Governments Cuts To Services Could Lead To Increase In Homelessness

Government cuts to homeless services and funding to charities who aim to help homeless people, is likely to have a detrimental effect on the progress being made.

It is the biggest threat to the work being done by these charities and compounded by the fact that, in these times of austerity, people are struggling to afford the constant rise in inflation and a weak job market.

Just this week (14 January 2011), inflation was recorded at 4% which is likely to push up interest rates, leading to greater mortgage costs for a great number of people.

“We must ensure foundations are in place for vital services”

According to Charles Fraser CEO of St Mungo’s “once services are abolished, it is virtually impossible to recreate them.”

This paints a bleak outlook for homeless people. The number of people on the streets is slowly growing despite the best efforts of charities like St Mungo’s and a reduction in the funding for these services couldn’t come at a worse time.

Mr Fraser continued by stating that, “Wherever one looks, local authorities are cutting services on a scale which makes a mockery of the Prime Minister’s pledge to “protect the most vulnerable in society”.

There are a number of reasons why people end up sleeping rough but for many of these, they are just keen to get their lives back on track. This is why they play a key part in building the foundations to reduce homelessness but this is only done with the support of charities relying on funding from local authorities.

Mr Fraser closed by saying, “we must try to ensure that, even if homelessness does continue to increase, the foundations are put in place for those vital services which will bring it down and keep it down. Homeless people themselves have a vital part to play in laying those foundations.”

By: Dez Broatch

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Homelessness