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Literacy and Homelessness

Literacy and Homelessness

Literacy and Homelessness

Monday, January 6, 2025

In a report published yesterday, Homeless Link found that there is strong link between literacy and homelessness. In addition, Literacy 100 have launched an unaccredited literacy pilot to meet the needs of people with experience of homelessness. This is in response to the fact that at least 50% of people with experience of homelessness have literacy needs, and many face significant barriers to accessing support.

Homeless Link's report, titled "Literacy, Numeracy, and Homelessness: What Do We Know?", found:

  • Low educational attainment during childhood could be a result of early-life experiences of homelessness, and may also increase the likelihood of experiencing homelessness. 
  • Experiencing homelessness can create further barriers to improving literacy and numeracy skills later in life.
  • Low levels of literacy and numeracy create barriers to accessing employment and services, leading to greater instability, lower income, worse health, and greater precariousness. 
  • There are higher rates of learning difficulties, such as dyslexia and learning disabilities among people experiencing homelessness.
  • Low literacy and numeracy skills can intensify feelings of social exclusion and can be internalised into feelings of shame, acting as barriers to accessing services.
  • There is a limited evidence base assessing the effectiveness of interventions to improve the literacy and numeracy of people experiencing homelessness. 

In response to these findings, the report argues for:

  • Efforts to improve literacy and/or numeracy in adults, for example the Department for Education’s Multiply programme, should specifically target people who are at risk of, or have already experienced, homelessness like those currently living in temporary accommodation. 
  • Similarly, individuals who are owed a homelessness prevention duty should also be triaged for adult literacy and numeracy support. 
  • Interventions for people currently experiencing homelessness should focus on short, modular learning rather than solely on long-term courses. Priority should be given to short confidence-building workshops, informal group activities to address stigma and shame, and 'contextualised curricula' focused on occupational skills and other relevant topics.
  • Interventions for people experiencing homelessness should consider the higher prevalence of learning difficulties and disabilities, including dyslexia and dyspraxia, and make instructional adjustments as needed to support these learners.

Read the full report here.

Literacy 100 pilot

Literacy100 are an organisation that campaigns for literacy services in England and Wales that are accessible to adults with a history of complex needs, including homelessness. They believe that all citizens should have the chance to participate in the reading and writing activities that the rest of us may take for granted.

In response to the fact that at least 50% of people with experience of homelessness have literacy needs, in 2024 Literacy 100 launched an unaccredited literacy pilot to meet the needs of people with experience of homelessness. Find out more here.

 

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