Pope Francis has spoken out about the growing crisis of homelessness after a man died of cold in Rome.
The cold weather in many parts of Europe and elsewhere has exacerbated the growing crisis of homelessness. Numbers on the streets had already increased due to those losing housing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking after the Angelus today Pope Francis paid tribute to Edwin, a 46-year-old homeless Nigerian, found dead from the cold last week a few meters from St Peter's Square.
“His story is added to that of many other homeless people who recently died in Rome in the same dramatic circumstances,” said Pope Francis.
“Let's pray for Edwin. Let there be a warning to what was said by St Gregory the Great, who, faced with the cold death of a beggar, said that Masses would not be celebrated that day because it was like Good Friday. Let's think about Edwin. Let's think about what this man, 46 years old, felt in the cold, ignored by everyone, abandoned, even by us. We pray for him.”
He spoke out as the numbers of new homeless in London is prompting churches to step up their response.
“We know that the situation is as bad as ever from our outreach on the streets,” Fr Dominic Robinson SJ of Central London Catholic Churches (CLCC) told The Tablet.
“We meet people in desperation who have lost jobs and homes, not being able to pay their rent because of the pandemic and the economic downturn.”
He reported the outreach team as helping with emergency accommodation and hot food, feeling the work “shows something of the human face of the Church”. Many homeless are migrants and he reflects that, “in any civilised society we need to look at the human being not their immigration status and show compassion.”
Fr Dominic urged that “‘no recourse to public funds’ be laid aside during the pandemic”. Then, councils could better ensure that everyone who is vulnerable could access help and local welfare schemes.
He called for better protection for those in rented accommodation. Housing charities too want the eviction ban brought back for the duration of the new lockdown to stop people falling into homelessness.
Outside London, in Norfolk the SVP “expects the situation to be catastrophic especially once Landlords are permitted to evict tenants again.” Steve James of the SVP North Norfolk Conference added, that due to a lack of emergency housing accommodation, “the SVP has purchased and run a two-apartment property in Sheringham for the past 14 months, which provides safe temporary accommodation for families.” Caritas Shrewsbury is amongst those supporting calls for the return to “Everyone In” which saw rough sleepers housed during the first wave of the pandemic and helping local councils to achieve this.
Meriel Woodward of Caritas Westminster agreed that there is an increase in numbers becoming homeless due to job loss, no recourse to public funds, and family breakups. She urged Tablet readers to support campaigns to keep the £20 uplift in Universal credit, the continuation of free school meals during half term holidays and a reversal of ‘no recourse to public funds’.
She has been impressed by “the coordinated approach of faith groups as they develop rotas for food provision, showers and clothing,” complimenting services provided by government contracts. As well as being a Covid testing station, Westminster Cathedral Hall is hosting volunteers preparing meals and clothes for hotels and hostels. St Patrick’s Soho offers evening meals and the nearby French Church take away soup at weekends. The Cardinal Hume Centre has a one-to-one appointment system for young people who are homeless.
Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage in London told The Tablet that “The Passage felt it vital to ensure all our services remained open and that we were there for those who could not self-isolate, so we helped many off the streets and into our own (via voluntary income raised) hotel accommodation, as well as ensuring all those in our accommodation schemes remained safe and well.” Food provision to those in temporary accommodation continued “and we have helped many people move into more permanent accommodation and also into employment.” The Passage has enabled frontline staff and volunteers to access the vaccine and, “have offered our health facilities to government to be used as vaccine hubs for those on the streets”.
Caritas Anchor House in East London is also calling for all frontline staff and volunteers who support people experiencing homelessness to be vaccinated. CEO Amanda Dubarry told The Tablet that “we’ve seen a 135% increase in rough sleeping, with more people currently at risk of homelessness due to jobs being cut, people losing their homes and the increasing emotional toll this is putting on relationships at home.”
Megan Knowles of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK reported JRS “seeing asylum seekers who are unable to receive Home Office accommodation or government support living in and out of crisis, sofa-surfing or staying in precarious living situations.” They “are made completely destitute, often finding themselves homeless for extended periods of time.” JRS is actively looking for volunteer hosts who have a spare room and would be able to offer accommodation for three months to an asylum seeker, supported by JRS UK.