Homelessness
A place to call home is something we all need to feel safe and secure. Homelessness isn’t just a lack of shelter, it’s also the absence of a settled home. Insecure housing means living with the constant uncertainty of not having a stable place to stay. Without stability, people facing housing insecurity can’t settle down or build a life and their futures are put on hold, affecting their health and makes it harder to access health services they need.
East Riding Inclusion Health findings (Nov 2024)
- The number of rough sleepers in the East Riding varies and it is hard to give an accurate number. Quarterly monitoring in 2024 showed the number varied between 38 and 49. Up to 423 more people may be at risk of sleeping rough. Between April and September 2024, 76 new rough sleepers were identified by the Council’s Housing Team.
- According to the statistics, 75% of homeless people in the East Riding are aged between 25 and 59 years. However, there is also a group of older rough sleepers with complex needs who have been through multiple accommodation settings that have failed, resulting in street homelessness.
- 70% of rough sleepers were recorded as having drug use treatment needs and almost 60% excessively using alcohol. In addition, 24% had confirmed or suspected mental health issues, although national studies suggest that the prevalence of mental health issues among homeless people may be as high as 86%, so this may be a low estimate.
- 40% of rough sleepers in the East Ridging do not have a local connection, which limits the amount of support and advice the Council is able to offer and may prevent them from being offered housing.
- 80-90% of those people who are street homeless in the East Riding are street homeless in Bridlington. Numbers usually peak in the summer months when the weather is warmer and individuals are attracted to coastal areas for a variety of reasons. The East Riding’s Rough Sleepers Mental Health and Wellbeing Service in Bridlington supported a total of 146 individuals from April 2023 to August 2024.
Support available in the East Riding
Inclusion Health vehicle
The Inclusion Health vehicle travels around the East Riding of Yorkshire to make healthcare inclusive and accessible for every resident, including free health checks and access to tests. Staffed by NHS practitioners along with local authority services and other partners, the team work together to provide a trusted, familiar and supportive presence across the area.
https://www.eastridinghealthandwellbeing.co.uk/find/inclusion-health/
Please note - the information on this site is constantly being updated. If you're aware of any support or service that should be included here, please contact Michelle Barnes in Smile's Community Development team at mb@heysmilefoundation.org
Further Information
The following national charities specialise in supporting people who are homeless.
