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Homelessness and Housing – Reflections from Oxford Diocese

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“My main conclusion is that there is no kindness out there – the most difficult thing to extract wasn’t money but human exchange” - Anita Roddick (when living as a homeless person for Skin Deep TV series):

“Churches are not called to be communities of tolerance, that is too shallow – they should be communities of hospitality” – Bishop David Walker, Bishop of Dudley

Ideas for projects:
Winter Night Shelters - Wycombe Homeless Connection
Wycombe night shelter started as a catalyst with the death of homeless lady on a Christmas eve night who was sleeping rough in a car park stair well. It started in 2008 and in the first set of meetings, 80 people came along to hear how they could get involved. It is a very ecumenical project and brings people together from across church denominations much more effectively than an ecumenical service. The number of volunteers has now grown to 250.

The Night Shelters offer 12 beds a night 7 nights a week from January to March as well as ongoing support throughout the year. The big impact is the sense of hospitality – people are guests (not clients or customers). At meal times volunteers and guests mix in. People feel safe and secure within the church and the knowledge that most of the people helping are volunteers, helps the guests respect and value the space. In the 4 years that it has been running, there has been very little trouble at the shelters.

Wycombe Homeless Connection’s aim is to rebuild lives – shelter is about basic survival needs but progresses so people are able to secure wellbeing, identity and relationships and then onto independence, training and work. They work with guests to help move them onto accommodation and training. They use an effective “Spider chart” method to monitor the impact of the project. They are currently working with Green Pastures to provide move-on accommodation.

For more information on setting up a Winter Shelter, see Housing Justice’s Shelter in a Pack

Drop-in Centres - Oxford Gatehouse
This has been running a drop-in centre open 2 hours a day, 6 days a week for the past 20 years. It was set up by Churches Together in Central Oxford. Again, this is a project that is mainly run by volunteers with strong church links. This has broadened out so that other faith groups also support it in terms of volunteers, food and finances (e.g. local synagogue and Oxford Buddhist Society). Its strong volunteer base has enabled it to secure funding and support from a wide range of local groups, churches (from the centre and out in local villages) and local trusts. This community based funding, in a time of cutbacks, has enabled the Gatehouse to feel much more secure and plan for the future.

Again, it has a big emphasis on treating people as guests and with a strong volunteer base, generally homeless people treat them with a lot of respect and courtesy. Over the 20 years, this simple drop-in has grown into a community.

Churches have remained involved and committed to it over the last 20 years – Churches Together in Central Oxford have a standing item on homeless issues and the Gatehouse project is a great resource for the church and also helps the churches’ reputation with the local community and local council.

Other Housing/Homelessness Church Response Ideas:

  • Campaign on issues around proposed housing benefit capping system which will make it much more difficult for families, particularly in SE and could lead to more homeless LINK
  • With changes in the planning regulations, there is much more opportunity or communities to have a say in planning bids. Churches can support appropriate planning bids that are making difference in community. Although, churches may have to be prepared to deal with conflict with their own local community or some of their congregation. Local communities often don’t want hostels for ex-offenders or asylum in their own backyard. Yet, the church is called to defend the rights of the poor and the marginalised.
  • Church leaders could look at how they can support and influence local housing associations.
  • Dioceses have a great variety of land and buildings – some of these could be creatively used to further the common good – e.g. empty vicarages have been used to house asylum seekers in Nottingham and Leicester.  Also Faith in Affordable Housing has some good ideas on how church land can be used more effectively.

 Taken from Oxford Diocese's Urban Priority Area Homelessness Meeting in March 2011.