well
(NCC, 2012). Newcastle Homeless Forum Agenda has stated that 513 thousand
pounds has been awarded to Newcastle to develop new strategies to combat the
issue of rough sleeping in the city on 1st March 2012 (NCC, 2012). All of the above
examples have reflected the determinations for Newcastle City Council to prevent
homelessness in the city.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue of homelessness is widely recognised as one of the most
priority and unavoidable problems for each and every city in the world. Home is the
fundamental for a person and significantly represented ‘Everything’ for a person
‘without accommodation’. Therefore, Newcastle City Council has researched this
problem and put on every force to prevent and minimise it even the causes are
complicated and coming from different aspects such as disaster, poverty, poor living
environment and unemployment and the homelessness itself has affect variety
groups of people like single-parents, unemployed workers, teenagers, elderly
people, refugees and immigrants across the city. After years hard workings by the
city council, local housing agencies, public and private organisations, the situation is
getting control and some positive results (the homeless rate has been dropped by
certain percentage, which has proven by statistics) has appeared and indicated the
situation is going to be better and better, and the future is foreseeable bright, and
home is no longer an unrealistic dream for homeless people in Newcastle.
(In-text word count: 3130)

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