At The Passage, our frontline team meets people at some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Every story is unique but one truth is constant: homelessness is never a choice.
To explore what this really means in practice, we sat down with Mauro – Welfare Specialist Resettlement Worker at The Passage – who has spent nearly a decade supporting people navigating homelessness, social exclusion, and complex immigration challenges.
We asked Mauro, does he believe homelessness is a choice. His response: “After 10 years in this work, even asking that question feels offensive. No one chooses to sleep in the rain. No one chooses to be traumatised. People end up in homelessness because of circumstances, because of failure in the system, because they had no other option.”
Even those who appear entrenched in rough sleeping, or who seem to reject accommodation, did not choose that path. Trauma, fear, past experiences, and lack of trust all shape how someone responds to help.
When the system fails people
Much of Mauro’s work focuses on individuals caught in bureaucracy. He shares the story of a 70-year-old man who had lived in the UK since the 1950s working, paying taxes, raising a family only to be made homeless after losing his rented home.
Without a passport or decades-old paperwork, he was suddenly labelled an “overstayer”.
“He came in confused. He had a lifetime of payslips, proof of his whole life here, but no ‘official’ document. Without us, he could’ve been left destitute.”
With support from The Passage, he gained settled status and now has stable housing again.
“The issues aren’t complex. The system is complex. People just don’t have the resources or language to fight it. That’s where we come in.”
“People often speak about ‘drug users’, ‘benefit scroungers’, or ‘rough sleepers’ as if they are separate from everyone else, but the line between security and homelessness is far thinner than many realise.”
“People don’t understand that addiction isn’t a choice. It’s a solution to pain. It’s someone trying to feel warm for one night. If you had no other option, you might make the same decisions.”
Despite the challenges, Mauro is optimistic. Local authorities are beginning to reinvest in frontline services after years of disinvestment. And above all, every day he sees lives changed:
“People come to my office in crisis. They leave a little better. Sometimes a lot better. Some of the clients I’ve worked with for years now have homes, income, and stability. They can lock their own front door. That’s everything.”
At The Passage, we believe no one should face homelessness alone. With compassionate support, targeted advocacy, and investment in the right places, we can end street homelessness for good.
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