The Hidden Homeless - What can be done about it?
For the final day of our investigation we hear from those in charge of tackling homelessness about what they're doing.
To round up our investigation into hidden homelessness in South Yorkshire Hallam FM has been finding out what's being done to try and get a true scale of it.
We uncovered figures which show it's doubled in Doncaster over the last year but local charities have warned we'll never know the real picture.
Those in charge of keeping a record of people who are homeless and supporting them have told us they can only help people if they know about them.
All of the councils and housing services here in South Yorkshire have told us that if someone's got nowhere to live they need to know about them.
Grant Lockett's from St Leger Homes in Doncaster which deals with housing in the town.
He said to cope with the rise there they've invested more money and taken on more staff.
He added that they have made progress but there's still more work to be done:
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"We are progressing. I don't think the work for a service that deals with people with housing issues and certainly people who are homeless will ever achieve their top performance because it needs to be continuous improvement really. We've improved a lot. There's still a lot to do. And even when we've done everything that we recognise today there'll still be a lot to do."
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David Richmond from Rotherham council said:
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"I'd be really suprised if it wasn't going up in Rotherham. If you look at some of the causes of homelessness, particularly poverty, for a lot of people that is on the increase. Some of the changes that have taken place in the welfare system have made it more difficult for people. There is a significant issue with people being in employment but being very poor and unable to sustain mortgages and rent payments.
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"Because of the lifestyles that some people lead they choose not to approach and present themsleves as homeless. Some of them might not see themselves as being homeless so I don't think we'll ever really know but my message would be if people are in dire circumstances, they should seek help if they want help."
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He added that the council has seen a rise in the number of cases it's been able to prevent.
Cllr Jenny Platts, Cabinet Spokesperson for Communities at Barnsley Council, said:
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"The council currently offers a variety of services to support homeless people. Our Housing Options and Advice service offers advice and assistance to anyone who is homeless or experiencing housing difficulties. The team also work with multiple local partners, including the police and health services, to tackle rough sleeping locally by proactively seeking to engage with entrenched rough sleepers and offering support to help them access suitable accommodation and support services.
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"We are currently undertaking a full review of our homelessness services, including emergency accommodation and support provision. The review will enable us to identify where there is unmet need and where there are gaps in provision."
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Sheffield City Council cabinet member for housing, Jayne Dunn, said:
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"Our figures show that homelessness is increasing nationally but that Sheffield is bucking the trend. It’s difficult to say why this is - and the impact of the Government’s welfare reforms have not fully hit here yet - but we are focussing more on prevention and this is having an impact.
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"What we’re trying to do is reach people before they get to a crisis point, and are working closely with our partners on this. We also manage access to housing support to make sure that people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, receive the right support for them in the right kind of accommodation.
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"Our figures relate to the people we help with homelessness but there may be others we don’t yet know about. I’d encourage anyone who is worried about this issue to contact us on 0114 273 6306."
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People are also being advised to call the Turning Point Rough Sleeper Service, which is commissioned by Sheffield Council on 0114 275 5973 or the police on 101, to make sure people receive the advice and support they need.