homelessness in southampton god’s heart god’s vision god’s solution love southampton housing...

14
Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Upload: simon-mangin

Post on 01-Apr-2015

225 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Homelessness in Southampton

God’s HeartGod’s Vision

God’s Solution

Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Page 2: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

This presentation has an accompanying sheet of notesIt is written for churches to use as part of their services.There are also suggested prayers for use corporately or individually.

See www.lovesouthampton.org.uk/housing

2God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Page 3: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

What comes to mind when you think of a homeless person?

• Sat in a sleeping bag?• Begging for money?• Looking downcast?

3God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Page 4: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Housing problem – like an iceberg

•On the streets we see only the tip of the problem•There are 17,500 households in Southampton who

need better accommodation.•Many people are affected by benefit cuts•not just people without

paid employment

4God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Page 5: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Anonymous Example (please read out)• A single dad aged 34, had 3 children and was living in a private rented 2 bedroom

flat. He couldn’t manage work and childcare. His mental health deteriorated. The children had to go and live with their grandparents. • Now he couldn’t afford the two-bedroom flat. He no longer has the children

living with him and he is under 35, so he is only eligible to claim Local Housing Allowance for a single room. The current rate is £64.62 a week. • He found a room in a shared house and moved in. • The landlord decided to sell the house and he had to move out. The landlord of

the shared house had not asked him for a deposit, so when he had to move out he did not have any money to come from his old landlord to use as a deposit. • He is now sofa-surfing between family and friends. His mental health has

continued to suffer. In order for his mental health to improve he feels he needs to live on his own in a studio or one bedroom flat• He has been looking daily for a studio flat or one bedroom flat and can not find

anything for less than £495 a month. Since he is only eligible for single room rate local housing allowance he faces a shortfall of at least £250 a month. Too much. • This is putting pressure on his mental health and on his relationships with the

people he is staying with. He is very worried he will become street homeless.

God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution 5

Page 6: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Imagine a river…

•…flowing through our city•The “river of homelessness”

6God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Page 7: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

People in the river

•Did they fall, or jump or were they pushed?

7God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Page 8: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Surviving in the river

•Some people are swimming with the current, some are fighting it and some are drowning.

8God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Page 9: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Help

•We throw our ropes into the water and help people to a place of safety

•We are asking whythey were in theriver to begin with

•We go upstreamand look!

9God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Page 10: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

God’s heart

• compassion – don’t be indifferent•humility – it could be me• justice – make it fair

God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution 10

Response 1

Page 11: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

God’s vision

• church to respond, stand in the gap• faith - big problem, but pray and act in faith

•how to stop the cycle of falling in “the river”

11God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Response 2

Page 12: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

God’s solution(s)

Please pray for Housing Group and others trying to find solutions - it’s complex, it needs collaboration.

•prayer (see suggested prayers)•befriending – to combat loneliness and isolation•support the Churches Rent Deposit Scheme•more and better landlords•spare rooms – lodgers and young people•engage with relevant organisations to work together – SCC, Housing Agencies, Planners…

12God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution

Resp

ons

e 3

Page 13: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

For more details

Housing Awareness and Prayer Evening•info•ways to respond•prayer

Tuesday 25 March 20147.30pm

Central Baptist ChurchDevonshire Road

Polygon SO15 2GYGod’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution 13

Page 14: Homelessness in Southampton God’s Heart God’s Vision God’s Solution Love Southampton Housing Group, 2014

Thank youmore info + sign up for newsletters at www.lovesouthampton.org.uk

God’s heart – God’s vision – God’s solution 14