At the start of December, Inside Croydon submitted a formal question to Croydon Council asking what measures they have taken to establish ‘warm spaces’ or other ways of helping the homeless through the worst of the winter weather. The council has failed to provide details of any such provision, beyond saying that they might have a press release ready by the end of this week.
Day in court: Reclaim Croydon faced legal proceedings after they squatted in the vacant offices of Brick by Brick
Here, JANE NICHOLL reports on the efforts being made by direct action group Reclaim Croydon on behalf of some of the borough’s most vulnerable to get them out of the cold and wet
JN: How many rough sleepers or homeless people has Reclaim Croydon offered shelter to over the last two weeks?
RC: We have offered housing for more than 25 people in the past two weeks, on top of another 20 people we began housing around four months ago.”
JN: How many had previously asked Croydon Council for help?
RC: We do emergency housing. Most of the people asking for our help have been pushed away by the government or council already. So probably most of them.
JN: How has Reclaim Croydon experienced trying to get support from the Council?
RC: We contacted the council about their empty properties and suggested they use them as a cheap and logical way to solve emergency housing during the winter. We had no answer from them before the cold temperatures struck, so we had to take matters into our own hands as the situation was being ignored.
No help, no resources have been offered by the council. All the support we get is from the community!
JN: How many Reclaim Croydon shelters or spaces are there?
RC: We filled up more than 20 rooms in the past two to three weeks. Another 20-plus will be available from next week.
We’re not a charity, we’re a mutual aid network. We empower people who’ve had their power and independence taken from them. We are a grassroots community movement.
We are taking direct action against the council because it has failed us. We are reclaiming community spaces and giving them back to the people.
Offering help: while Croydon Council does nothing, Reclaim Croydon has provided shelter for more than 40 homeless people
We are taking care of people that the council has neglected. We redistribute resources to take people off the streets, clothe them and feed them.
JN: Why are you doing this?
RC: We can’t sit back and watch while the poor and vulnerable people of Croydon struggle for their survival. As recent history shows, the council does not serve the people of Croydon. It is unbelievable to see people sleeping on the streets, on the doorsteps of empty buildings, many owned by the council or by charities.
We believe that the solution to Croydon’s problems won’t come from the council or the government but from the people of Croydon themselves. We keep us safe: we keep each other fed, clothed and housed.
Reclaim Croydon projects show every day the power of solidarity and mutual aid. It is proof of our resilience in the face of poverty and the council and government’s criminal incompetence.
On their wish list are:
- Washing machines
- Sleeping bags
- Mattresses
- Bedding
- Phones/Chargers
- Winter clothing
- Kids’ clothing
- Shoes
- Socks
- Heaters
- Kitchen equipment
- Hygiene stuff
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