FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 05We need your^ voices^ in^ our
Ride^ Out^ Recession^ Alliance
‘I don’t want to be
sat on the street with
bags of my stuff ’
Em, 43, lived in a van at the start of lockdown before securing a bedsit.
But now her furlough payments have stopped, with no eviction ban to
protect her, she fears a life of homelessness againI feel lucky to be in a property that is perfectly fine for me. I live in a
self-contained bedsit but it has been a long story for me to get here.
I declared myself homeless to my local authority in south-east London in
August 2019 after coming back to the country following over a decade away in
Europe. I found my return to post-Brexit England to be a culture shock – I was
already in a personal crisis and the anger and anxiety over politics in Europe
exacerbated it.
I was sofa-surfing for a while and I was in a night shelter for a month. That
culminated in spending Christmas with the charity Crisis. It was probably the best
thing that could happen to me because it made me wake up to the fact that I had
nowhere else to stay.
After Christmas my council’s 56-day duty under the Homelessness Reduction
Act had ended without anywhere for me to stay and my case got dropped. I got
assigned a case worker by Crisis and that has been my saviour – we talk once a
week even now – and they have been vital to my mental health throughout the
last few months.
In January, I ended up staying with a lady who was privately renting but had
a history of squatting and community living. She put a roof over my head until
lockdown but she needed someone who paid rent. So I agreed to stay in her
van. I was OK until it rained and I realised there was a hole in the roof. It was so
depressing but I had so much gratitude because at least I had that to stay in.The Big Issue is bringing together
companies, charities and organisations
to work towards the shared goals of
preventing homelessness and protecting
jobs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Unilever, Shelter and Nationwide
Foundation are just some of the heavy-
hitters backing our campaign. But we
need your support too. Tell us YOUR
stories and ideas at [email protected]
now. If you tell us the problem, we can help
fi x it. The time is now.
bigissue.com/roraI actually got a work placement sponsored
by the council that started two weeks before the
lockdown. I worked no more than five days in
tourism. It was the best thing they could find
to utilise my languages – I speak fluent French
and Spanish – but I basically learned how to
top-up Oyster cards before being furloughed.
That was amazing because it was better than
Universal Credit.
But that furlough ended two weeks ago
because the placement timed out – so I have
not been trained in anything, nor do I have
any more work experience than when I started.
I’m not back to square one but I’ve not made
much progress.
At this point I got referred via StreetLink as
I was counted as street homeless – that was
lucky for me because I didn’t think of myself
as homeless at all while living in a van. That
re-alerted the council to my case and the
result of that is I was put in the temporary
accommodation where I am now.
I moved to East London in May – a different
part of London with Crisis paying for the £
taxi. I moved in a bit of a daze really – I was
given a couple of hours to grab my stuff and go.
Fundamentally, I had no support and no clue on
how much I had to pay and when to keep this
roof over my head. I just thought, “They could
come over and just kick me out.” I’m expected
to pay the rest of the £65 a week for rent after
housing benefit. But I have £150 in my account
and that has to last four weeks – so obviously
I can’t pay everything. I’m not in arrears at this
moment but I will be in a couple of weeks now
that the furlough money has stopped and I have
an £800 council tax bill to pay.
I am worried about being chucked out. I have
no money to get anywhere. I have no friends to
stay with. And with the ban, my problems are
looming in the weeks to come where I don’t have
the money to pay rent.
It’s been so far to get where I am and
mentally I feel really quite stable now. But if
suddenly I was told I have to go, I literally don’t
know what I would do. I don’t want to be in the
situation where I am sat on the street with bags
of my own stuff. A place I’ve been before.FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIG S E.COM| 05
WeneedyourvoicesinourRideOutRecessionAlliance‘I don’t want to be
sat on the street with
bags of my stuff’
Em,43,livedina vanatthestartoflockdownbeforesecuringa bedsit.
Butnowherfurloughpaymentshavestopped,withno eviction ban to
protect her, she fears a life of homelessness again
I feelluckytobeinapropertythatisperfectlyfineforme.I liveina
self-containedbedsitbutithasbeenalongstoryformetogethere.
I declaredmyselfhomelesstomylocalauthorityinsouth-eastLondonin
August 2019 aftercomingbacktothecountryfollowingoveradecadeawayin
Europe.I foundmyreturntopost-BrexitEnglandtobeacultureshock–I was
alreadyinapersonalcrisisandtheangerandanxietyoverpoliticsinEurope
exacerbatedit.
I wassofa-surfingforawhileandI wasinanightshelterforamonth.That
culminatedinspendingChristmaswiththecharityCrisis.Itwasprobablythebest
thingthatcouldhappentomebecauseitmademewakeuptothefactthatI had
nowhereelsetostay.
AfterChristmasmycouncil’s56-daydutyundertheHomelessnessReduction
Acthadendedwithoutanywhereformetostayandmycasegotdropped.I got
assignedacaseworkerbyCrisisandthathasbeenmysaviour–wetalkoncea
weekevennow–andtheyhavebeenvitaltomymentalhealththroughoutthe
lastfewmonths.
InJanuary,I endedupstayingwithaladywhowasprivatelyrentingbuthad
ahistoryofsquattingandcommunityliving.Sheputaroofovermyheaduntil
lockdownbutsheneededsomeonewhopaidrent.SoI agreedtostayinher
van.I wasOKuntilitrainedandI realisedtherewasaholeintheroof.Itwasso
depressing but I had so much gratitude because at least I had that to stay in.
TheBigIssueisbringingtogether
companies,charitiesandorganisations
toworktowardsthesharedgoalsof
preventinghomelessnessandprotecting
jobsinthewakeoftheCovid-19pandemic.
Unilever,ShelterandNationwide
Foundationarejustsomeoftheheavy-
hittersbackingourcampaign.Butwe
needyoursupporttoo.TellusYOUR
[email protected]
now.Ifyoutellustheproblem, we can help
fixit.Thetimeisnow.
bigissue.com/roraI actuallygotaworkplacementsponsored
bythecouncilthatstartedtwoweeksbeforethe
lockdown.I workednomorethanfivedaysin
tourism.Itwasthebestthingtheycouldfind
toutilisemylanguages–I speakfluentFrench
andSpanish–butI basicallylearnedhowto
top-upOystercardsbeforebeingfurloughed.
Thatwasamazingbecauseitwasbetterthan
UniversalCredit.
Butthatfurloughendedtwoweeksago
becausetheplacementtimedout–soI have
notbeentrainedinanything,nordoI have
anymoreworkexperiencethanwhenI started.
I’mnotbacktosquareonebutI’venotmade
muchprogress.
AtthispointI gotreferredviaStreetLinkas
I wascountedasstreethomeless–thatwas
luckyformebecauseI didn’tthinkofmyself
ashomelessatallwhilelivinginavan.That
re-alertedthecounciltomycaseandthe
resultofthatisI wasputinthetemporary
accommodationwhereI amnow.
I movedtoEastLondoninMay–adifferent
partofLondonwithCrisispayingforthe£
taxi.I movedinabitofadazereally–I was
givenacoupleofhourstograbmystuffandgo.
Fundamentally,I hadnosupportandnoclueon
howmuchI hadtopayandwhentokeepthis
roofovermyhead.I justthought,“Theycould
comeoverandjustkickmeout.”I’mexpected
topaytherestofthe£65aweekforrentafter
housingbenefit.ButI have£150inmyaccount
andthathastolastfourweeks–soobviously
I can’tpayeverything.I’mnotinarrearsatthis
momentbutI willbeinacoupleofweeksnow
thatthefurloughmoneyhasstoppedandI have
an£800counciltaxbilltopay.
I amworriedaboutbeingchuckedout.I have
nomoneytogetanywhere.I havenofriendsto
staywith.Andwiththeban,myproblemsare
loomingintheweekstocomewhereI don’thave
themoneytopayrent.
It’sbeensofartogetwhereI amand
mentallyI feelreallyquitestablenow.Butif
suddenlyI wastoldI havetogo,I literallydon’t
knowwhatI woulddo.I don’twanttobeinthe
situationwhereI amsatonthestreetwithbags
of my own stuff. A place I’ve been before.