A second lockdown…we are still here for you
A second lockdown is about to begin. It feels different this time; despite the progress we’ve made in fighting the virus and making our world covid-secure, this time we’re heading into a winter which feels darker than any other. And the economic impact of the pandemic is really starting to bite. But we have some good news...
Our services are staying open
We help people in south Buckinghamshire who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and can help you
- Find accommodation if you are homeless
- With practical items like clothing, emergency food packs and other emergency assistance including helping you stay healthy and safe
- Look for a longer-term home
- With free advice and practical support that can help you avoid homelessness
As always, there is no charge for any of our services and we don’t turn people away or tell them they’ve had too many chances.
Important: If you see anyone sleeping rough please use this website to alert the local outreach team: https://www.streetlink.org.uk/ and if you hear of anyone facing losing their home get them to call us on: 01494 447699 or there are more ways to get in touch...
You’ll know by now that we are not able to open our dormitory-style night shelter this winter, so what is happening for people who are homeless?
People who live on the street often have underlying health conditions and the very fact that they are homeless could make it extremely difficult for them to stay safe from the coronavirus.
We are still committed to making sure no one is left to sleep rough this winter and so we will ensure that everyone who would otherwise be sleeping rough is offered a safe place to stay where they can self-isolate if necessary.
And we are actively working with everyone already living in the emergency accommodation to help them look for somewhere permanent to live.
A special focus on health
We are pleased to have received funding from the King Cullimore Trust and the Tara Getty Foundation towards our homeless health project.
We make sure that all people who are homeless have access to medical care. We’ll also help them know what to do if they experience symptoms of coronavirus and get support if they have to self-isolate including extra food supplies if they need them.
Expanding our homelessness prevention work - again:
The need for our homelessness prevention services is growing rapidly.
Our homelessness prevention line, 01494 447699, is open every weekday, 10am – 4pm, and our Housing Legal Clinics are weekly, meaning that no one in Buckinghamshire has to deal with facing homelessness without support. In fact, we’re aiming to make sure as few as possible have to face homelessness at all!
At our Housing Legal Clinic, we offer free, independent legal advice on all sorts of housing issues that could lead to homelessness.
You can also get in touch by email or online and we’ll help you as soon as possible.
Help on a humanitarian basis[1]:
We work according to the core principles of humanitarian aid. This means that we, as an independent charity, focus on what people’s needs actually are and make sure they are safe before anything else is taken into account.
This includes shelter, food, clothing, and any other practical help that is needed. We work alongside Buckinghamshire Council and will offer extra help, including providing accommodation, to anyone who may fall outside of their services.
Everyone in ‘for good’ and we mean it!
I’d hate to see us fall back from the kind of decisive bold action that was taken in the first lockdown.
In September, we read in the Lancet medical journal that an estimated 266 lives of homeless people were saved in the UK during the first wave of the coronavirus because of action that was taken.
And the eviction ban that was in place all summer also worked to keep a large number of renters safe.
We hope more details will be released in the next couple of days about evictions. So let’s keep it going!
[1] https://www.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/OOM-humanitarianprinciples_eng_June12.pdf