Positive thinking

Katy Jones, Manchester Metropolitan University One in every 200 people in Britain is homeless – sleeping on the streets or stuck in temporary accommodation, including hostels and B&Bs, according to analysis from housing charity Shelter. But it might surprise you to know that despite not having a secure home, a small but significant proportion of people experiencing homelessness are in paid employment. Getting a job is often presented as a solution to getting people off the streets. Indeed, former prime minister Theresa May, in a speech about tackling homelessness, said : Dealing with homelessness…is about more than just accommodation…the key thing is ensuring people can be in work and can be earning and not find themselves in that situation. But work does not always offer a route out of poverty – and many people who are in work continue to face housing insecurity . Indeed, a recent analysis from the housing charity Shelter found that 55% of families in temporar...

William Mandy, UCL   Tony had lived on the streets for 45 years, and in recent years had become increasingly physically unwell. Despite this he refused all offers of help, and it became clear to his support workers that he found social engagement of any kind very distressing. It was only when it was recognised that he had autism that staff were able to adapt their approach to support him to move off the streets into a hostel. There has been little focus on whether autistic people might be over-represented among the homeless population. Autism is a condition characterised by differences in the way the brain develops, with autistic people showing difficulties with social skills, unusual sensory processing, and a tendency towards inflexibility and restricted interests. Many autistic people, given the right support, live full and satisfying lives. Unfortunately, such support is often lacking, and many autistic adults struggle to find sustainable employment and housing . ...