No Room in the Inn at Christmas?

We recently received a call from one of our members about homeless people being turned away from shelters over the Christmas period. He told us that the rough sleepers had to fill in forms to be allowed in to shelters, and that this was prohibiting many from being admitted. As CSM is a member lead organisation, we decided to investigate.

The member had been in touch with a group of rough sleepers who were finding many shelters full over Christmas. Ironically the Christian-based shelters were no more accommodating, reminiscent of Mary and Joseph being turned away from the inns.

At vacant shelters these homeless men were unwilling to fill in forms or to give their names and dates of birth. It has been stated by some that some of these forms are prohibitively long and complicated, but the men our member spoke to felt it was an infringement of their privacy. Rough sleepers often feel they are targets for police suspicion simply because they are on the streets, and so are understandably unwilling to give their details to authorities. A broader problem for some homeless people is that they don’t know some details such as their date or place of birth, and it seems that this could mean they are turned away from shelters.

There is more provision for homeless people across England at Christmas time, such as Crisis at Christmas, which mobilises vast numbers of volunteers across London every December. Generally more churches open their doors over the festive season, holding events like Christmas day lunches for rough sleepers. However, many do not allow intoxicated people to attend, and this turns some away who perhaps need the most help. Councils also offer extra provision to the homeless during cold periods, which are more formalised, requiring forms to be filled in for entry.

Most shelters require information about the rough sleepers they admit as a form of risk assessment, ensuring the safety of both staff and other residents. Depending on the type of shelter, some of these forms require more information to be given than others. For example, to stay in longer term homeless shelters applicants may need a referral from another authority, produce proofs of identity and have interviews before being admitted. This can be difficult for some rough sleepers, effectively denying them a chance to have a secure and long term place to stay. In emergency stay shelters where residents stay only a few nights, shorter forms are used.

However, even after giving these details not all applicants are accepted as the shelter may consider individuals pose too much of a risk to others. If applicants have a history or violence or vandalism, they may be prohibited, sometimes meaning these people cause problems on the streets instead.

Our member also noted that in his town there is a huge waiting list for council housing in his area while hundreds of homes were standing empty. Putting this to the council, they said that the empty housing generally needed repairs to make it safe for people to live in. Each house tends to have families waiting to move in as soon as the repairs are complete. The idea that families have to sleep on the street when they could be living inside a warm, if rundown, property may seem unfair. However, local authorities must provide the best type of housing possible. Some of these houses are in a terrible state of disrepair, so these waiting lists are understandable if not acceptable.

Homelessness is a problem affecting the whole of society; our member is one such individual who is affected. As a business owner, he allows some homeless men to sleep in his factory at night. While of course it is his choice to do this, rough sleeping can cause inconvenience for business owners. For example, they may have to be there at a particular time to allow the homeless to come in, or to clear sleeping bodies from the doorways when they arrive in the mornings. One reported problem was a nursery owner who had to gate her car park up before it got dark to stop homeless people coming in and leaving items for the staff to dispose of before the children arrived the following day.

I believe that, as Christians, homelessness is something we should care about. God says in Deuteronomy, "I command you to be open handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land," (15v11); and throughout the Bible God makes it clear that we should love the poor and outcast around us.

Local authorities play an important role in this, but it seems that caution over health and safety and risk assessment reduces the positive impact of provisions like shelters and council housing. We, as Christ’s hands and feet on earth, can play a part to love the homeless when others cannot or will not. I am inspired by the initiative of our member for allowing a group of men to sleep in his factory, and while most of us aren’t factory owners with this sort of facility, I encourage you to find out about homelessness provisions in your area.

Pray for the homeless in your town. But more than that, could you volunteer at a shelter? Or simply buy a cup of coffee for a man you see on the street? These are small steps, but God can multiply our actions to make a big impact.

Esther Barlow
CSM Volunteer

Esther Barlow, 20/01/2010