586 - From Homeless to Housed: How Charities help People into Permanent Accommodation

·14 min·1 clip

Sarah Mills reveals how Porchlight helps people facing homelessness find permanent accommodation.

The episode begins with host Daniel Clulow introducing guest Sarah Mills, Director of Services at Porchlight, a charity focused on homelessness, poverty, and inequality. Sarah outlines Porchlight's services, including outreach work to identify rough sleepers and support them with housing applications. She details the complex reasons people end up homeless, such as economic issues, mental health challenges, and lack of affordable accommodation. Sarah shares statistics showing a 17% increase in rough sleepers in Kent, higher than the English average, and highlights the problem of hidden homelessness, where people live in cars or tents uncounted in official data. She explains Porchlight's supported accommodation model, which provides coaching to help individuals gain independence before moving into their own properties. Daniel asks about the scale of homelessness versus available support, and Sarah acknowledges charities and councils are stretched, emphasizing the need for donations. Sarah discusses the homelessness strategy's focus on collaboration across services, like health and social care, to prevent discharge from institutions without accommodation planning. She introduces the Housing First model, an internationally recognized approach that moves rough sleepers directly into homes with wraparound support. When asked about Kent's specific increase in homelessness, Sarah suggests reduced winter shelter funding may be a factor, noting shelters close in warmer months, making rough sleeping difficult year-round. The episode concludes with Sarah encouraging listeners to visit Porchlight's website to volunteer or donate, mentioning a spring campaign to raise £60,000 for a client support fund.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Modern Mindset