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Living > Housing > Homelessness

Homelessness

Reasons for being homeless

A homeless person is someone who has nowhere to live, but this doesn't mean just living on the streets. You can be considered homeless for a number of reasons:

  • You may have somewhere to live but be too scared to stay there because you are worried about your well-being, from the threat of abuse or violence 
  • You have been locked out of your home and you are not allowed back


Being forced to leave home

If you are being forced to leave home then the first thing to do is to arrange somewhere safe to sleep for the night. Find out if you can stay with friends or relations until you can sort things out. This can be the best option as you'll be staying with people you know and having a roof over your head is a lot better than sleeping rough. It can be a terrifying and lonely time and it is important to know that there is help out there. If this fails you can try hostels or night shelters.




There is help out there...

Your local authority can help and they have responsibility for your well-being if:

  • no-one has parental responsibility for you
  • you are lost or abandoned
  • the person who has been caring for you is unable to continue to provide suitable care and accommodation



If you have nowhere to sleep tonight you should:

  • Ask your friends or family if you can stay for the night
  • Contact your local homelessness or Social Services department (they will have an emergency out of hours phone number if the office is shut). They should be able to give you details of hostels and local bed and breakfasts
  • Contact Shelter on 0808 800 4444 - 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 8am-5pm Saturday-Sunday

Sleeping rough

Sleeping rough is dangerous and is not a good idea, particularly if you are on your own. If you have no other alternative remember the following:

  • Sleep where there are other people
  • Try to get a sleeping bag or blankets to keep you warm
  • Never sleep directly on the ground - sleep on something like a bench or even a piece of cardboard
  • Eat or drink something hot before you go to sleep as this will help keep you warm
  • Keep your hands, feet and head warm by covering them
  • Don't drink alcohol before you go to sleep. It causes dehydration and makes your body temperature drop. In extreme cases you could freeze to death

Useful Websites

Central Bedfordshire Council Housing Department

Central Bedfordshire Council Social Services Department

Shelter

Childline