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Older homeless people survive at the margins. Because they are homeless or at risk of homelessness they tend to be less visible and less vocal than other groups. They have become the "forgotten homeless" in policy debates and service provision, despite the government's initiatives to address social exclusion.

An evaluation of a funding programme for older homeless people's services by the University of the West of England confirms the marginalisation of older homeless people. But it also reveals how voluntary agencies working in this area also survive at the margins.¹ The funding climate leads to fragile organisations and, in turn, fragile services. Voluntary organisations have provided services for single homeless people for many decades. But the culture in which they operate has changed greatly, as have the services they deliver, because of the demanding funding environment within which they now have to operate.

The research challenges images of older homeless people as tramp-like figures who choose their lifestyle. Rather, older people's stories reveal how a patchwork of difficult experiences, circumstances, and issues can often lead to to homelessness.

Older people become, or remain, homeless because they are unaware of, or alienated from, services. Most have worked regularly in earlier adult life; many have had spouses and children, and led settled lives until they became homeless.

One older owner-occupier described how she developed health problems and had to give up work. Having been given poor and inaccurate advice, when her small savings ran out she had to sell her home and ended up homeless. She was shocked by this, saying: "I lost my job, they shouldn't leave you with no money, they shouldn't leave innocent people to end up on the street, the government should do something about it."

Another older man lost his job and home after taking time off to care for his mother. Changes in the job market left him unable to return to employment after she died, and he ended up on the streets. He struggled to cope with the statutory services, saying: "I'd been out of work a long time but they seemed to think, 'You should be able to cope, you're intelligent', so I got no help."

Other older people have suffered trauma and abuse that has contributed to their homelessness. Many are estranged from family and friends. This can be so even for those who have been securely housed in the past. Some older people interviewed spoke sadly about this. One man said: "I haven't seen my sister in years. I can't remember her house number."

Despite their difficult circumstances, older people vulnerable to homelessness can benefit greatly from specialist services. Many of those visited for the research had been homeless but were successfully re-housed and took great pride in their surroundings.

It is clear that specialist staff are key to the process of supporting homeless older people and to helping them gain access to housing, care and support services. They understand their needs and know what resources are available. Project workers also develop skilled and sensitive ways of working with older people who can often be chronically vulnerable. One project took a planned casework approach with 15 older people, working flexibly to help them move into accommodation if possible or to improve their quality of life by accessing appropriate services if they chose to remain on the streets. The worker referred people on if they were willing to try "going inside".

Older people who are recovering from the experience or threat of homelessness need specialist advice and support in areas including benefits, money management, as well as access to housing and medical and social care services. Others, successfully resettled into appropriate accommodation, may need support for some time, if not indefinitely, in order to remain housed.

Older people who have been rough sleepers for many years may have entrenched and complex difficulties, including serious mental and physical health issues. Alongside more immediate needs, these older people also require assistance to adjust to a radically different lifestyle inside.

Support is fragile however because of difficulties with finance. One project and its host organisation closed during the lifetime of the programme through unsuccessful funding applications. In another, a manager described previously certain sources of funding coming back with nothing to offer, or offering only 20 per cent of the total requested. One manager said: "The competition for funding is much greater now than it was, and we're not being as successful as we were."


There are many factors that create uncertainty for workers and projects - and therefore older, homeless people. Securing long-term funding for work with "unpopular" groups such as homeless older people is especially problematic.

In recent years funders have made greater use of time-limited grants, which heavily influence approaches to service provision and delivery. Projects are particularly vulnerable when grants are coming to an end, and uncertain futures give rise to insecure employment and service delivery. Sustainable solutions are difficult to achieve, yet the needs of older people vulnerable to homelessness are often ongoing.

Recruitment, retention and management issues present voluntary organisations with challenges in trying to fill posts for work with older, homeless people. Most agencies are only likely to be able to offer short-term or temporary contracts and may be limited in the support they can offer staff who work in isolated areas. In the final months of funding, projects are particularly vulnerable to workers leaving when concluding work with users, report writing and contributing to future grant applications are crucial activities.

All these issues combine to create an insecure environment in which services for older homeless people operate. Ultimately, it is the beneficiaries of these services who are adversely affected and who bear the brunt of the disruptions that result.

Older homeless people have complex needs, which are difficult to address in mainstream homeless or advice services. Specialist staff can help older people avoid or escape a cycle of homelessness. Yet the projects working in this area face their own survival difficulties. Some voluntary organisations studied had developed ways to tackle these. Survival strategies have helped them to address funding anomalies and employment issues, which can create uncertain futures for projects and workers. But most importantly these strategies have helped to maintain support for "forgotten" homeless older people who exist at the margins, alongside the organisations that support them.

About the study 

The researchers evaluated a three-year programme which funded 17 projects involving Help the Aged, the Housing Associations' Charitable Trust and homelessness charity Crisis. These mainly provided direct services for older people vulnerable to homelessness. Services included: street outreach and day centre services; resettlement and tenancy sustainment; and housing and benefits advice.    

Hazel Morbey is a research fellow, Jenny Pannell a visiting research fellow and Robin Means an associate dean at the faculty of health and social care, University of the West of England, Bristol.

References  

¹ J Pannell, H Morbey and R Means, Surviving at the Margins: Older Homeless  People and the Organisations that Support Them, Help the Aged, 2002