Sadly, the Renters Reform Bill is still not in place we are continuing to see people’s lives disrupted by section 21 evictions. A section 21 or more commonly “no-faults” eviction gives someone as little as 2 months to vacate their home. Read more
Through this life threatening freezing cold weather the Manchester Homelessness Partnership has been working together to get everyone off the streets. However we are still seeing people come in after spending many nights on the streets in these sub zero temperatures. Read more
At Barnabus, we work closely with the prison service and related organisations to support people who have been – or are just about to be released from – prison. Whether they’ve lost touch with family and friends or are unable to organise it themselves, many people leave prison without a fixed address or accommodation plans. This most often leads directly to homelessness. We work hard to prevent this before it happens. Read more
Claire* came to Barnabus with her partner. She had recently found out she was pregnant and needed somewhere safe, warm and dry to sleep. They were rough sleeping after having fled violence and modern-day slavery. One of our caseworkers immediately flagged Claire as a high priority and managed to secure the pair a hostel room Tragically, the respite from her months of hardship was short-lived… Read more
The journey off the streets is long. Here’s what our supporters and team have been doing to help.
Ever since his Residents Permit was stolen from him our friends future was very uncertain and he struggled to feel settled when his future in this country seemed uncertain Read more
A lot has been written about what we learned about ourselves, our society and our governance over the past 4 years. Technically we are now at the end of the Coronavirus 19 pandemic after 4 years and for homelessness organisations, it feels like we have found ourselves back where we started but somehow in an even worse position than March 2020. Read more
At Barnabus we work to get everyone off the streets for good, we help people into temporary accommodation and their own homes and support them to ensure they can succeed in accommodation and stay off the streets. However there simply are not enough beds for everyone and many people we work with have been sleeping out at night this winter. These people are exhausted, dejected and beginning to lose any hope of a brighter future. Read more
What would make someone choose to sleep on the floor next to their bed rather than in it? Some of the people we support struggle so deeply with trauma that even when they have a home they find themselves struggling or completely unable to sleep in the bed, instead they choose to sleep on the floor, on their sofas or sometimes even spending nights back on the streets. Read more
Imagine spending night after night in a cold damp doorway, with only a sleeping bag between you and the cold floor. The negative impact this has on your health is massive affecting every part of your body, but most of all repeated cold damp nights affect the respiratory and immune systems. Imagine facing another cold night on the streets but you are now coming down with the flu or a chest infection. Read more
He was lost, without a home town, a support network or structure to his life unable to recognise or begin to address his mental health issues, Daniel was living a chaotic and transient life drifting between cities. Read more
Imagine you are trapped in poverty and homelessness, unable to find a home you can afford on universal credit, unable to find a job with no fixed address. You become trapped in temporary accommodation searching and hoping for an understanding employer or landlord to accept you. Unable to improve your situation no matter what you tried. This was the situation facing Sarah. Read more
The rise in the cost of living has been felt by nearly everyone in Britain but for people already struggling and on the verge of homelessness it can leave them to make nearly impossible decisions. Our resettlement team are now doing more prevention work with people at risk of homelessness who are struggling to afford the basics and keep a roof over their head. Read more
Our new Recovery Group is another important part of the journey off the streets. For those who are dealing with addiction, it’s a chance to talk about their experiences with peers in a safe, welcoming space. No therapists, no judgement, just a place to share. Read more
We started our Partner Volunteers program to help our friends succeed in their journey off the streets by building confidence, learning new skills and combating boredom Read more
James recently came to Barnabus after spending his first few nights on the streets, he was scared and very worried for his safety and his future. Read more