Heather Bellamy interviewed Pastor Peter Cunningham of Green Pastures, an organisation that houses homeless people.

Pastor Pete

Peter, we're going to be finding out about the awesome work you do with Green Pastures, Housing Homeless. Before we do, please could you let us know some of the reality of the level of the homelessness problem we have in the UK, what do the stats look like?

We would estimate that ½ million people are homeless in the UK at this moment in time and we need 250,000 houses and flats to solve the problem. The interesting fact is that there are some 750,000 empty properties in the country at this moment in time. All we need to do is see the church rise nationally, buy the 250,000 properties and solve the problem of homelessness for our Nation.

Getting behind the stats, these are real people, not numbers. What affect does being homeless have on a persons life, aside from the obvious of not having a roof over your head?

To answer this question in a paragraph is an impossibility the reasons for people's homeless are numerous and varied. The obvious, alcoholics, drug addicts, mental health problems, family break-up, all has an influence upon the personal life of each individual and family. Depression, low self-esteem, low moral, incapable in handling finance, bad health, continual alcoholic stupor, panic life style for the next fix, crime, police involvement, shunned by society, fear of correspondence, inability to deal with the public sector. The majority in desperate need of someone else to climb down into their pit sit where they sit and help to heave them out of their situation. These are often those that have fallen off the graph of social structure.

We know locally of one young homeless man who we interviewed on video for our radio station. A few months later he was found dead in the back streets. Living rough isn't an easy life, is it! What are the main reasons people find themselves on the streets and what sort of people does it mainly affect? Is it the young?

At the moment we house an ex college professor, half a dozen teachers. We have housed nurses, mothers, ex husbands, carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, taxi drivers, postmen, professional photographer, university graduates, those with low IQ and those with mental health problems who have never worked. Why are they homeless? Break down in relationship, didn't watch their alcohol intake, decided to experiment with drugs, thrown out of family home, became a single parent, became angry once to often. We have housed people between the ages of 17 and 72. Homelessness is indiscriminate on age, gender and academic ability. It attacks and affects the very fibre of our society. Christ has called us to minister, to feed the poor, clothe the naked and HOUSE THE HOMELESS. The Church is making a reasonable job of feeding and clothing but housing is a very poor third. We can do it if we put our mind to it.

How did you begin to get involved with homeless people?

I would trace it back to when I first gave my life to Christ some 40 years ago. Always been interested in taking people in who have fallen onto hard times. Since moving to Southport 12 years ago an increasing number of people presented themselves as homeless to the front door of our church and that heartfelt Christ like desire to meet the need caused us to purchase a caravan to park in the church car park, space was made on the floor of our fellowship room, the church garage was converted into a place to stay and eventually purchased our first two properties in 1999. Compassion must bring about action.

What affect has it had on you personally being involved in their lives?

I now look 95 and have lost all my hair. I believe they call it premature ageing! (Just joking) I cry more. I am told I have become fearless of all situations. I sit where they sit. I find that I treat them like family. I really have a love for them, they are precious in the sight of the Lord, they need to be precious in our sight.

How did Green Pastures come about and what does it currently do?

After working with this particular group for so many years we spoke to our Local Council. What we had hoped would happen in involving the Local Authority in the problem of those that were roofless did not take place. We believe the Lord directed us by revealing that this was the Church's responsibility. Luke 6, Galatians 2, Proverbs 31, all talk about our involvement in the needs of the poor of our society and let us not forget Matthew 25.

So our church treasurer raised a mortgage on her property, my son Andrew committed himself to £100 per month out of his wages and I cashed in a small pension of £6000, we purchased our first property, all very scary!

Over the last six years we have purchased property with our mission statement declaring that we will "house without discrimination or favour". Over the last three years we have launched our Limited Co. This has helped other believers across the Nation to make a positive ethical investment in housing the homeless, for which they also receive interest and the ability to have their cash returned.

It is currently involved nationwide with other Christians, some setting up a similar program in financial partnership, others investing monies into the Limited Co. others looking at setting up similar projects. Monthly we see a growth in the number of properties that are being used to meet the needs.

What is your biggest hope for the work of Green Pastures?

That our nation would see the Church as being relevant to our society by the Church rising up and solving the problem of homelessness, by providing a house for all those that are homeless.

Can you give us some of the success stories?

• 23 year old addict freed from addiction, managing a shop and now in own accommodation attached to his position.