Looking for P3 Housing Association?
Go to P3 Housing
Looking for P3 Housing Association?
Go to P3 Housing
At P3 Charity, we support more than 81,000 people every year, many of those people classified as ‘homeless’ or at risk of homelessness. Over the 53 years we’ve been working in the housing and homelessness sector, we’ve seen and heard hundreds of harmful stereotypes that fuel negative myths and assumptions that lead to lack of compassion and support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Today, we’re here to debunk the top 10 myths about housing and homelessness that we’ve come across.
False. A lot of people still believe that you can only be homeless if you’re sleeping on the streets, but homelessness isn’t always visible. Homelessness includes people who are sofa-surfing, living in temporary or emergency accommodation, staying in hostels or Bed and Breakfasts and those who are stuck in places that are unsafe or simply not theirs to call home.
These experiences are every bit as challenging as rough sleeping and often go unreported, so aren’t always included in official homelessness figures. Constantly moving between temporary spaces takes a huge toll on someone’s mental health: There’s no privacy, no sense of safety and no stability, which can prevent people from rebuilding their lives because they don’t know where they’ll be from one week to the next.
That’s where we come in. At P3, we support people at every stage of their housing journey, whether it’s supporting people who may be at risk of homelessness or supporting those who have been rough sleeping for years. We have a range of outreach, floating support and homelessness prevention services that run alongside supported accommodation, emergency housing and community-based services, all providing varying degrees of housing support. What’s consistent across all of our services is that we offer non-judgemental support and advice to help people find housing stability and security.
False. A huge misconception surrounding homelessness is that people choose to be homeless or refuse help to change their situation. Most individuals experiencing homelessness are facing complex barriers such as trauma, health challenges, mental ill-health, substance addiction or financial instability, which can make it difficult to simply ‘accept help’. Through understanding these underlying factors, we can challenge this stigma and work with people to provide more compassionate solutions that lead to long term change.
At P3, we offer support that feels safe, personal and understanding. We work alongside people to build trust, realise their goals and remove barriers that make accessing help difficult. Our teams provide practical support, from securing accommodation, managing health needs and navigating benefits.
False. A common stereotype, many people think that people experiencing homelessness must have a history of drug or alcohol misuse that led to their homelessness. While substance-use can be both a cause and a consequence of homelessness, this assumption oversimplifies a far more complex reality and reinforces damaging stigma.
While substance addiction can sometimes lead to homelessness, sometimes people experiencing homelessness turn to substances as a coping mechanism to numb the harshness of their living conditions or to create a temporary sense of belonging, as shared experiences, even unhealthy ones, can offer a feeling of connection to others facing the same daily struggles.
With the right support, stability and understanding, people experiencing addiction or unhealthy habits with substances can begin to rebuild their lives, and reducing harmful stereotypes is the first step toward helping them do so.
False. Many people experiencing homelessness want to work, but face barriers which, depending on what type of homelessness someone is experiencing, could include poor mental or physical health, lack of a permanent address, reduced access to transport, lack of documentation or references, reduced or no access to personal care facilities and stigma around their experience with homelessness. Without a safe, consistent place to live, holding down a job can become incredibly difficult. Homelessness isn’t about refusing to work: It’s about lacking the stability, support and resources needed to do so.
When people first come to P3, we start by helping them with basic needs such as safe accommodation, essential documents and access to health support. With those basics in place, we can then help them to build confidence and connect people with training or local opportunities.
False. Most people experiencing homelessness are not dangerous. In fact, they’re more likely to be the victim of a crime – such as theft or a personal attack – rather than the perpetrator. Many people experiencing homelessness spend a lot of time and energy just trying to keep themselves safe, meet basic needs and navigate difficult circumstances. It’s important to remember that homelessness is not a reflection of someone’s character or intent; it’s often a result of circumstances beyond their control.
Our approach at P3 follows a Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) model, meaning we see people beyond their current circumstances. By taking the time to get to know each person as an individual, we focus on building trust as a starting point, allowing us to shape our support around their experience and needs.
False. Youth homelessness is often hidden. Many young people experiencing homelessness ‘sofa surf’, stay with friends or move between unsafe temporary places, making their situation much less visible.
Many young people will also actively hide their homelessness due to fear of judgement or stigma, while others may avoid asking for help because of previous negative experiences with statutory services or concerns about losing their independence or control over their lives.
This can be especially challenging for young people who are still in education, work or training. Trying to juggle future plans with immediate housing insecurity can make it harder to prioritise seeking support, often delaying access to help and prolonging their instability.
At P3, we provide tailored youth homelessness support that helps uncover and respond to hidden homelessness. We work alongside young people to offer early, non-judgemental support that builds trust and puts their needs at the centre. Our services help young people at risk of homelessness to explore safe housing options, access specialist support services, and develop the skills and confidence needed to maintain stability. By delivering person-centred youth support that respects independence and future aspirations, we help prevent homelessness from becoming long-term and support young people to move towards secure, sustainable housing and brighter futures.
False. Youth homelessness can be the result of lots of things, such as a breakdown in family relationships, but young people can also experience homelessness with their family, such as when the family is placed in emergency or temporary accommodation while they await somewhere more permanent.
Young people experiencing homelessness with their families are often even less visible. Families may move frequently between temporary accommodation, stay with relatives or friends or live in unsuitable housing to avoid being separated or judged. Parents often go to great lengths to keep a sense of normality for their children, keeping them in school, maintaining routines and hiding the housing instability they are facing.
Equally, some young people experience homelessness on their own while remaining in contact with family. Relationships may exist, but home may no longer be a safe or suitable place to live due to conflict, overcrowding or a breakdown in support. Because they are still in contact, their homelessness can be overlooked, delaying recognition of their needs and access to the right support at a critical time.
That’s why family dynamics are crucial to consider when we’re supporting young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We know that every family situation is different and that past experiences can impact trust, communication and wellbeing. Our approach is trauma-informed and non-judgemental, focusing on safety, choice and empowering young people to make decisions about their own futures.
False. Homelessness is rarely about education. It’s usually the result of broader issues like family breakdown, trauma, health challenges or financial instability. Many people experiencing homelessness have qualifications, skills and work experience, but have found themselves in a difficult position.
In reality, homelessness is often triggered by a combination of circumstances that would challenge even the most secure life. Once that security is lost, it becomes much harder to maintain employment, manage health needs or access support systems. It’s important to recognise that homelessness is not a reflection of someone’s capability, but a result of the barriers they’ve faced.
At P3, we put people first – meaning that we see the potential over the present. Part of our support plan for an individual often looks at employment, education and training opportunities as part of the long-term plan to bring financial and emotional stability back into people’s lives.
False. Homelessness can be caused by many things (see Myth #2), but what’s consistent is it’s often a result of lack of early-intervention support.
While homelessness does cost the UK economy £3.7 billion each year, it’s been studied and suggested that if we invested in early intervention programmes such as tenancy sustainment services, wellbeing support, employment support and prison and hospital discharge services, we could save the economy £370 million each year.
Early intervention saves money because it reduces temporary accommodation costs, lowers demand on health and justice services and improves economic participation through a decrease in emergency support.
For us at P3, our early-intervention support consists of integrated floating support, mental health support, employment support, homelessness prevention services and youth programmes that step in before people reach crisis point. We work alongside people to stabilise housing, address mental health needs, strengthen financial resilience and prevent tenancy breakdown through early advice, advocacy and practical support. By tackling both the practical and underlying causes of homelessness early, P3 helps people sustain independence, avoid homelessness and reduces pressure on public services.
False. While some people experience homelessness for many years, homelessness is very rarely permanent. Many people who experience homelessness or housing instability access support early on, allowing organisations like P3 to work with them before problems escalate into crisis, helping to stabilise housing, address underlying issues and prevent long-term homelessness.
At P3, a key tool in ending someone’s experience of homelessness or housing instability is their support plan, which is an agreed plan tailored to their individual needs and addresses both the causes and the effects of homelessness, rather than focusing on the homelessness alone.
In the last year alone, we’ve delivered 77,275 floating support interventions, 59,803 street outreach interventions and provided 678 homes to people in need. We believe homelessness can be tackled through consistent and collaborative support that is centred around individual needs.
Homelessness is not always visible. If you or someone you know needs support with homelessness or housing instability, you can find a P3 service near you by clicking the button below.
