Today marks World Homeless Day, an internationally recognised day which happens annually on 10th October. The purpose of this day is to draw attention to the needs of people who experience homelessness locally and highlight the issue on a global scale.
Today also marks World Mental Health Day, which emphasises the importance of treating mental health on par with physical health; they are both equally important.
At BHT Sussex, we are well known for our work with homelessness, but we also centre much of our work on the mental health of our clients. It is therefore important for us to acknowledge both World Homeless Day as well as World Mental Health Day.
We recognise that these issues go hand in hand with one another, as mental ill health is both a cause and a consequence of homelessness or housing insecurity. 3,430 of our clients have mental health needs, with an additional 1,120 clients having physical and mental health needs, making it necessary for us to acknowledge the overlap between homelessness and mental health. This will ensure that we continue to deliver the best services for our clients.
To mark World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day, we have spent the past week raising awareness of these issues via our social media channels. We have shared national statistics and facts surrounding homelessness and mental health, highlighted stories from former clients, and shared more details of some of our projects such as First Base and Housing Advice. You can find this content on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.
David Chaffey, BHT Sussex’s Chief Executive said:
“October 10th brings together World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day. As many of our clients know all too well, it is not just one day a year that these topics cross over. For someone experiencing homelessness, for someone with mental health needs, and those who experiencing both, everyday centres around homelessness and mental health.
“Homelessness can cause or exacerbate mental ill health, which is why preventing homelessness is so important in the services we provide. Last year we prevented 2,701 households from becoming homeless.
“On this year’s World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day, let’s intensify our efforts to help those who society often leaves behind, and continue these efforts into every day of the year.”
If you would like to support our work in homelessness and mental health, please donate here, if you can.
If you require housing advice, contact details for our services in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings can be found here.
