Not Home is a novella, written in conversation with people living in unsupported temporary accommodation in Manchester. It follows the residents of a run-down B&B in Manchester the week after one of their number goes missing. The novella is published alongside a collection of real life stories and portraits. Here, the book's author Sarah Butler tells us about what she's learned whilst writing the new release...
Author Sarah Butler writes for Female First / Photo Credit: Eva Sajovic
1. Homelessness is not just rough sleeping: Before I started working with Justlife – the charity who supported my research for Not Home – I had never heard of Unsupported Temporary Accommodation (UTA). The term refers to B&Bs, guest houses and hostels: accommodation where many homeless households end up as a last resort, often referred by social services, probation or hospital discharge. Many individuals are caught in a continuous cycle of rough sleeping and living in UTA. It is very much part of the homelessness system.
2. Not all B&Bs are made equal: I visited a few of the B&Bs people accessing Justlife’s services inhabit and was horrified by the conditions they were living in. Over the years I spent researching the book I was told about the noise, the dirty bathrooms, the locked kitchens, the bedrooms without locks, robberies, damp, harassment and violence, drugs and alcohol. It is estimated that around 50,000 people in the UK live in B&Bs with a further 25,000 in other kinds of UTA.
3. Poor housing can have a dramatic impact on health and wellbeing: The prognosis for those entering UTA is that they are likely to experience deteriorating mental and physical health, increased anxiety, drug and alcohol use, increased social isolation and an increased risk of premature death. Not Home is dedicated to the nine people using Justlife’s Manchester services who died over the course of the project.
4. People become, and stay, homeless for a huge variety of complex reasons: I met people who had lost children, jobs and partners; who had struggled with mental health; who had struggled with alcohol and drugs. Each person had their own story, their own set of circumstances which had led them to their current situation.
5. It takes more than four walls and a roof to make a home: My two previous novels, Ten Things I’ve Learnt About Love and Before The Fire (both published by Picador) both consider what it is to be truly at home. Writing Not Home confirmed my understanding that it takes more than a house, or a room in a house, to make a home. People living in UTA are called ‘hidden homeless’ for a reason. They have a place to sleep, but it is far from being a home: unsafe, unpredictable, insecure, depressing, destructive.
6. Having control over your own home is essential for health and wellbeing: Lots of people talked to me about the stress of not having control over their own living environment. One person said: ‘I just felt like the walls were closing in on me – because you’ve got no control over who knocks on your door at what hour. It sent me a bit crazy in a way. I felt unsafe.’
7. People are incredibly resilient: I met brilliant, kind, generous people, who were living in very difficult conditions and dealing with often traumatic things, with grace, resilience and humour.
8. There are lots of organisations and individuals making a real difference: I was deeply impressed by Justlife’s commitment to supporting each and every person who walks through their doors. They work with people as individuals, on that individual’s own terms and in their own time; and they make a real difference. They are part of an extensive network of charities, agencies and individuals working to effect real change both on the ground and at the level of policy and research.
9. Stories are a powerful way to raise awareness of political issues: Justlife spent three years researching the impact of UTA on health and wellbeing and were thinking creatively about ways to share their knowledge and campaign for change. They approached me to talk about whether I might write a long piece of fiction exploring the complexities of living in UTA. My biggest challenge was writing something which absolutely stands on its own as a piece of fiction; which brings to life all of the issues involved in living in UTA without sounding like a lecture or an information dump.
10. Please read the book! We are giving away 1,000 paperbacks (please email [email protected] if you would like a copy). The book will also be available to download for free from sarahbutler.org.uk from today (November 15). You are invited to make a donation to Justlife in return, but the most important thing for us is that you read and share the book with others.