Begging and Homelessness
Easter (or Oester) is the time of year, when new horizons begin to develop, for we associate this with rebirth and expect a more pleasant climate, for harvest and growth, both physical and spiritual. The resurrection of Jesus is celebrated and for the less religious, better weather conditions! Recently, there have been posters affixed to the litter bins in Nottingham City Centre advertising the risks of giving money to homeless people/beggars. This has had a mixed response, some have been genuinely outraged for its derogatory context. As a young person in Nottingham myself, born and bred, who has had homelessness issues as an individual, I have felt compelled to write something about this problem. I have explored Nottingham inside-out and witnessed the struggles of the people on the streets. I have been lucky to get accommodation in my times of need, with associations such as Framework, YMCA and Nacro.
The human beings surviving on the streets are not to be blamed for this epidemic. It should be the responsibility of the council and other authorities to provide them with shelter and food, or at least point them in the direction of services that can offer these aids in times of desperation. The reason these people beg is because a large proportion of them have serious mental health or physical ailments, that has inhibited them from taking care of themselves, mixed with alcohol and drug abuse, but this is not always the case. Labelling the homeless as drug users is stereotyping and a false depiction of the reality of the situation. It just degrades their sense of dignity as living, breathing humans like any other life. They too, deserve a real shot at a better quality of life. They may not have had the same opportunities and upbringing as most of the general population, but that doesn't mean that they don't have feelings and human desires and needs like you or me.
For example, I was working for Deliveroo last summer, and our headquarters was central to the old Halo nightclub (that is currently under refurbishment to become student flats) so as I sat awaiting my next order, a homeless man approached me as I perched on the steps listening to my music on my phone. He began talking to me so I turned the volume down on my headset and engaged in conversation with him. He appeared rough, uncut hair, unshaven, dirty clothes, clutching a can of some lager-beer. I asked him, why was he drinking? His story was really sad. He owned a home with his wife, only they had an emotional breakdown, which had resulted in both of them losing the house and each other, now both residing to the streets of Nottingham. He explained how she had mental health problems that had impacted both of them and now he felt he could not rely on any one or any thing, he just wondered where his wife had gone and where he would go next. He had lost every thing, and nobody was around to help him. He got stigmatised for his circumstances, his unkempt image and lack of faith in the system. He did however, demonstrate strong religious beliefs, which I thought was better than none. This phase of his life was ongoing and had been so for at least 5 years. Like himself, there were other homeless males that gathered at the front of that closed-down nightclub with similar stories. Perhaps that can of drink and that small consolation with me was his only hope.
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On another occasion, I was walking through Trinity Square and spotted a man sat in front of an unoccupied office opposite the Corner House. He had a few blankets and not a lot else. I gave him some money out of good-will, expecting him to purchase some food and drink items. Alas, he immediately withdrew a bag of weed out of his front pocket, to my bona fide surprise. I was quite annoyed and a little disheartened, it had put me off giving cash to beggars in future. I have still offered to purchase food and drinks for beggars since then, nonetheless. These people depend on the generosity/ignorance (dependent on your aspect) of the passing public, day in-out.
I have heard about the abandoned factories renown for hosting congregations of drug addicts, and empty shop buildings for squatters to take shelter. I peeked through the windows on Mansfield Road and could calculate the scene quite effectively, like a detective searching for the evidence. In this day and age, with the wealth of this country, it truly baffles me that something as basic as this is still such a controversy in cities like Nottingham. Apparently, we are the cleanest city in England, but the contaminated truth, is that your taxes are being spent on a bit of rubbish floating around, whilst it could be saving the life of a human being. (This could be your distant cousin, or friend, or friend of a friend, or it could it me, the person writing this article, now!) It would stop that awkwardness when you hurry across their gaze, it would stop that annoying sense of them trying to get your attention to ask for something, it would make their dreams come true, if only they had something else to resort to. They don't want to be there. It is humiliating enough, but now these ads have popped up, it must be making their lives even more punishing. They just want a warm shelter, food in their stomach and deep down, know they could resolve any drug or alcohol problems they are battling, if only they were seen to by the respective authorities and treated like humans, not animals.
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I make these comments with sympathy, and an intention to raise awareness of the corruption these messages portray.