I founded a homelessness charity 10 years ago. These are the moments that kept me going

“How do you do it?” If you’re anything like me, it’ll be the question you get asked most often. And it’s becoming harder to answer as I watch homelessness increase and funding shrink year on year. There are small breakthroughs though. Here are some of the people and moments that kept me going.

Billy

Billy lost his leg due to an aneurysm triggered by sustained exposure to -11C temperatures when homeless. He was recently rehoused but with nothing but a bed and a kettle, so we’ve organised a home starter kit for his flat. My volunteer John has an 88-year-old mum with a mobility scooter she’s never used, so John shared with Billy that he’s going to take it to him. When Billy heard this he burst into tears . He’s had a tough life and been in and out of prison, but he’s an absolutely lovely guy. Our help will give him a whole new lease of life.

Read more:

• Andy Burnham wants to prevent homelessness. But can he do it in ‘landlord-class Britain’?
• Heatwaves hit Big Issue vendors’ sales: ‘Selling in the hot weather can be the worst time’
• Labour ‘turning the tide’ on homelessness but Burnham ‘must go further’ to help homeless kids

Diane

We were supporting Diane while she was living in a Leeds encampment. She was being exploited by a male rough sleeper and dealing with the impact of prolonged mental and physical abuse. She’d also been bitten by a dog and was severely underweight. We worked with partner agencies to coordinate care and got her into a women’s refuge. Without that join-up, I dread to think what would have happened to her. Diane is now slowly recovering – she even had her hair done recently – and is starting to trust that she’s finally safe.

George

Leeds charity Simon on the Streets contacted me about a young man who was sleeping in his car and hadn’t eaten for two days. He’d previously had a job in hospitality which had come with accommodation, and when he was made redundant, he lost his home too. He told me he’d given up and had no hope left, and I knew he was at high risk of suicide.

We got him some food and moved him into a hotel where he slowly rebuilt his confidence, then Simon on the Streets got him housed. He went for an interview yesterday at the Marriott, and John took him for a haircut and a shave beforehand. He did really well, so well that as I write he’s just completed the first shift of his new job! We’re all absolutely buzzing for him. Another volunteer, Greg, has arranged to take him to play padel so he can make some new friends and improve his mental health and well-being.

If George had been left any longer, he could have decided to take his own life or been exploited by gangs.

Untreated trauma, especially in teenagers and young adults, is one of the strongest predictors of future homelessness. Yet youth‑focused mental health support remains chronically underfunded and difficult to access.

You don’t get used to it – you just get better at dealing with it

Milestones make you think. I’ve realised that although I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years, my resolve’s stronger than ever. It’s soul-destroying, but it can also be a privilege. I know you’ll have your own stories of lives touched, fortunes turned around, and losses prevented.

We also know better than anyone that homelessness isn’t inevitable – it’s the result of political choices and can be reduced through political courage. We watch the fallout when someone falls through the cracks, and see that it’s far more costly in human and financial terms than taking preventative measures to reduce homelessness in the first place. Yet we see how far off we are from that level of coordination.

You don’t get used to dealing with this work. You just get better at dealing with it and carrying on regardless. The current system might not make it easy for us to work together, but let’s face it, we’re going to keep doing it anyway. You never know – maybe this time the prime minister will listen to us.

Louise Reed is founder of Focus4Hope.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – and always take the magazine. It’s how vendors earn with dignity and move forward.

You can also support online:
Subscribe to the magazine or support our work with a monthly gift. Your support helps vendors earn, learn and thrive while strengthening our frontline services.

Thank you for standing with Big Issue vendors.