People can become homeless for many reasons. After The Northern Echo was urged to look into the issue by school pupils in Langley Park, Gavin Havery reports on homelessness in the region

SARAH had a job as an administrator for the emergency services, enjoyed a reasonable lifestyle and rented her own home.

But when she became ill with severe depression and anxiety she found herself out of work and had to give up her home as she was unable to pay the rent.

She ended up ‘sofa surfing’ between friends for several months but, after a while, their goodwill ran out and they found their lifestyles were not compatible.

Sarah, who is from Durham, was in danger of sleeping rough on the streets.

That is when she turned to Durham Action on Single Housing, a charity which supports people facing homelessness.

Operational manager Janet Boyle says: “During her interview, it became apparent that the most suitable project for Sarah was the Empty Homes Community Grants Programme and she was offered unsupported accommodation in one of our houses in Esh Winning.

“This gave her stability in the knowledge that she had a home and DASH staff to turn to should she have any problems.

“Sarah found that her health improved and she started to seek work either as a volunteer or on a more permanent basis.

“She eventually succeeded in obtaining employment in the Newcastle area where she now lives.”

Mrs Boyle says people can find themselves homeless for a range of reasons such as financial trouble, substance addiction, mental ill health, relationship breakdown or to flee domestic or sexual abuse.

She says: “There is never just one issue. We deal with people with extremely complex needs. We have a project for vulnerable women which is staffed 24/7.”

Mrs Boyle says the problem in Durham is not really with street sleepers, but the ‘hidden homeless’, those like, Sarah, who sleep on friends’ sofa and cannot find somewhere to call their own.

She says: “The number of rough sleepers in Durham is not high, like in some inner city places like Middlesbrough or Newcastle.

“We have people who do not have somewhere that is their home, and that makes it difficult to get employment or get linked in with services, because you have not got an address.

“You might have a roof over your head but it is not a home and you do not have a front door.”

Figures from Durham County Council, taken in autumn 2016, estimate the number of rough sleepers in County Durham on the selected night was 12, with seven of these in Durham City centre.

Councillor Kevin Shaw, the council’s cabinet member for strategic housing, says the authority offers help with welfare benefits, support with addiction, employment and training opportunities, wellbeing, health and relationship breakdown and financial support as appropriate.

He says: “Levels of homelessness in both Durham City and the county as a whole are very low but we are not complacent about this and continue to offer a range of services to help people with housing problems.

“Our Housing Solutions team work with people and other agencies to try and prevent homelessness where possible and offers advice and support on how to find and keep a home.

“Detailed assessments are carried out to establish the cause or threat of homelessness and a variety of tools are utilised to assist in its prevention.

“Staff work across the county to offer advice and assistance on a range of issues tailored to individual needs, with the aim being to prevent homelessness as early as possible.”

Another charity is marking its tenth anniversary in the Newcastle area, where there are more rough sleepers, with a re-launch of its services and eventually hopes to end homelessness completely.

Among the new facilities available to Crisis clients are a technical skills workshop, offering skills and qualifications in woodwork, tiling, basic DIY, plastering and bricklaying.

There will also be improved learning spaces offering access to IT and support with claims for Universal Credit and access to employment.

Crisis is working with Changing Lives, whose rough sleeper drop-in services will point people on the streets to Crisis Skylight services at City House on City Road.

Andrew Burnip, director of the charity, which itself is marking its 50th anniversary, says: “We know that no two people’s paths out of homelessness are the same. The new facilities on offer will allow us to help more people than ever before leave homelessness behind for good.

“The reason we’re still here is because we’re still needed. Many people are sleeping on Newcastle’s streets, on sofas, in squats or unsuitable temporary accommodation.

“We want a future where we’re no longer needed, where no one has to suffer homelessness because they can’t find a place to live.

“I hope that in 50 years’ time Crisis, and homelessness, will have been consigned to the history books.”