The term homelessness often conjures a very specific mental picture, of a very visible issue. The word is often associated with images of people huddled in doorways, their only possessions by their side, perhaps wrapped in a sleeping bag or braced against the elements with nothing but a coat to keep them warm. This image of rough sleeping is a reality for some, but for others, their experience of homelessness is entirely hidden from view. While rough sleeping is much less of an issue in Carlisle compared to other parts of the country, there is a constant effort, almost entirely hidden from view, undertaken to help the district s residents who are on the verge of homelessness, or find themselves in precarious, transient situations.