Community is the theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. For too many families and individuals in communities across Bristol, the anxiety created by housing insecurity and homelessness is an urgent and pressing issue. The burden of homelessness and insecure housing situations is a terrible weight to bear. Every week our workers meet people in city neighbourhoods who are facing a period of uncertainty in a situation unfolding around them. This may be the threat of losing their current home. They may be wondering where or when the next move will be to get out of temporary accommodation. It’s been described as an energy-draining place to be in, with little left to find enjoyment in life.

Hope

If someone is already facing a challenge with their mental health, precarious housing situations can magnify the symptoms. People who would ordinarily describe themselves as buoyant can find themselves being crushed by the pressure of a homelessness crisis. It’s difficult to imagine what this feels like until it happens to you. In complex housing systems, with limited options, it can feel hopeless. We don’t want anyone to feel like this, and our projects are there to restore the hope needed to find a way through with support, advice, and resources. We take many of our projects into the community, to meet people where they are.

Home = Wellbeing

Housing is often seen as a financial asset, but we believe a house should be a home that feels like a safe and secure foundation for a happy life. This is why a home is so central to our mental wellbeing, and why any threat to our home is a threat to our mental health. More good quality social homes, and more homes that are truly affordable, would make a massive difference to people in Bristol, and beyond. Removing uncertainty and enabling people to settle into the future they want can provide the mental ease and clarity that would make for a happier Bristol.

Community Solutions

In the meantime, we’re working hard to prevent homelessness at the earliest possible stage - before it becomes unmanageable and traumatic. Our workers can spot the early signs of a potential crisis; they help people to take the steps needed to protect both their home and wellbeing. With effective resources, homelessness is not inevitable. Getting ourselves out of the fatalistic doom loop that often surrounds homelessness releases energy and hope to see the solutions. It is widely accepted that we need to do more work to prevent mental health difficulties from occurring, preventing homelessness, and ensuring people have stable and secure homes go hand in hand with this. That's why our co-production groups, which meet in accessible community venues, bring people together to identify issues, and work towards solutions.

STRONGER TOGETHER: : More about co-production

Building and Restoring

When the worst happens, it can feel like a disaster. Our youth practitioners work with young people who have experienced a homelessness crisis. They know this to be true. They know that when a young person finds a home, this is the start of a new journey, and not the end of one. They are there to support them in building up their strength, skills, and confidence to live the life they want to, helping to restore what homelessness has taken away.

Safety. Security. Dignity.

We must think beyond bricks and mortar. At Caring in Bristol we know that the foundations of a good quality, affordable home are also the foundations of our wellbeing. That’s just one of the reasons that we care so much about what we do. We don’t want people to experience the anxiety of insecure housing. We want everyone in our city to have the safety, security, and the dignity of a home.