Expose the truth
Expose the truth
Expose the truth reveals the two-tier treatment of homeless people and calls for all to be given the help they need.
Crisis is calling on the Government to stand by its pledge to review homelessness law, make sure councils work to prevent and resolve the homelessness of all who approach them and widen the safety net so that all who need it get emergency accommodation.
In April 2010 Crisis campaigners and Crisis members with experience of homelessness delivered our Expose the truth petition to Downing Street, calling for change.
Campaign investigation
Crisis sent ‘mystery shoppers' posing as single homeless people to expose the truth on what happens when people ask their local council for help. As the research briefing shows, the levels of help were so poor that if these had been real cases many of them would have ended up on the streets.
The law says that everyone officially recognised as homeless is entitled to advice and assistance from their local council to prevent and resolve their homelessness. Some people who meet ‘priority need' criteria are, in addition, entitled to emergency accommodation. Who gets what help?
What happened?
Local authorities used the fact the mystery shoppers mostly did not meet ‘priority need' criteria as an excuse not to give them the advice and assistance they should have, often treating them dismissively and rudely.
In one case a 17-year-old was told to return to her family home although she said feared sexual assault there. In another, a mystery shopper who said he was sleeping rough was told to come back with six months' pay slips and bank statements. Find our more in our press release or research briefing.
What's the solution?
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Implement the current law: All homeless people should be treated with respect and given the help they need and to which they are entitled.
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Fund the system: More money for councils to carry out homelessness prevention work and a greater emphasis on this preventing homelessness among all groups - not just ‘priority need' cases.
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Improve the law: Widen the homelessness safety net so councils must work to prevent the homelessness of all who approach them, including by providing emergency accommodation to all who need it and meaningful advice and assistance to address their housing need.
How you can help
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