When I talk to groups about homelessness I sometimes make the point that successful outcomes – people who were homeless and no longer are – are invisible. Nobody spots an empty space and thinks there should be a rough sleeper there. And we don't tend to look at people and wonder what they have recovered from. Our shared normal is to see what is in front of us and if it doesn't look like homelessness, we don't see homelessness, regardless of whether it has been part of someone's life.
That's wonderful in one way. But the downside is that we don't hold success and homelessness together. How can The Archer Project be successful when the numbers of people sleeping rough are growing?
A few weeks ago I went to London as part of a group of representatives from Sheffield to celebrate the end of the first year of Homewards, the Royal Foundation's homeless charity. All sorts of people from Prince William and Lord Hague, to local community leaders and people who have experienced homelessness, gathered to reflect on what had been achieved.
On a national stage, and that is really important, we celebrated the success of formerly homeless people. Sabrina spoke about living on the streets of Newport with her dog and staying close to other people who were homeless, for safety. Sabrina is a high achiever. She survived and then thrived. She joined the Fire Service, did a degree in psychology and brought the two disciplines together to help fundamentally change the Fire Service's decision-making processes. She now serves as the Chief Fire Officer for West Sussex. Wow!
When she spoke at the event, she mentioned the times of feeling herself tense up because she was faced with reminders of that past, when she slept on the street, in derelict buildings and a van. Chris spoke at this event too. Chris is one of our Archer Project team and he has spoken many times about his homelessness.
In recent years we have spoken more about his new life. He has worked in our Printed by Us team, both in screen printing and as a shop sales assistant; he lectures to criminology students; he has contributed to radio programmes and podcasts on crime; he works as a peer mentor, helping others navigate the system he journeyed through.
He talks about the balance of the past and present. He is no longer homeless. He hasn't been homeless for a number of years. When he talks about homelessness, he wants to be really clear that it was a part of his life. He has moved on and he will only talk about being homeless to help others who are homeless or to change the way we think about homelessness.
Changing the way people understand homelessness – that's the goal. It is so hard. If you saw the next Sabrina or Chris on the streets of Sheffield today, would you know? Of course you wouldn't. You can't spot raw talent without getting to know someone. Maybe those talents will die too young because the person never escapes homelessness. And it isn't really about loss of talent. Even if Sabrina didn't have a razor-sharp brain and the insight to apply learning, she would still have been a young woman in need of support and care.
There is a long list of people who have escaped homelessness and have gone on to careers. We employ some in The Project. Like Chris, they are testament to the fact that homelessness is a condition not a description of them as people. All of them can describe times of fear on the street. All of them can tell you stories of being abused on the street. All of them can talk about that dreadful feeling of thinking everybody else wants you to go away. Now, with paid jobs and stable homes, they live in society with their invisible past.
There is also a long list of people who have escaped homelessness but who find themselves stuck. Last year a young man came back to see us after he had lived in a tent, engaged with services and moved into supported accommodation. Then he went and got a job. His accommodation provider told him the truth: he couldn’t afford to work – if he worked he would lose the benefits that paid for his accommodation. His employment was at minimum wage. There would be a deficit even before he tried to buy food.
All of us in the system know about this trap but he didn't. He was gutted. In his case, the story ended well. He was capable of full-time work so once he moved into his own tenancy, he could figure out how to afford to keep his job. If only that was the case for those who, for one reason or another, can't maintain full-time employment.
Whatever the circumstances, imagine what might come from changing our own perceptions. Imagine how we all might help make change if we consider the possibilities.
Written by Tim Renshaw, CEO of The Archer Project.
