The number of people sleeping without a roof over their heads is reducing despite the cost of living crisis which has been gripping the nation.
That is what the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement has noticed as the organisation continues to provide housing for as many vulnerable people as possible.
Yvonne Pinner, project manager for the movement, stated the number of homeless people in Oxford over Christmas was expected to be in the late 30s.
READ MORE: 42% of people living in Oxford worried they will become homeless
She said: "This is a reducing number and we know that working in partnership is having a real impact on this.
"The numbers on the street won’t be affected by the cost of living crisis… yet. But it cannot fail to have an impact if action isn’t taken.
"People who are living close to that precipice will risk losing their home if they can’t keep up with payments because everything else is costing more."
The project manager warned that homelessness is more prevalent than may be apparent when walking through the streets of Oxford at night.
She said: "We should never forget that the people we see sleeping outside are not the only ones that are homeless. They are just the ones that we can all see.
"Many others are living in temporary accommodation, bed and breakfasts, sofa surfing and so on."
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement's partners try to make Christmas Day as special as possible for those who are vulnerable.
This includes meals being offered at the Kings Centre, the Big Community Christmas Lunch at Blackbird Leys Community Centre and the Oxford Homeless Project Christmas Day Celebration lunch held at St Clements Centre.
Ms Pinner said: "Everyone across the county is working hard to help prevent homelessness as we all recognise that - to use an age old saying - prevention is always better than cure.
"We have recently added a new section to the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement website that focuses on trying to offer the best advice and signposting to people concerned about the cost of living.
"We hope that this upstream advice will help to catch more people before they fall into real difficulties."
It comes as national homeless charity Shelter has calculated one in every 100 children in the country woke up without a home this Christmas.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter said: “A grotty hostel or B&B is not a home, but this is where thousands of homeless children are forced to live.
"And many more children will be thrown into homelessness as their parents can no longer afford to keep a roof over their head.
“The housing emergency is robbing children of a secure childhood.
"Thousands of homeless children are turning up to school too tired to learn – hardly surprising when one in three have to share a bed."
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement has been running a Christmas appeal to help more people find a place to call home during the cold winter period.
A link to the Christmas campaign can be found at www.oxfordshirehomelessmovement.org/christmas-2022-appeal.
Donations are also being accepted at www.oxfordshirehomelessmovement.org/donate or by cheques payable to “Oxfordshire Community Foundation” with "OHM" written on the back.
These should be posted to: Oxfordshire Homeless Movement, PO Box 941, Oxford, OX1 9TQ
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