Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
’ENDERS STAR
Lack of safety net is making things worse
MORE than 30 years ago, I took part in a docu-drama about the plight of homeless people in the capital. I spent time with people sleeping rough, finding out what had brought them there.
They were in the relentless cycle of no job, which meant no housing, and no housing, which meant no job or benefits. I met people with mental health issues who had fallen through the safety net provided by social services.
I also discovered why they felt safer living on the streets than in a hostel, where they experienced violence, intimidation and theft.
That film could still be shown today. Rough sleeping has risen by 165% since 2010.
As this newspaper highlighted, many of those sleeping on our streets are forced into incredibly dangerous situations. It’s the lack of the necessary safety net which has seen rough sleeping rocket.
Homelessness is not inevitable. By building the number of homes we need, making sure our welfare system is there to support people, and fixing the rental market, we can ensure that homelessness becomes a thing of the past.
Visit www.crisis.org.uk to find out how you can support the charity’s vital work on the streets. they were just doing their job and I was aware locals were complaining about the amount of tramps (as they were referred to then) congregating.
Over the weekend, I blagged myself a job helping out the bloke who ran a burger van outside the station, in exchange for food. Having a London accent helped when it came to begging, though I’m loath to use that word. I would approach strangers and make up some sob story about how I’d lost my money… blah, blah, blah! I was given the odd few coppers, which was enough to grab something to eat.
I was told there was a little homeless community that would meet in a local park on certain nights.
I met a few and was intrigued by their stories and how they ended up