Dear Editor,
Despite these war-torn unprecedented times, I appeal to you as winter draws in, to spare a thought for Homeless Rough Sleepers, the Forgotten Ones.
These desperate people do not deserve to be neglected and we should not forget that for the majority it is just circumstances, falling on hard times, which can happen to any one of us.
Their stories are similar. Most of them have contributed to society and had good jobs, a family, a home. Then they lose their job and cannot find another. Bills start piling up, the Bailiffs are at the door, and their house is repossessed. Many then eventually end up living on the streets.
Please, if you see a homeless person on the street, just stop and have a chat. It is heartbreaking to be told just how much it means to them when someone stops and says hello! Perhaps give them some food and money.
They have to pay at least £15 to get a bed for one night in a hostel. They cannot get a job, cannot get benefits, all because they do not have an address. Some may drink or take drugs, but perhaps even you would, if you found yourself on the freezing, lonely streets, so desolate, you just want to die. This is not a lifestyle choice!
Often due to violence or sexual abuse at home, young women and men are the most vulnerable. They have been forced out onto the streets with no help or support and nowhere else to go. Ex-servicemen are also amongst rough sleepers. They have fought for this country, surely they deserve better?
As for the council's responsibility, it states that councils have no obligation to house homeless rough sleepers, until the temperature falls to below zero! I do not have to tell you how cold it can get well before the temperature falls to zero.
We do little to stop increasing poverty, with thousands of people destitute and suffering and having to remain on the street, with no realistic hope for any permanent home any time soon. Your donation to homeless charities this winter will help, as the government has once again cut funding and these charities rely mainly on the generosity of the Public. So please, give as much as you can to any homeless charity this winter. (The Salvation Army; St Martin's in the Field; St Mungo's; Crisis; Big Issue; Streetlink; Centre Point; Shelter.)
Yours,
Zerine Tata
10 comments:
If Brent Council hadn't given £17.8million of our NCIL money to multi-billion pound developer Quintain to build the vanity project steps outside Wembley Stadium perhaps that money could have been spent on local projects to help homeless people??? Such an appalling waste of money when people are in need.
Brent also spent £65K of our NCIL money on the pointless painted crossings in Ealing Road - that would money could have helped homeless people too.
Neighbours contact local councillors for advise re what do when they see homeless person live on streets - they don't respond.
Someone else told them about Streetlink.
During Covid all Rough Sleepers were given accommodation and shelter from cold and virus. Why can't this happen now? It's disgraceful that we allow our Ex-Service Personnel to be homeless in this day and age, when asylum seekers who have contributed nothing to this country get hotels and benefits.
Just a suggestion
Why doesn't Brent Council use 1 Morland Gardens Altamira as a pop up homeless shelter for winter whilst they are deciding what to do about their failed planning application. It would serve 2 purposes, stop the building from going further into disrepair and show some humanity for the plight of homeless people in Brent over the winter months.
How about also housing some homeless people in the empty offices at the Brent Council Civic Centre? They have facilities including showers there.
there is also potential temporary accommodation in 3 buildings in King Eddys Park....the bowling Club, empty for years and I suspect falling into disrepair, although it had been refurbished just before the bowling club left!There is also the changing room block which had utilities such as showers and toilets, and there is the house at the top that used to be the head of parks home, but hasn't been used for ages.
Old Bank and pub opposite Sainsbury's in Alperton, both stand empty - both would all have had toilet/washing facilities and assume the pub had kitchen facilities?
FOR INFORMATION:
This is the text of an email I sent to Cllr. Promise Knight this morning, following up on a (very) short email received from her over the weekend, in reply to my sharing Jaine's comment (24 November at 13.25) with her and relevant Senior Council Officers:-
'Dear Councillor Knight,
Thank you for your email, saying that the suggestion from Jaine that I shared with you has been 'noted'.
I don't know whether you and Council Officers have looked at the original letter from Zerine online, but there are several further comments with suggestions:
https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2023/11/letter-putting-plight-of-rough-sleepers.html
For ease of reference, I will put the text of two further suggestions here:
'There is also potential temporary accommodation in 3 buildings in King Eddys Park....the bowling Club, empty for years and I suspect falling into disrepair, although it had been refurbished just before the bowling club left! There is also the changing room block which had utilities such as showers and toilets, and there is the house at the top that used to be the head of parks home, but hasn't been used for ages.'
'Old Bank and pub opposite Sainsbury's in Alperton, both stand empty - both would all have had toilet/washing facilities and assume the pub had kitchen facilities?'
The information about King Edward VII Park in Wembley is particularly worrying. Why is Brent Council allowing a family-sized house that it owns there to stand empty? Surely it could provide a home, either temporary or permanent, to a local family in housing need?
It reminds me of a similar situation in my local park in Kingsbury, when the lodge at the entrance to Roe Green Park was allowed to stay empty for at least 20 years after a park keeper retired (and was not replaced), deteriorating and vandalised, until it was finally leased to a company who eventually converted and extended it to create a cafe.
I hope that you, and the Property and Assets team, will take some action. Thank you. Best wishes,
Philip Grant.'
Announced on 29th November...
Mayor Sadiq Khan has activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) requiring councils to provide extra shelter for the homeless."
Where are the extra shelters in Brent???
Cold weather BBC News - London cold weather shelters to open for rough sleepers
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67568858
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