HOMELESS FIND SAFE HAVEN AT HEATHROW AIRPORT
ROUGH SLEEPERS FORCED OFF STREETS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
HEATHROW Airport has become a safe haven for rough sleepers trying to take shelter against coronavirus, as the capital’s lockdown has seemingly left some of them with few options elsewhere.
While there have been initiatives, such as the Mayor of London’s to open up hotel rooms, and the government’s orders to council bosses to house rough sleepers by last weekend, not nearly everyone has been brought off the streets so far.
Paul Atherton is among those who says he has been forced from his usual Westminster hang-out spots to take up residence at Terminal 5, because amenities he relied on have closed their doors.
The 52-year-old, who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, has stayed at the international hub for nearly two weeks, and estimates there have been around 200 rough sleepers staying at the airport.
“Where else do we go? That’s the reality. We go to Central London there is nothing open,” the film producer said.
“There is a point when you are going to start seeing homeless [people] on the streets dead of starvation, or certainly dehydration.
“McDonald’s and all public lavatories are shut. I use gyms to get showered, but all the gyms are closed.
“One of the reasons security are not ushering people off unless they have got somewhere to go is they know we are better off staying here.”
Paul, who is a wheelchair user, added that Heathrow is a safer place to be as if his condition worsens there will be people nearby to help.
Cold takeaway food is also still available – albeit expensive – from M&S, which is the only store that still takes cash, according to Mr Atherton.
While he is not worried about contracting the deadly virus, he said the etiquette at the airport among the homeless community has changed “dramatically” with everyone abiding by two-metre social distancing to protect others.
“We are going to die of something, if we are in this situation. It’s just something else that could kill you.
“It’s not really high on our agenda in that respect,” he added. “But, having said that, I think everybody has been respectful about other people.”
Thefilm producer, who says he lost his home due to a credit file error 10 years ago, said initial announcements from London Mayor Sadiq Khan created a “shift of hope”.
However, so far he claims he has found there has been a lot of confusion about how to access hotel rooms and has been sent round in circles by different organisations.
The dad-of-one says he also had no progress getting accommodation in the borough of Westminster where he said he has been on the electoral register for six years.
“It’s the hope that kills you,” he added.
On Wednesday April 1, Mr Atherton claimed that Heathrow’s Travel Care team and charity Thames Reach’s offering of hotel rooms was “complete chaos”, with no testing kits for Covid-19, the hotel booking line crashing and confusion over taxis accepting discounted bookings.
According to the Mayor of London’s office, more than 600 people have been given rooms and more than 1,000 are available working with hotel partners.
A Westminster Council spokesperson said: “In the last week alone we have helped almost 200 people off the streets, but given the huge demand on our services we have had to take the decision to prioritise rough sleepers who are already known to our outreach services.”
A Thames Reach spokesperson said it is working with councils, the Greater London Authority and Heathrow to get rough sleepers at the airport into single room accommodation, but the numbers of people has meant it is a “complex task”.
They said not only is this due to finding suitable accommodation that abides by social distancing guidelines, but where there is also help with food and other services.
They added: “Currently, anyone worried about someone rough sleeping is urged to contact Street Link, which will allow our teams to locate anyone in need of support.
“Anyone homeless or rough sleeping can contact their local authority (either independently or with the help of a support worker) and as hotel spaces suitable for self-isolation become available, which will be quicker than normal, they will be accommodated.
“Provisions in hotels are being confirmed and progress is being made daily in order to make self-isolation possible.”
In usual circumstances a rough sleeper needs a local connection to a specific borough before they are able to receive help, but the emergency measures in the crisis has meant that is no longer needed.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “In line with government guidelines, Heathrow is applying the necessary social distancing measures at our airport, which sees us strictly limiting airport access to passengers, colleagues and those with a reason for entry.
“We are asking all other members of the public to leave to ensure their safety and the safety of others.
“Our in-house Travel Care Team is working in partnership with external outreach organisations, local authorities and government to relocate homeless people already at the airport, only when they are able to offer safe, alternative accommodation.”
A volunteer who helps homeless people in Hillingdon said the airport goes “above and beyond” to help rough sleepers.
“Heathrow are very good with people, they’ve got a dedicated team who deal with them. They’ve got toilets they can clean themselves up in, there is food, it is warm and it is safe,” they said.
Across the wider borough, however, the volunteer, who wishes to remain anonymous, said no rough sleepers they are in contact with have been housed during the crisis, while some have been told they have been “put on a list”.
While they feel it appears the council is doing “nothing” about the rough sleepers in the borough, they also believe the government’s orders were “impossible” to carry out with a few days notice.
On Friday March 27, the government wrote to all local authorities asking them to house all rough sleepers “by the end of the week”.
“The government put out that statement saying we are going to house all rough sleepers, they haven’t actually clarified how that would be achieved. Although it was breaking news and a statement everybody hoped for, I don’t think it’s been thought through thoroughly enough,” they said.
“To say that to a borough like Hillingdon, which has got 200 to 300 rough sleepers between Heathrow and other areas, it really is a monumental task for the government to set.
“It really is impossible for a council to do that – that might be some way why Hillingdon is struggling.”
A Hillingdon Council spokesperson said: “The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is leading on rehousing the rough sleepers based at Heathrow Airport.
“We have offered accommodation to all of the rough sleepers in other parts of the borough who we are in contact with.”
According to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, councils in England have been given £3.2 million to help rough sleepers as well as £1.6 billion to respond to wider pressures from the coronavirus emergency.
The spokesperson added: “This is a huge joint effort, and we all need to come together – the UK Government, local councils, charities, health and care services and accommodation providers – to get everyone who is sleeping rough off the streets and into appropriate accommodation.”