There are two types of Homeless people

This is in two senses. This is as defined by the law - and - according to a person’s intention to do something about their position.

Firstly, the law divides people into two categories. You either have priority housing need or non priority housing need. You must have priority housing need to be housed by the Council. To be entitled to consideration as having priority housing need, the law defines specific criteria that have to apply to you. Broadly speaking this means that you must be aged under 18, aged over 60, be pregnant, have the custody of children – or suffer from a serious mental or physical illness.

In addition to this, there are 4 other conditions that are taken into account. You must be homeless (this means that you have no accommodation that you are entitled to occupy); you must not be "intentionally homeless" (this means not doing something deliberately which has made you homeless – e.g not paying your rent); you should have a local connection within the council's area (this means that you should normally have lived in the borough six out of the last twelve months or three out of the last five years) – and, lastly, you must have the right immigration status (e.g not be a person from abroad who has no legal right to UK benefits).

Many homeless people do not come within these categories (particularly those who are "single" – i.e on their own - aged 18 to 59) and KCAH particularly try to help those who are excluded from Council help by law.

BUT – there is another way in which homeless people can be divided into two types – and that is according to the intention of the individual to do something about their plight. There are always those who are reluctant to take advice or who will not take action to help themselves. It is important that we respect their wishes – for we all have a right to freedom of choice. Naturally, at KCAH, we will usually use our limited resources to help those who are prepared to help themselves – but let us not switch off from those who will not be helped.

This is why we would like to help the "Garden People" who spend time in the garden of one of our local churches and who suffer from substance misuse. This is why I continue to help the street homeless in the centre of London on a Wednesday evening.

Let us reflect afresh on the words we find in James 2 verses 14 to 16. "My brothers and sisters, what good is it for people to say they have faith if their actions do not prove it ? What good is there in your saying ‘God bless you and keep warm’ if you don’t give them the necessities of life ?"

Jesus always had time for the rejected and the unlovely. We want to do the same today. Remember that we are the hands and feet of Jesus in today’s world.