BLACK HOMELESSNESS ON THE RISE IN LONDON……. According to reports, homelessness among the Black African and Black Caribbean population had risen two and a half times as fast since 2010, compared with the general population. Some of the main causes include parents or relatives asking other members to leave because they are pregnant or relationship breakdowns. Other causes included being forced to leave private rented accommodation, domestic violence and financial difficulties. One Nigerian woman in her 60s became homeless about five years ago after a messy divorce. She has arthritis, pulls a trolley with all her belongings and sleeps in the doorway of a community centre. “Sister,” she said. “That is the only place I can sleep, there is light so people will not try to mug me.” So she sleeps from about 12 midnight, wakes up at 5 am before staff members arrive and goes to the centre for homeless people. She receives hot beverages and meals then wanders around all day, pulling her over-laden trolley before bedding down again at 10 pm. Another Jamaican-born man in his 30s sleeps in parks during the day because as he said, the Police does not hassle you during the fay. At night, he wanders around until 4 am then returns to the park. He is an “irregular citizen” – overstayed ten years ago, did not sort out his status and since his British partner threw him six years ago, he became homeless. He is not eligible to access social services. “I live off the street,” he said. “At 2 o’clock in the morning, the supermarket throw away good food. The truck drivers cannot give the stuff to me. I have to wait until they throw it into the chutes then I go and pick it up. You get used to the streets. So when someone says they are sorry for you, better to give that person some change.” “Nuff a we a sleep a road,” a Jamaican woman in her early 50s said. She has been homeless for more than four years. “They chuck out people who owe little and nothing on arrears and dem black people in the housing office are worse than the white ones in hassling dem own black people.”
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:42:52 +0000