Last month I spent a night at a winter homeless shelter in Wandsworth, run by the charity Glass Door. I wanted to understand why rough sleeping in England has risen so relentlessly since 2010 – up 16% last year and 30% the year before. I talked to guests, staff and volunteers about the disparate problems … Continue reading The Winter Shelter: A night with Glass Door
Austerity, homelessness and the loss of empathy: An interview with Ace of Clubs’ Sarah Miles
Sarah Miles has been Centre Manager at Ace of Clubs day centre in Clapham for the last six years, but has worked there for more than 16. The centre provides lunch, showers, clean clothes, advice, education and much else besides to homeless and vulnerable people in south London. I’ve been spending time there over the … Continue reading Austerity, homelessness and the loss of empathy: An interview with Ace of Clubs’ Sarah Miles
Homelessness and the housing crisis in Lambeth
People in Lambeth, and in boroughs across the capital, are being made homeless through a combination of changes to the benefits system, delays caused by staff shortages and a housing loophole which means that people judged to have made themselves “intentionally homeless” are no longer the responsibility of the overstretched local authority…. There are currently … Continue reading Homelessness and the housing crisis in Lambeth
Lambeth: Living with the cuts 