Forget What You Think You Know about...homelessness and the pandemic

The impact of the pandemic on local people, and on the services which support them, has been huge. Homelessness is one area which has been impacted heavily by COVID-19.

Forget What You Think You Know

Episode 2: Homelessness and the pandemic (December 2020)

Alek painting a fence at his homeless shelter

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on our communities. In the UK alone, tens of thousands have tragically passed away as a result of the virus. Restrictions on our daily lives have been immediate, and, for peacetime, unprecedented in scale. The impact on local people, and on the services which support them, has been huge. Homelessness is one area which has been impacted heavily by COVID-19.

In the episode we talk to Alek, a 27- year old from Estonia, who was homeless and living on the streets as the outbreak of COVID-19 happened. He gives an account of how Haringey Council helped him find safe accommodation to shelter him from the dangers COVID-19 poses and how Haringey Council have continued to support him as he looks to progress with his life. The episode also explores how approaches to tackling homelessness changed as the outbreak of the pandemic happened and what needs to happen next to keep homeless people from returning to the streets.

Matt Downie MBE profile shot

We also visit Matt Downie MBE, Director of Policy & External Affairs at Crisis to hear about the national picture around homelessness, how changes in Government policy in response to the pandemic has affected council's ability to tackle homelessness and what is needed in the future.

For information, some of the stats on homelessness in Britain have changed slightly since the interviews were conducted in early December. 

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