Homelessness begins when something happens and you don’t have family and friends to help and you have nowhere to live or sleep. Eventually homeless people unfortunately end up sleeping on the streets.
Currently in the Uk,, over 230,000 people are homeless, according to the charity Shelter. Homelessness is caused by the breakdown of family relationships, domestic violence and job loss.
Sleeping on the streets might effect your health. An irregular diet, lack of sleep and exposure to the cold and damp can quickly make you rundown and Ill. Homelessness can also affect your mental health, with problems such as stress, anxiety or depression often worse.
Currently, in the UK, sleeping rough or on the streets is a criminal offence. However, prosecuting homeless people for sleeping on the streets when there is no shelter available is thought to be a form of cruel and unusual punishment that violates the constitutional of federal appeal.
In a current BBC report Telli Afrik, his wife and two young children, were affected by the homelessness crisis. He said, “Financially we’ve been brought to nothing. My confidence – nothing. My family is at breaking point.”
By Aisha, Sara and Persie Y5
Foxfield Primary School