About homelessness

Homelessness is having no secure form of housing. It’s not just people who sleep rough, but those in temporary accommodation, and those sleeping on the sofa of a friend who are ‘homeless’. It can happen to anyone but is much more likely for those who have already experienced poverty—as they have no resources to fall back on.

The causes are wide ranging and often complex. Early-life trauma has a big role to play, as does neurodivergence.

Help for some homeless people—those with young families, for example—is enshrined in law. The majority who can’t access such help are single homeless adults.

St Mungo’s is Oxford City Council's outreach team. They assess homeless people’s needs, advise them of their options, and look out for their wellbeing.