Homeless charity asks people to share experiences

At Home in Guernsey said there was a lack of data and information around homelessness

People at risk of homelessness have been asked to share details of their experiences to help deepen understanding of the issue.

The charity At Home in Guernsey, backed by the Committee for Housing, launched a form on its website for people to complete.

It said the initial challenge around addressing homelessness was a lack of data and information about how many people experienced it.

The charity said in June there were 1,000 people who were "insecurely housed", at risk of losing their home or experiencing homelessness in the island.

Housing President Steve Williams urged people who had experienced homelessness to fill out the form, with the information used to inform a future plan.

"Gathering this information will be really helpful as we look to address this problem, but perhaps more pertinently we hope that this will be a small step to make sure that anyone needing support can reach out without delay," he said.

At Home in Guernsey chief executive Charlie Cox said: "Here are so many things we can be grateful for here in Guernsey but unfortunately this often means that we shy away from acknowledging where we have let people down.

"Since At Home in Guernsey launched, we have supported nearly 100 people who are at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness but we know that's just the tip of the iceberg."