Homeless Awareness Week: anyone can find themselves without a home

Anyone can become homeless at any time and people should get in touch with Exeter City Council if they are in danger of losing their home.

Anyone can become homeless at any time and people should get in touch with Exeter City Council if they are in danger of losing their home.

That’s the message from Cllr Marina Asvachin, Lead Councillor for Housing and Homelessness Prevention, at the start of the Council’s Homeless Awareness Week.

Throughout the week the Council will share content designed to help those who may be in housing need as well as sharing the stories of those who have experienced homelessness in Exeter.

Cllr Asvachin said people can find themselves homeless at any time with a change in their circumstances like redundancy or relationship breakdown.

A dedicated team of officers at the Council work tirelessly, together with other agencies and the community and voluntary sector, to address the problem in Exeter.

She said: “It’s a big misperception of homelessness that people put themselves there deliberately, or they are all drug addicts or alcoholics. That’s just not the case. Homelessness can affect anyone at any time.

“Homelessness is not just about living on the street, it might be people who are vulnerably housed like living with an abusive partner or people who may be sofa surfing, where they are moving from house to house sleeping on the sofas of friends or co-workers.”

She added: “Sharing stories of people who have been homeless and have lived through that situation is very important.

“As I said, anyone can become homeless at any time - families, veterans, anyone. These stories are a good reminder of what we can do to help people get back on their feet and it shows how important it is to give people the help that they need.”

Cllr Asvachin said a lack of suitable housing was a key factor. “We desperately need much more genuinely affordable housing, Council housing and social housing which people can actually afford to live in and can find somewhere that is available to them and suitable for them to live in,” she said.

As the statutory body responsible for housing and homeless prevention, people should get in touch with the Council at the earliest opportunity if they are at risk of becoming homeless.

“Anyone who finds themselves in a situation where they need help should get in touch with the Council,” Cllr Asvachin said.

“The Council’s website has a lot of information and anyone who can’t access this should call us or come in and see us at the Civic Centre because we are here to help.”

For more information visit the exeter.gov.uk/homelessawareness