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That homeless people need "more than a roof" is well known. They are often vulnerable with complex, multiple needs. Their backgrounds may include family breakdown, mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse, a history in care or time in prison. Homelessness is often a secondary consequence of the interaction of these multiple causes.

They are also often isolated, particularly if they have slept rough, been in and out of hostels, or abandoned tenancies. Moving around because you do not feel rooted anywhere or at the behest of agencies switching you from hospital to hostel to detox makes staying in touch with family and friends difficult, especially if you became homeless through falling out with your family.

Some workers with homeless people regard families and friends as destructive, believing it better that someone should be well housed, but isolated, than be hanging around in bad company or returning to conflict-ridden families.

Three organisations - Thames Reach Bondway, a supported housing agency for older homeless people, Alone in London, which works with young people in London, and St Basil's, which works with young homeless people in Birmingham - wanted to explore these assumptions: have homeless people lost contact with family and friends? Do they want to do anything about it? And what help do they need? Social policy research company Lemos & Crane has just published Dreams Deferred after carrying out a survey of staff and service users over several months.¹

The findings showed that some users conform to the stereotype of having transient relationships and losing touch when they move on. One young woman said: "Sometimes I like to make a fresh start but I'm reluctant to make new friends in case I leave them behind." For others, being homeless is a source of empathy and friendship. A staff participant said: "We discussed in detail getting to know another tenant in the house. She said they clicked because the woman was a street person like she was." But others were reluctant to be part of the homelessness scene. One said: "He does not identify himself as homeless or a junkie, so he spends less time with other residents."

Perhaps more surprisingly, despite moves and disruptions, some still placed great importance on old friends. One person told us about friends he made at church many years ago, others still had old family friends.

Family relationships were for some a source of pain and sadness. One of the most poignant remarks was: "I try to blank them out, but the fact that I can't see them is always on my mind." Another said: "I haven't seen them since 1999 following an argument...I am afraid I may never see them again."

But there were more positive stories too. Relationships with grandparents and siblings were often less judgemental than troubled relationships with parents. Some young homeless people saw their grandmothers every week. One "felt unsure who he values" since his grandmother died. One young man had a seven-year-old sister and described her as "the only important person in my life".


The histories and relationships of homeless people are as complex and varied as everyone else's. But they all felt they needed more help in building and re-building friendships and family relationships. Providing that help is often no one's job. Support staff in hostels and day centres tend to emphasise practical support with benefits, training courses or permanent housing. Staff often lacked confidence in their own skills to deal with deeper feelings and therefore steered clear. To address this a tool kit has been developed in the report to give a structured, safe way of addressing emotional concerns about family and friends and making plans for the future.

Referrals of homeless people to family mediation services are few. Many services do not provide inter-generational mediation or, if they do, commissioning arrangements and contracts prevent them accepting referrals of homeless people. Befriending services are even fewer. The report recommends the creation of a network of family mediation, befriending, counselling and other person-centred services to which homeless people could be referred.

Homeless people often struggle alone to stay in touch with those they love and to find new people to like. Freud defined being normal as the ability to work and to love. Fostering the ability to love has escaped our attentions. And it is at least possible that the ability to love yourself, to build your own confidence and self-esteem depends in some measure on the ability to love others. Some people need help with that.

Gerard Lemos is a partner at social policy researchers Lemos & Crane.

Reference

¹ Dreams Deferred is available at www.lemosandcrane.co.uk