The Big Issue - UK (2021-03-01)

THE

LIGHT

WON’T

GO

OUT

Even the Covid-19 pandemic could not stop campaigners shining a light on homeless

deaths last week.

The Museum of Homelessness’ Dying Homeless Coalition – a group of experts,

frontline workers and journalists, including The Big Issue – paid a touching tribute to the

976 lives lost without the dignity of a home in the UK in 2020.

A candle marking each person – some named in MOH’s harrowing count released last

week, others listed merely as unknown – was laid on a deserted Trafalgar Square and St

Martin-in-the-Fields church steps in recognition of a life lost too soon.

The crowdsourced count found a person experiencing homelessness died every nine

and a half hours across all four countries in the UK – a 37 per cent rise on 2019. Covid-

accounted for only three per cent of deaths, lower than the 15 per cent caused by alcohol

abuse or suicide, which was behind 36 per cent of deaths where a cause was confirmed.

The average age of death was 43 for men and just 39 for women.

Homeless deaths only began being officially counted in 2018 and campaigners want

the new-found understanding of scale to translate into action in the form of a national

enquiry into how deaths can be prevented.

Museum of Homelessness co-founder Matt Turtle said: “Little is being done with the

official findings. We are asking, how are lessons being learned?”

Photo:

Anthony Luvera

FROM 01 MARCH 2021 BIGISSUE.COM | 13