Caring in Bristol urges locals to rise up to tackle homelessness crisis

The newest member of our Ride Out The Recession Alliance (RORA) Caring in Bristol (CiB) are launching their #NoOutsiders campaign today to urge locals to help them prepare for a looming homelessness crisis.

The Bristol homelessness charity has echoed warnings that the economic crisis ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to a spike homelessness. With services in the city already working at maximum capacity to protect people from the virus, they are calling for public help and donations to ensure their frontline workers can meet the challenge.

The #NoOutsiders campaign sees CiB call for Bristol to pay attention to the rise in homelessness and strain on services that is imminent in the coming months with a series of interviews with Bristolians set to hit Facebook and Instagram today.

CiB’s fellow RORA members Shelter predicting 230,000 renters are at risk of ‘Covid-eviction’ and Generation Rent estimating that 17 per cent of renters have fallen into arrears since the beginning of the pandemic. The Bristol charity wants to know that with the looming crisis at the end of August, the authorities will not turn a blind eye to victims of the economic crisis who are at serious risk of falling into homelessness.

Caring in Bristol director Ben Richardson said: “As a local homelessness charity we are working daily to support our clients, but we fear that local services will be stretched beyond their limits as furlough ends, evictions begin and lack of available jobs and safe overnight shelter take its toll. We are especially concerned about those with no recourse to public funds, and the dramatic increase in evictions that are imminent.

“As proud Bristolian we want #NoOutsiders to talk about the crisis through a Bristol lens. Working at the grassroots of the homelessness crisis with over ten community partners and 150 volunteers seven days a week to support those at the cliff-edge of support has fuelled our campaign and we hope it draws much needed attention to the housing issues on the horizon.

“Those who have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic must be guaranteed safe, affordable and secure housing and the support to maintain their homes, to avoid even more people being made homeless. No one should be left without a safe place to stay ever, including because of the COVID-19 fall-out.”

The Big Issue has launched the Ride Out Recession Alliance to protect jobs and prevent homelessness in the wake of the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. If you have an idea that could make things better, share it so we can spread the word. We recognise that the Alliance will build coalitions with uncomfortable allies in order to really address the problems that lie ahead. But we must act and we must begin now. Join us. Get in touch at rora@bigissue.com.