Combatting Homelessness

Does business, through its corporate social investment and community programmes, have a role to play in combatting homelessness? Eric Atmore, director of the Centre for Early Childhood Development, delves into this question.

- Eric Atmore

Most of us do not know what it is like to be homeless and probably will never know. We are secure in our warm homes and beds, with our family around us and with more than enough food to eat. Being homeless is not on our radar. The reality is that there are thousands of street people in Cape Town, and for many people, becoming homeless could be as close as two or three paydays away.

People don’t choose to be homeless. Homelessness can creep up on you or can come with a sudden jolt. It is also most often caused by structural problems such as unemployment. At times like the present, when the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly and in extraordinary ways impacted millions of lives, homelessness increases substantially. We are all at risk, yes all of us, in one way or another.

As a country, government, civil society organisations, non-profits and businesses have a joint responsibility to care for and see to the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens. The question is: Does business, through its corporate social investment and community programmes, have a role to play in combatting homelessness? And how can business use its resources, expertise and insights to tackle this issue?

MAKING IMPACT

Historically, homelessness has not been a big part of a company’s corporate social investment portfolio, with most companies preferring to support education, social distress, welfare, the aged and sport. Combatting homelessness has not been an area that business has tackled with any enthusiasm. This is strange since it is an area in which companies can make a huge impact.