1. HOMELESSNESS. This essay will explore the practice o

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HOMELESSNESS
This essay will explore the practice of Social Work with adults who are homeless.
The first sector emphases on the legal and historical context putting in mind the
housing act 1996, the new Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. The second part
discuses practice and theory specifically vulnerability and poverty model linked to
conflict and crisis theory. And lastly the last part discusses the collaborative working
and what forms a noble assessment and barricades to this.
Legal and Historical Context
Homelessness refers to a situation where an individual sleep rough or does not have
a permanent abode. Additionally, homelessness refers to a state where a person is
living in an unsuitable housing condition (Means, 2017). Thus, this means that the
person does not have a home and they are living on the streets. However, research
argue that an individual can be homeless even whilst having a shelter; this includes
living with friends and families, squatting, living in shelters and also staying in
unhealthy conditions that will affect their well-being (Fazel, Geddes, & Kushel, 2014).
Homelessness in England is a huge problem, in March 2017, most households were
recognised as homeless by the authorities (18, 070 households). Consequently, the
charities such as homeless link, which dealt with homelessness argue that the
statistics given by the officials is not detailed. The hidden homelessness problem by

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all indication is still on a larger scale than the observable homelessness. Individuals
in the country especially those without a home, and are not entitled to the support of
homelessness from the government, tend to engage in different forms of insecure
and dangerous activities in exchange for accommodation such as trading sex for a
bed, rough sleeping, and sofa surfing (Fitzpatrick, Bramley et al., 2013).
Accordingly, this group of homeless people continue to be hidden from the figures
given by the official thus making it difficult in obtaining secure accommodation which
can be resolved if homeless individual (s) approach the homelessness support or the
authorities (Hodgson, Shelton, van den Bree et al., 2013). The government in
England experiences difficulty to offer effective solutions and support to the
homelessness without the actual picture of the hidden homelessness number.
The homelessness origin is traced back during the colonial America in the year
1640. The vagrants who are the English were considered outcast individuals thus the
police were always after them because they viewed the Vagrants to be undisciplined.
The homeless individuals were considered as beggars in mid-18th century and they
were located in different corners of the colonial towns (Zimmerman, 2013) which
was a as a result of King Philip war in the year 1675. The colonies were forced out of
their homes only to seek shelters at the forests and coastal regions. After a long
period of idleness a law was sanctioned to prevent idleness in the cities and the idle
people were made servants (Zimmerman, 2013). The security of many families were
threatened as the war continued between the Indians and the French which made
the families to become refugees in areas like New England and New York. As a
result of the war the number of the homeless people increased drastically during the
American Revolution due to insufficient needs and in the year 1857 the cities were
full of homeless people but there was no intervention from the government. However

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some private charity organisation aimed to solve the problem of homelessness but it
did not work (Zimmerman, 2013) because they were not fully prepared to handle the
homeless due to inadequate resources. After civil war the case worsened beyond
human imagination and most people remained unemployed, additionally, most
people lost their properties to war and natural calamities resulting to homelessness.
As population continued to increase, homelessness was passed from generation to
generation in form of poverty and crime (Bone, 2014).
A great number of young men face homelessness, according to statistics most of the
young men that approached the local authorities did not receive any meaningful help
thus placing them at the risk of abuse and violence, sleeping rough (Medcalf, &
Russell, 2014). London is captured to be the hotspot of homeless people between
the age of 20 to 35 especially in Newham Council. One out of twenty-four people
face house insecurity, more than 14,500 individuals are in temporary
accommodation and more than 50 sleep rough (Vines, McNaney, Clarke, Lindsay et
al., 2013). According to Bone (2014) statistics conducted in United Kingdom show
that homelessness and housing insecurity continue to spread wide to other parts of
England, for example in south-east and Midlands, and the influence of extraordinary
rents and well-being cuts undulates outwards. People that are homeless face
different stigma such as discrimination and at most time they are neglected by
people in the community.
According to the housing Act 1996 as modified by the homelessness Act 2002, the
local authorities must hand realistic preference when allotting housing to the
homeless. The housing is allocated according to the circumstances of an individual,
it is divided into four bands which include the emergency band, gold band, silver

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band and bronze band (Hodkinson, & Robbins, 2013). This is in accordance to the
needs of the individual and priority of housing rules.
The Homelessness Reduction Act aims to help people before experiencing
homelessness. In April 2017 the Act gained Royal Approval therefore it came into
force in the year 2018. The main provision of the Act is the universal homelessness
introduction ‘prevention’ a duty for all households that are eligible (Booth &
Choudhary, 2013). Apart from relief, the Act takes effective steps to secure
accommodation for any homeless person that is eligible (Choudhary, 2013). In the
past the local authorities did not have any legislative duty to carry out prevention
work for all households. The main intention is to guarantee that any individual facing
homelessness irrespective of priority status need has a right to receive free advice
and information to assist them with their condition and maximize support if they
become homeless (Booth & Choudhary, 2013). It implies that 56 days preceding to
becoming homeless (From 28 days beforehand) they should get support, supposing
they approach the resident authority. As part of the prevention obligation,
accommodation officers must make a ‘particular housing plan’ with those that
present. The Act also places a first-hand responsibility on communal authorities
(such as the NHS) to alert the housing authority if their employee is experiencing
homelessness, is this done to reduce cases of homelessness which starts by
communal authority reporting to housing authority in case an employee at work
station faces housing challenges. The homeless face several challenges due lack of
engagement that is poor health services. Some experience chaotic lifestyle (mental
and physical torture) due to lack of contactable details such as addresses and
telephone contact (Means, 2017).