2. MoH and the Dying Homeless Project
We are an independent community driven social justice museum, created and run by people with direct experience of homelessness.
We tackle homelessness and housing inequality by amplifying the voices of its community through research, events, workshops, campaigns and exhibitions.
The idea for having a space to remember people in the museum has been talked about by community members since we were setup in 2015

3. Background
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism began to the project in late 2017 after learning that no one body logged how and when homeless people were dying, despite a steep increase in the UK’s homeless population. They set out to record these deaths, tell their stories and increase transparency.
The project had a major impact leading to the Office of National Statistics agreeing to collect data and statistics about the deaths of homeless people for the first time.

4. Major findings
An average of 11 homeless people a week died in the UK in the 18 month period that the project operated.
At least 800 people have died homeless, between October 2017 and March 2018.
Of those people the Bureau knew the age of, more than a quarter were under 40 when then they died.

5. Major findings
Academic research Dr Robert Aldridge at UCL found nearly a third (30%) of homeless deaths were from treatable conditions that could have improved with the right medical care.
Treatable illnesses included tuberculosis, pneumonia or gastric ulcers.
Many other deaths in the UCL study, beyond that third, were from external causes like suicide and homicide.
A fifth of the 600 deaths explored by UCL were caused by cancer. Another fifth died from digestive diseases such as intestinal obstruction or pancreatitis.

6. The Process
We have largely replicated the same methods used by Maeve at the Bureau
Using freedom of information requests
Local news reporting
Submissions via our website portal from members of the public, professionals and other interested parties
The Bureau worked with us the transfer their data holdings and the interactive memorial page to our website
We released our first set of findings on 14 August 2019.

7. Our approach Close attention to legal and ethical considerations
Person centred, reflective
Proactive, collaborative and focused on encouraging change

8. Dying Homeless Project. MoH statement around ethics and data collection
GDPR and UK data protection does not apples only to living persons. Therefore, MoH is not legally obliged to consider data protection rights nor do we have obligations under data protection legislation.
However, our blanket approach is grounded in ethics and a person centred approach.
Our main consideration in sharing publicly, findings relating to someone who has died homeless is that publications by MoH do not wherever possible cause distress or harm to friends, family and people who knew the person.
MoH will not process sensitive information, such as medical records or case notes. We note that representatives of deceased people have the right to request a legal duty of confidentiality around such information.
In respect of homelessness services and agencies, we will not name individuals or organisations that report in to us and will make every effort to respect the professional integrity of organisations working in the field wherever possible.

9. Major findings
At least 235 people have died homeless in 2019, with the recorded figure up until June 2019 being 985 since October 2017
Looking back at the data collected since late Where we have a location of death (approximately 1/3 of the data), approximately 30% of people were in some form of temporary accommodation when they died.
A large proportion of the data comes via FOI from Scottish councils and NI. There is underreporting across England and Wales.

10. Major findings
Some tragic cases including a recorded case of a 104 year old woman dying whilst waiting on a housing list in Northern Ireland and Ionut Manea who was brutally murdered whilst staying at a homeless encampment in Ilford.
Continued focus on homeless deaths including a consortium 10 MPs in Birmingham calling for the passage of new laws that would require public services to work together to prevent homelessness and a new campaign by the Guardian focusing on detailed profile stories of being who have died whilst homeless

11. Potential Next steps
Developing a new interactive memorial page for the Dying Homeless Project.
Announcing the next set of findings in early 2020.
Supporting the homeless community, family members and people in the field in different ways through providing grief spaces and other kinds of activity.
Long term systems change including awareness raising with coroners offices working with Kent Law School, pushing for Adult Safeguarding Reviews and Post Death Dignity campaign.
Developing a national network of reps for the project to share information with us and
The call to action!

12. Twitter/Insta: Our_MoH
Thank You
museumofhomelessness.org
Twitter/Insta: Our_MoH