At Beam we understand that homelessness exists on a spectrum and can mean a variety of things. We endeavour to support as many people experiencing or at risk of homelessness as possible, with the goal of both reducing and preventing homelessness.
We define someone experiencing homelessness as:
Anyone who is rough sleeping
Anyone who is sofa surfing
Anyone who is living in: temporary accommodation, hostels, supported housing and night shelters
We define someone at risk of homelessness if they are:
Continually falling behind on rents (due to low income, benefit capping or zero-hour contracts)
Unable to clear debts and arrears
Facing eviction notices
For people at risk of homelessness, supporting them into a quality job with a stable income is often an important step to avoid them losing their home. Once someone in this position has started a job through Beam and kept their tenancy, we say that they have been "Prevented from Homelessness".