THE CEO of a homelessness charity said he has never seen such a sudden change in financial pressures in all the three decades he has worked in the sector.

Andrew Sanders, CEO of Hexham-based Gap Supported Housing, said the charity has supported homeless and vulnerable adults since 1999, providing supported short-term accommodation for more than 20 years.

Having managed the charity since 2005, Andrew says it now helps tackle issues that led or contributed to someone's homelessness.

"Demand for our service remains constant and has never really been reflective of the seasons, or the latest financial crisis or period of austerity. Having said that, I do feel the present cost-of-living crisis could see that situation change. It can only be a matter of time before such rapid inflation results in people struggling to pay their mortgage or rent and so the threat of homelessness becomes a very real one.

"I think there is a general perception of a homeless person, and reasons for their homelessness, and in many instances there’s a feeling they brought it on themselves, by drug or alcohol abuse. 

"We've supported many people who became homeless because of redundancy, the bank instantly withdrawing an overdraft and within months they faced eviction or repossession, and the street.

"How many of us can honestly say we could not be faced with that, or a similar, scenario leading to the unthinkable?" 

New estimates by the charity Shelter suggested dozens of people were homeless in Northumberland in 2022, from government statistics, Freedom of Information requests and data from membership charity Homeless Link.

It estimated 68 people were homeless in Northumberland, including 24 children, equivalent to one in every 4,715 people in the area.

All homeless people in Northumberland were in temporary accommodation.

Despite a slight drop in numbers in temporary accommodation compared to the year before, the use of temporary accommodation has risen by an 'alarming' 74 per cent over the last decade, Shelter said.

It said this was due to a 'chronic shortage' of social homes.

Estimates don't include forms of hidden or unofficial homelessness, including sofa surfing or overcrowded homes.

Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said they were expecting a rise in homelessness in 2023.

"With private rents and living costs continuing to soar, thousands of people are not just facing a winter of worry, they are at risk of losing the roof over their head," she said.

A spokesperson from Northumberland County Council’s Housing team said: "While we don't have the same issues with street homelessness as more urban areas, we take all types of homelessness very seriously.

"We have a dedicated outreach team who work to locate and engage with rough sleepers to establish any support needs that they may have and help them source accommodation and support. We also work with other local agencies to try and intervene and prevent those at risk of becoming homeless and living on the streets. 

"We have also increased the amount of temporary accommodation available to support more people who are homeless and currently have 27 households in temporary accommodation. This is made of up 65 adults and children. 

"Our team works actively with all people in temporary accommodation to help them find permanent accommodation that suits their needs as quickly as possible."

Andrew explained the reasons why someone can become homeless are as varied as humanity itself.

"Because of that I do not believe there's a simple solution to homelessness. That’s not to say we must not strive to eradicate it, but it requires action on so many fronts; building more houses, whilst needed, will not in itself solve the problem. Improved education; improved health outcomes, including health education around negative realities of ‘recreational’ drug use, and alcohol abuse; meaningful and financially rewarding employment; various housing models; supported, co-housing, social.

"I would suggest homelessness indicates a misfunctioning society, there is no quick fix."

He added as a homelessness charity in a rural area, they have struggled to convince grant funders homelessness needed addressing. "The vast majority of images in the media, including those used by big homelessness charities, feed the narrative of homelessness being uniquely urban. It’s not."

Supported by The Big Lottery Community Fund and Karbon Homes, Gap developed the Links House accommodation service.

"We do have concerns linked to the present cost-of-living crisis. We ourselves are struggling to meet the financial challenges of heating and maintaining a four-story building with accommodation for thirteen people, staff, office and training space," Andrew said.

"In 30 years of working in the sector I don’t think I have witnessed such a sudden change in financial pressures. Since early 2022, our electricity per unit charges have increased by 75 per cent with daily charges increasing by 40 per cent. This is very concerning, to say the least. As we enter a period when need for our service could be greater than ever, these financial pressures threaten our very existence."