Emergency housing helpline taking almost 90 calls every day across South West
Charity Shelter says over 5,400 people phoned for support between June and October
Last updated 30th Nov 2021
Since the Covid restrictions began to lift in June 2021, Shelter’s emergency helpline has been inundated with nearly 90 calls a day from people in the South West.
More than 5,400 unique callers rang the charity’s free helpline in urgent need of support and advice between June and October and of those, 76% were already homeless or at risk of it.
Shelter says Vital Covid protections, such as the evictions ban, were critical in keeping thousands of people safe in their homes.
However the charity is warning that as those protections have gradually wound down and living costs have shot up, thousands of people have been contacting them for help.
Shelter says the nature of calls shows just how urgent the situation has become for people living in our region. Its figures show:
• One in four callers (23%) needed urgent help to find temporary accommodation
• One in three callers (30%) needed help to try and keep hold of their current home
With the latest government figures showing a household becomes homeless every four minutes, Shelter is warning a difficult winter lies ahead for its services at the frontline of the housing emergency.
Shelter says its team of helpline advisers are preparing to answer calls from huge numbers of people facing homelessness and hardship in the months to come.
Andrea Deakin, Helpline Manager at Shelter, said: "The last year has been hard, and 2022 is going to be just as tough. Now Covid protections have ended and living costs are soaring, we’re answering calls from thousands of people in the South West who are homeless or about to be".
Shelter's emergency helpline, which is part-funded by M&S Food, is open 365 days a year.
A percentage of every sale from M&S's festive Food on the Move range, including Christmas sandwiches, goes directly towards the emergency helpline.
Andrea added: "We’re working every day, including Christmas day, to make sure no one faces homelessness alone, but we’ve got our work cut out.
"By the time we get that call most people have exhausted every other avenue - from the family about to be evicted, to the person facing another night sleeping in their car.
"As well as helping us to give expert support, everyone who picks something up from M&S’s Food on the Move range, is giving hope for a brighter 2022".
Jo Daniels, Head of Partnerships at M&S said: “We’ve been supporting Shelter since 2005 and are incredibly proud of the work they do. Not only do we support through our Festive Food on the Move range, but Shelter is also one of our Sparks charities meaning customers can help every time they shop".
More advice about homelessness, including the helpline number, can be found on Shelter's website.