Saving London's Forgotten Patients
Could coronavirus be the sea change for solving homelessness?
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, London’s homeless community struggles on with fewer safety nets. Volunteers fight to feed the vulnerable displaced by illegal evictions, low wages and closed hostels.
"We do know homeless people who have passed away due to Covid", says Streets Kitchen volunteer Jon Glackin. "These are the people we are trying to protect, trying to get them indoors, trying to get them some safety, trying to keep them alive." Amidst the fear and confusion many now face, shelters have witnessed a change in those seeking help. "It has always been regulars, but I’d say there’s more new people than not", says another volunteer. As well as trying to make sure people are accommodated in hotels, shelters feed the homeless and provide simple supplies. "Nothing can ever be the same again after this", says Glackin, hoping the state will integrate more with grassroots aid in the future. "What existed before has been an abject failure."
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