Background to the Research

• Studies from NI, GB, and America have shown a link between homelessness, poor physical and mental health and low self-esteem.
• Research has also shown the need to address the factors that may have contributed to homelessness, such as child abuse, domestic violence and substance abuse, and their impact on both parents and children.
• Low educational achievement and delayed development in children have also been linked with homelessness.
• This research set out to investigate the special problems that homeless families with children face, and to assist existing services, in order to minimise the impact of homlessness on these families.
  

Research Approach

• The research was carried out between October 2000 and March 2001 in the Western Health and Social Services Board (NI) area.
• A number of research techniques were employed:
  • a literature review;
  • accommodation audit;
  • semi structured interviews with key professionals;
  • interviews with parents and children who have experienced homelessness.
    

Main Findings

• Homelessnes is a major problem in the Cityside of Derry/Londonderry, with families waiting increasing periods of time to be re-housed. Despite the availability of accommodation in the Waterside, the number of applicants remained high.
• In the Derry/Londonderry area, significant numbers of children of all ages are living in temporary accommodation, for significant periods of time.
• Derry/Londonderry has a large amount of statutory, voluntary and private sector accommodation. However, it is continually occupied to full capacity, and there is little scope to place families where their needs are best met.
• Much of the private sector accommodation is shared, and is not considered ideal for families. Some families find the restrictions imposed by shared voluntary sector hostels intrusive.
• Homelessness outside the Derry/Londonderry and Strabane districts is less common, and waits for temporary housing are significantly shorter.
• In districts where there is low demand for temporary accommodation, namely Limavady and Fermanagh, no statutory or voluntary sector provisions exist.
• In Omagh, accommodation and support are available only to victims of domestic violence. Strabane had one voluntary sector hostel catering for all groups.
• Living in temporary accommodation imposed additional strains on family life. Whilst communal hostels could provide both personal and group based support, together with mutual resident support, the negative aspects of sharing facilities in HMOs was considered undesirable.
• Some families were thought to require little support, particularly where their stay in temporary accommodation was short (e.g. in Omagh and Limavady). This was unlikely to be the case where stays were longer, although the support available in self-contained accommodation was patchy.
• A number of problem areas in relation to children's education and family relationships merit closer scrutiny and co-operation between statutory and voluntary service providers.
• Physical and mental health problems were experienced by some families, with depression a frequent occurrence.
• Children's behaviour was problematic, particularly within shared hostels and HMOs.
• Most families tried to retain children at their original schools, despite the financial burdens of transport fares which this involved.
• Restrictions on visitors and time away from the temporary accommodation posed difficulties for families who felt that the rules of shared accommodation were particularly restrictive.
• All children (aged 5-12) spoke of the stresses imposed by communal living and restrictive rules. Older children appeared to be more adversely affected by temporary accommodation than younger children.
• Homeless families' stresses come from a number of sources. The circumstances that gave rise to their homelessness may have been traumatic, particularly in the case of domestic violence or relationship breakdown. When coupled with the strain of living in shared accommodation for long periods of time, relationships within families and between residents of temporary accommodation can become fraught.

Key Recommendations

• A limit should be placed on the time spent in HMOs by homeless families with dependent children.
• An increase in the supply of self contained temporary accommodation.
• A strategy of improving existing hostels to reduce the sharing of facilities.
• More consideration should be given to the location of children's current schools when placing families in temporary accommodation.
• The Children's Service Plan for the area should examine ways of linking with temporary accommodation providers and ensuring services are linked from temporary accommodation right through to permanent housing.
• A network of floating support workers should be introduced to ensure that the needs of all homeless families could be addressed. Consideration should be given to contracting this service to existing voluntary sector support providers.