Exploding the Myths About Homelessness

It’s tough enough being homeless without having the feeling that some people see homelessness as a problem of their own making. 

If you’re considering donating or volunteering, you might find our response to these questions helpful.

“what sort of people do you class as homeless?”

Anyone who does not live in a place intended for occupation that they have a legal right to live in.  We would classify people living in tents, sheds, vehicles, squats etc as homeless.

“I’ve heard that some people begging in Lewes actually have homes they can go to.  Is this true?”

Most people who regularly beg on the streets of Lewes are homeless. Sometimes people living on the street are occasionally able to sleep at a friend’s, but that is not their home. However, even some who have housing have financial needs that require them to supplement their income by begging.

“I want to give money to people on the street, but I’m worried they’d go and spend it on drugs or alcohol - do they?” 

They might. Or they might spend it on food or accommodation. You will never know.

As the founder of User Voice, a charity led and staffed by former homeless addicts, says: “If your money funds the final hit, accept that the person would rather be dead. If your act of kindness makes him wake up the next morning and decide to change his life, that’s nice but not your business either.”

Here’s an interesting Guardian article on this subject.

“isn’t it the government’s job to help the homeless?”

It is - and the 2018 Homelessness Reduction Act aims to eliminate rough sleeping by 2027. However, like all strategic initiatives it will take time to get moving and areas with high levels of homelessness, such as London and Brighton, will be prioritised.  Until then, cuts to funding mean that local government can do less, which is where voluntary organisations like ours can help.

“homeless people choose to drop out and take drugs and alcohol - why should I help them?”

Homelessness is rarely a choice.  It’s often the result of circumstances that could affect any of us - redundancy, relationship breakdown or a mental health crisis.  It’s true that many rough sleepers use alcohol or drugs, or suffer from addiction.  It can be a way of helping them tolerate a dreadful situation.

“Is it true that rough sleepers get a special benefit for keeping a dog?”

No, they don’t.  Simple as that. In fact, many rough sleepers put their dog first in terms of spending money on food. Organisations like Street Vet help rough sleepers with their dogs’ health needs and avoid unaffordable vet bills.

“is there a night shelter in Lewes?” 

No. Lewes Open Door opened a Winter Night Shelter over the winter of 2019/20 but unfortunately, due mainly to the pandemic, we are unable to re-open. We continue to campaign for local council facilities, but the nearest Night Shelters will most likely be in Eastbourne during winter 21/22. We will gladly help facilitate access to these.

“I’d like to volunteer, but I’m concerned that I might find some of your guests challenging”

The great majority of our guests are friendly, polite and appreciative of our volunteers. Of course there are occasional difficulties - there would be in any organisation.  We always have at least two volunteers present, often three, and a quiet word usually calms things down.  

“I’VE SEEN PEOPLE tHAT APPEAR TO BE ‘PROFESSIONAL BEGGARS’ IN LEWES. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

It is possible that these people are victims of modern day slavery/human trafficking and have been lured to the UK with promises of jobs & housing, with the hope of being able to send money back home. They may have been told that they now owe the gang controller thousands of pounds or that their family back home may be in danger if they don’t work for the gang.

If you suspect human trafficking, call the police. Call 999 if it’s an emergency, or 101 if it’s not urgent. If you’d prefer to stay anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

If you want confidential advice about trafficking before calling the police, there are a number of specialist organisations you can talk to. You can contact:

• Lewes Organisation in Support of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (LOSRAS) https://losras.org/contact/

• Salvation Army's 24 hour confidential helpline for reporting modern slavery on 0800 818 3733

• Modern Day Slavery Foundation's helpline on 0800 0121 700, open 24 hours a day

• NSPCC's helpline on 0808 800 5000 if you think a child is in danger of trafficking

If you need help to decide what to do next, contact your local Citizens Advice, which in Lewes is 01273 007557