How do you 'stay home' when you have no home?

A message from John Ford, New Hope’s Chair of Trustees:

This is a difficult time for all of us and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are sick or have lost loved ones.

For those of us in lockdown, some are very busy while others are struggling with enforced inactivity.

For those facing homelessness, the challenges are somewhat different. Advised to self-isolate and wash hands, their challenges have been:

How can I wash my hands for 20 seconds when I don't have a bathroom?

How can I self-isolate when I have no space to call my own?

How can I stay home when I have no home to go to?

As chair of New Hope, sitting at home and communicating with the team in Watford, I have watched in awe as our amazing staff have managed to find accommodation for 61 of the 68 people who were sleeping on the streets of Watford only a few days ago.

The strong partnerships we have built with Watford Borough Council’s very competent housing team and very supportive mayor and senior management as well as with the excellent team at One YMCA went into overdrive. Assisted by our MP and impassioned pleas from our CEO, as well as rooms at the YMCA, and various sites around Watford, we were able to secure rooms at the Travelodge. Huge thank you to them for taking the risk and opening their doors.

Local restaurants, supermarkets, bakers have all come alongside New Hope to help those facing homelessness – many of whom also have mental health, substance misuse and addiction issues to contend with.

Now that we have got over the first enormous hurdle, we need to support 120 people in accommodation instead of our usual 60 – so as with the wonderful NHS and other care workers, no respite for the team.

What does that support look like? Firstly, we are providing three meals a day to those in temporary accommodation but our team is also providing crucial mental health, drug and alcohol-related, and other forms of support.

Unsurprisingly, our income has been affected as we’ve had to shut our flagship shop in Watford and our satellite in Croxley Green. At the same time costs are up as we have to take on staff to fill gaps for those self-isolating and the one or two staff who are classed as vulnerable.

The government has its hands full supporting so many people that, as is often the case, support for those facing homelessness is somewhat limited.

Careful stewardship over the years means that we have some reserves, but they are finite and we will struggle to rebuild them.
 
Please, if you are able, - and we realise many people have been hit hard by this crisis - make a donation today to help us cover the costs of creating and distributing these daily meals to those who are now safe in temporary accommodation.