by Dantes Odogwu
It is a shame that homelessness in London has increased so drastically over the last decade and even more shameful that the government did not take proactive measures to combat the problem during the pandemic.
The pandemic has brought attention to the dangers of sleeping on the street. It has also highlighted and aggravated many Londoners’ terrible housing and financial conditions.
James White, 42, who worked with Screwfix said: “It’s been a pitiful scenario; I have been homeless for the past two years, and it all started when I was laid off due to the epidemic. The government is unjust to the poor.
“I would have died of hunger if not for the support of the House of Praise Church on Camberwell, which has provided food and money to me and other homeless individuals.”
Nobody should be sleeping rough in twenty-first century Britain; everyone should have a home. It’s thanks to London charities for their sustained assistance for the homeless in the face of untold difficulty that some do.
Government initiative not working
Thousands of people slept on the streets throughout the lockdown, despite a government initiative to reduce homelessness.
According to the quarterly report released by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), 2,949 people slept rough in the capital between October and December 2021, a 1% rise on the previous quarter. Of this figure, 1,314 people slept rough for the first time, 45 % of the total figure
Many people impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic are at risk of losing their homes when pandemic-era support, such as a £20 boost in universal credit and a furlough plan, was withdrawn.
With the capital’s lively streets quiet during the pandemic, a rough sleeper in Peckham says life was unbearable for him.
“It was like living in hell for me during the pandemic. I rely on donations for a living, but there was no one to speak to, let alone ask for assistance,” said Peter Aluaka, 54.
“It was so bad that even the people I saw were struggling and didn’t have any extra change to spare like they used to before the pandemic.”
London is a wonderful city, but it is marred by so much inequality and with growing inflation, rising food costs, and spiraling energy prices, the situation will only worsen pushing thousands more Londoners to the edge.
It is deeply concerning that the number of people sleeping rough long term has increased.
More than 66,000 more people will be homeless by 2024, according to anhttps://www.crisis.org.uk/nual forecasts by the housing charity Crisis. There will be 8,000 more people rough sleeping and 9,000 people forced into unsuitable temporary accommodation.
The harsh reality is that the government has allowed rough sleeping to spiral out of control. They have a moral obligation to act and collaborate to ensure that no one is forced to sleep on the streets of London.
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