The streets of Edinburgh are littered with homeless people. They sleep rough on street corners and in doorways - where they are subject to the ferocity of the Scottish elements and the potential violence of strangers. The reality of their life is grim.

There is a tendency amongst the populace to walk past a homeless person without even so much as an acknowledgment. This is 'justified' on the basis that people have brought that situation upon themselves, presuming that the individual has chosen both to become an addict and has refused help. Addiction does feature highly as a reason for homelessness. The meagre amount of money provided by the government in benefits is quickly sapped by a drugs or alcohol habit, leaving little for food or accommodation. However, this is rarely the whole picture - peoples issues can not be pigeonholed simply as the result of substance abuse.

Research has shown that whilst many people who are living on the street do suffer from some kind of addiction, they are sleeping rough mainly due to either a break down in their domestic situation or depression caused by loneliness and isolation. The notion that a persons situation is somehow deserved, on the basis that they continue their habit, is grossly unfair but unfortunately common. The reasons why people begin to be dependent on drugs or alcohol are wide ranging and complex. Often the individual views it as an escape from their life, which may be filled with abuse, mental health problems or a variety of other factors. There is also the common feeling that there is no other way out, the channels of assistance which are available in society being either unknown of or inaccessible to them.

The current economic situation has affected everyone, but for the most part it will not critically affect people’s living standards. However, for many people in society - those living on the very lowest wage thresholds and/or benefits - the margin for error is very slim. If you have little money in the first place than even a small increase in living prices could be enough to render your situation unfeasible. The result is an increase in the number of people sleeping rough on the streets of Britain, including a notable increase within the city of Edinburgh.

The problem is compounded in this city by an ‘acute shortage of affordable housing’ which was announced by the council earlier this year. This means that more people will have to be housed in temporary sheltered accommodation, an experience most find demoralizing and which in many cases leads to them returning to the streets. In a recent article by The Journal, the Shadow Minister for Communities Jamie McGrigor reported that the figures for the number of people living in sheltered accommodation had increased by 11% in the last year which is more than double the figures of 1999. The bleak situation means that the council does not, and has not had the funds to support all those within the city who need it. Many of the most vulnerable people in society are not receiving the assistance which they deserve and need.

The burden of our failing welfare system falls hardest on the shoulders of the voluntary sector. Charities such as the Bethany Trust, a Christian Aid group who focus on the issue of homelessness. They have initiated several programmes to tackle the issues of homelessness including vital services in an attempt to support those who have been failed by the government. Their ‘Passing the Baton’ initiative in particular aims to guide people “from the despair of rough sleeping through to sustainable independent living in the community”.

Essentially they guide people through the process of getting a tenancy, establishing a home and learning to manage it - they also provide key pieces of furniture. Twenty percent of those taking part in this programme have repeatedly failed to maintain a tenancy after having been re-housed, a process which costs the council £25,000 each time it has to be undertaken. Obviously due to lack of funding, the council cannot afford to repeatedly invest this capital to no avail, therefore they are only legally required to re-house an individual three times.

Again, as a result of limited funding, the council does not tackle the reasons why people fail to maintain a tenancy which is where the Bethany Trust come in. They have found that in the majority of cases, feelings of loneliness or isolation are the main reason why people return to the street. Similarly it is also cited that the poor quality of the accommodation provided and peoples inability to cope with the financial implications of tenancy are a significant factor in the reluctance to get help. The project aims to address all of these issues by bringing vulnerable people into a community. Whether it be a volunteer organisation or local churches, they give people a network who they can depend on and which can help encourage their recovery.

The charity supports those who have been through the project and continue to work with them so as to help guide others, by means of their experience. Apart from the Bethany Trust, there are many other charities working within the Edinburgh area who provide essential services to homeless and vulnerable people. A network of soup kitchens, arts projects and educational establishments encourage through the provision of food, clothing, stimulation and education. They pick up where the council leaves off - the long term support of individuals. By providing a safety net to catch those who have fallen through the holes of our so called welfare system, these charities help the living standards of many who desperately need it.

Those who have direct experience of the system are keen to stress how vital such services provided by the voluntary sector are. I spoke to John, who lived on the streets for six months, before spending a short time in sheltered accommodation and then eventually moved into the council flat he now occupies. His experience typifies that of many people within the system and highlights both the good and bad aspects of it. He felt neglected by the civil system and had it not been for the assistance of the voluntary sector, he would probably have ended up back on the street.

The only help which he received during his stay in sheltered housing was from a friend rather than through any official system. Whilst the B&B service, which was finally made available to him, was competent it was the guidance provided by the Bethany Trust which really aided him in life as he was left with the feeling that the authorities did not really care.

The fact that charities are providing such a large amount of the essential, front line care for vulnerable people, seems grossly inadequate in a country which professes to have a welfare state. Yes, these people receive benefits and have access to public health care, but were it not for the work of charities they would potentially not have food, clothing or the skills required in order for them to look after themselves and be active members of society. It is important to stress that this is not purely the fault of the council, who have for many years been praised for their provision of housing and services to the homeless. There just simply is not enough money in the system.

A discussion with social worker, K - who has direct experience of both working with the homeless and the cut backs and staffing reductions made necessary by government cuts - revealed that cuts have been a reality for years. This year’s new set of reductions have meant a purge of managerial posts, the implication of which is a less efficient system and more bureaucracy for front line workers. Sadly this is not the shock that many of us perceive it to be as those who have been working within this system have grown used to being constantly stretched beyond their means and thereby rendered ineffective.

The current waiting list for a social worker in Edinburgh is three months long which means many people are left hanging when they most need help. This is not the fault of social workers, who are forced to bide by the constraints of the system, but instead it is the result of a long term drought in government funding. K says “We do more work and carry larger case-loads with less staff and for less money”. They are told to encourage what is known as ‘self directed care’, a policy which aims at reducing external involvement in favour of individuals being supported by their families. This buzz phrase is critiqued on the basis that it exempts authorities from the responsibility of intervention. However, it is simply the symptom of a system trying to make ends meet, whilst being starved of the funding it requires to fulfil its role in society.

The fact is, that the government have neglected its responsibility to protect the vulnerable members of society by under-funding and under-staffing the civil service, thereby allowing the burden of support to fall on charities. The system is inadequate and it is only getting worse. The current economic climate and government cuts are threatening to render many charities bankrupt - severely worsening an already dire situation.

Josiah Lockhart is general manager of the GrassMarket Community Project, one of the many Edinburgh based charities which provides services to homeless people. She spoke to me with regards to how charities will be affected by the general economic climate. The GrassMarket Project itself is quite secure because they are independently funded and do not rely on government subsidy, however, they are very lucky in this regard. Many other charities in Edinburgh struggle to get the funding they need to survive, the council don’t have cash to spare and investors are unable or unwilling to fund a project which requires long term support. This means that many charities are forced to close.

In the last nine months alone, 5 out of the 11 charities which the GrassMarket works in conjunction with, have shut down. These provided a variety of services including hot meals and workshops aimed at the development of constructive expression, communication and learning. Josiah feels that the scale of the damage inflicted by cuts cannot possibly be predicted. Many people rely on a variety of services and will therefore be affected by the cumulative effect of multiple closures and the constraints which have now been set. This viewpoint is shared by the majority of those who work with the issue of homelessness. The needs of homeless people are multifaceted, help is required in many different areas of their life. Whilst the impact of a single cut may seem small, in conjunction with others it leaves a sizeable gap in the services people rely on.

John still relies on soup kitchens and charities to provide his food. He states that within the time that he has used such facilities their number has halved. Many of those which remain open have also had to place constraints on who they can feed due to lack of funding. Since he is no longer technically considered homeless, many places will no longer feed him. Others require that he must take part in their workshops or programmes in order to qualify for a meal. For people already surviving on only one meal a day, the inability to receive that meal has obvious implications. John expresses the blunt reality which is, “if you can’t eat, you starve!”

This country funds aid work in third world countries on the basis that such governments fail to provide their citizens with a sufficient level of support. Yet in our own county, members of our population are denied the help which they desperately need, due to lack of funding. The civil service has been so persistently starved of funding that they cannot provide more than crisis control and short term aid for people. In turn, the burden of the long term care and support of vulnerable people falls squarely on the shoulders of the voluntary sector. Without voluntary organisations people living in Britain would often lack the essential provisions and requirements needed to survive. It seems almost shocking then that these organisations are under threat of bankruptcy and closure due to government cuts and the unwillingness of investors to commit to long term support.

This state of affairs is evidently unjust, but what is truly distressing is that very few people, including the government, seem to take any notice. This has to change. It is importance to encourage people to aid the work done by charities, either with financial support or by giving their time. People need to speak out about this issue, and hold the government accountable for their responsibilities.