Charities in Canonbury say they are struggling to support homeless people in the run up to Christmas.
The pressures of a second lockdown are pushing local charities to the brink of crisis. Those contacted by Islington Now have refused to provide comment for fear that the publicity would push their services past breaking point. “If even one reader decides to send a new client to us, we’ll probably collapse,” one charity said.
Previous project coordinator for homelessness charity The Manna, Rachel Woolf, said that the problem was not a new one. “Every minute is precious. I’ve known The Manna for a number of years […] I know that they literally arrive and they work non-stop until they leave. I’ve fallen asleep in the office at The Manna before. It is exhausting.”
Woolf said these problems had been exacerbated by the lockdown, and that a current lack of winter provisions is a growing concern among charity workers. “The winter shelters not being able to open is a real problem for people who don’t have recourse to public funds […] because unfortunately and heartbreakingly and disgustingly, people who are sleeping out are being forced to choose between dying of cold and dying of Covid in a shelter.”
In contrast to the previous lockdown in March, the government has not announced plans to house homeless people in hostels, instead opting to invest an extra £15 million in helping local councils to house and support vulnerable people in plans that have been criticised by charity executives.
Other charities in Canonbury have also been struggling to provide care for homeless people since lockdown began. The Margins project, which operates out of Union Chapel, has temporarily closed its offices and is focussing on providing support via drop-in sessions, while Islington-based charity Streets Kitchen, which provides food to those in need via pop-up street stalls, has warned of a “stark winter”.
In September 2020, Islington council announced it had secured £826,000 of extra funding to help support 93 extra units of accommodation, and said they were working towards supporting these charities over winter.
