Homelessness rates in England hit five-year high
London, UKReuters The number of families and individuals facing homelessness in England is at its highest since 2018, data showed on Tuesday, sparking calls for the government to reform renting laws faster and build more affordable housing. Britain is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, with high rates of inflation leaving people struggling to […]
Christians in Khartoum left without shelter as churches destroyed
Nairobi, Kenya As the fighting between military rivals intensifies in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere, thousands of Christians hiding in various places of worship have been left homeless after fighters raided and destroyed most church premises. The fighting broke out on 15th April in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, and the […]
Crowdfunding donations surge for homeless Texans in winter storm
Thomson Reuters Foundation Crowdfunding has led to a surge in donations to accommodate and feed homeless people in Austin, Texas, in the midst of a deadly storm that has left millions without power. Within less than a week, more than $US235,000 has poured in from across the United States and abroad on the fundraising platform […]
With crowdfunding, UK homeless upskill to work on COVID-19 frontline
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation With hundreds of people dying of coronavirus every day in Britain, Jolantyte has wrestled with her decision to start a new career caring for COVID-19 patients in a London hospital as a single mother with two children. But Jolantyte feels grateful for the fresh start, as she proudly dons her hospital […]
Deaths of homeless hit new record in England and Wales
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation An estimated 778 homeless people died in England and Wales last year, according to official data released on Monday, the highest number since records began. The toll has risen for five consecutive years and is more than 60 per cent higher than in 2013 when the first comparable data was collated. […]
After Grenfell fire, UK social housing tenants get ‘stronger voice’
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Social housing tenants in Britain will have new rights to demand improvements to their homes under a reform launched in the aftermath of a deadly 2017 fire at a London block, the government said on Tuesday. The blaze that killed at least 71 people in Grenfell Tower – a 23-storey block […]
Film star Helen Mirren decries “disturbing” global rise in homelessness
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Oscar-winning British actor Helen Mirren has hit out against the “exponential rise in homelessness” as she prepared to sleep out in central London on Saturday as part of a global charity appeal to fight the scourge. Mirren joined Hollywood stars Will Smith and Brian Cox and an estimated 50,000 people in […]
Millions in England one pay cheque away from homelessness
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation Almost three million people in England are one pay cheque away from losing their homes because they cannot pay the rent, housing charity Shelter said on Thursday. Just under half of working people living in privately rented homes in England would be unable to afford rent for more than a month if […]
DOORS
Have you ever considered how profound doors are? PICTURE: Christian Stahl/Unsplash A friend of mine recently visited a Ugandan village – and almost everyone in the town didn’t have a door. Oh they had walls, roofs and doorways – but no doors. A doorway is a pretty good invention, it allows you to go from […]
POSTCARDS: AT 87, ‘DISASTER DEACON’ OPENS HIS HEART – AND CHURCH – TO FLOODING VICTIMS
BOBBY ROSS, Jr, reports from the US state of Oklahoma for Religion News Service…