Since the pandemic began and started affecting people massively, homeless people have been forgotten by many. While populations across the world applied barrier gestures, the wearing of face masks and constant hand washing, homeless people carried out their lives as if it was before the world went in lockdown. Some of them tried preventing the virus with the mere resources they disposed of. But soon an increase of infectiousness was noticed within homeless populations, especially in bigger cities where the amount of homelessness is more important.
Homelessness has become really problematic in Covid times; a homeless person in direct or indirect contact with others is not only at a higher risk of contracting the disease but might also become a vector for the spread of the virus.
As a response to this issue, there is a national effort in the UK to secure shelter and accommodation to disadvantaged people whose situation have been made more vulnerable and put at a real risk when the virus became an important matter that should be dealt with seriously. The government has made a call to accommodation providers all across the country, to make all the steps necessary to help fight the coronavirus pandemic by giving shelter to the homeless.
In Oxford, student accommodation provider A2 dominion (Canterbury House) cancelled their contracts with students for the year starting in September 2020 in order to join the cause and secure temporary accommodation to the disadvantaged. The students understand the issue and that it is a noble cause but having an accommodation contract cancelled in late July is still quite frustrating, especially considering how hard it is to obtain a rent contract for international students in Oxford. The university (Oxford Brookes) did however make available rooms in other halls for those who had their contract cancelled.
There were also hotels that responded positively to host homeless people. The purpose of using these infrastructures was not only to give shelter for those on the streets but is also to allow homeless people who have possibly been exposed to the virus to self isolate, something that was almost impossible in charity and community shelters, where all the facilities are shared.
The British government seems to be very concerned about homeless people, and are also very strict with coronavirus measures in general. The hope is that these measures help to contain the virus until a more permanent solution is found. Until then, please wear a mask and don’t forget to wash your hands.
Further Reading:
Sophie Grubb, Oxford Mail, Available at: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18332293.oxford-homeless-put-hotels-coronavirus-outbreak/
Ben Weisz, BBC, Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-52985450
existnewsmedia.wordpress.com 