Research by Maria Simonova

Research by Maria Simonova

Met a guy in Kennington park at about 11/12

Asked if he wanted to play anything on my speaker and he put on some bob marley which we talked about for a little bit, we shared a lager

Asked him where he was from he said the Congo, so I mentioned patrice lumumba (Congolese pan Africanist revolutionary and important national figure). We talked about him for a good 30 odd minutes and during this he was in tears and felt comfortable being more vulnerable

So I asked him how he got in his situation and he explained that in his culture the eldest man supports the rest of the family financially, and recently his older brother had died so he was now in charge of caring for the family, but could barely provide for himself anyway so could not feasibly do this.

Was not sure whether his family was in the uk or back in the congo.

We will communicate this through performance with hostile architecture in London, exaggerating the discomfort and inaccessibility it causes. This will be paired with voiceovers from interviews and facts/statistics about displacement, homelessness and effect of hostile architecture.

Do you think they are pushing homeless people out of the area? What effect do you think this has on them?

What do you think hostile architecture is? How would you describe it?

Do you think it's ethical for cities to be introducing hostile architecture? (archived footage sound)

What do you think the effect of hostile architecture might be on homeless people? (talk about research and statistics)

What message do you think hostile architecture sends to homeless people?

Do you think governments should regulate or ban hostile architecture in public spaces?

Do you think the government are doing enough to help homeless people? (Could all say no) (Could also be Joe's interview)

Estate security “move on” drug users, rough sleepers and people begging, “on the advice of” the Metropolitan Police Service and local authority, and direct them towards local overnight hostels.

Some users found the presence of security staff intimidating: “There are security guards everywhere, I feel safe and unsafe at the same time. It feels like I’ve done something wrong.” User in Granary Square Public

Over the same period, 35% reported they were unable to find anywhere to sleep or rest as a result.

A further 63% had witnessed an increase in wardens and security guards in public spaces.

21% reported 'wetting down' - having makeshift sleeping areas washed down while they were still in them.

More than 1 in 3 have been deliberately hit or kicked or experienced some other form of violence whilst homeless (35%)

More than 1 in 3 have had things thrown at them whilst homeless (34%)

Almost 1 in 10 have been urinated on whilst homeless (9%)

More than 1 in 20 have been the victim of a sexual assault whilst homeless (7%)

Almost half have been intimidated or threatened with violence whilst homeless (48%)

Almost 6 in 10 have had been verbally abused or harassed whilst homeless (59%)

Cases of of homelessness in London rose by 54% between 2013 and 2023.

Figures from the Chartered Institute of Housing in 2023 showed that almost eight times more people lived in temporary accommodation in London compared to the wider country.

The number of households living in temporary accommodation in the UK has reached its highest level since 2005, with a total of 123,100 households living in temporary accommodation in June 2024, Facts about homelessness in Londona record-high and 16.3% higher than a year ago.

“I told them I was nervous because when you are in supported housing you get housing benefit, and you lose that when you get a full-time job. The second you go full-time your benefits get cut off, and you can end up in arrears."

"A big problem is how employment and benefits work together. If you make the effort to get a job, you will quickly lose your housing support."

https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/centre_for_london_public_london_digital.pdf

Despite a reduction in the last year, the number of people sleeping rough in London is more than four times what it was in 2005. 

Nearly 12,000 people were seen rough sleeping by outreach workers in London between April 2023 and March 2024.

Nearly two thirds of these people were sleeping rough for the first time. 1,318 people were found sleeping rough on a single night.

Six in ten rough sleepers surveyed said they had been insulted by a member of the public, and one in ten said that they had been urinated on. 

Homeless people are 17 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime than the general public, and 47 times more likely to be a victim of theft.

More than one in three have been deliberately been hit, kicked, or experienced some other form of violence while sleeping rough.

Three in ten female rough sleepers experience sexual violence at some point while homeless.

https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2017/mar/24/gentrification-kings-cross-forces-people-from-housing-crisis

The city must build 43,000 affordable homes each year for current and future Londoners, but in 2023-24, only 10,949 homes were completed, a 22% decrease from 2022-23.

This shortage led to 323,827 households on London’s social housing waiting lists in 2023.

Studies show that where rent is over 32% of the average income, homelessness rises. In London, the average person spends half their cash on rent. No wonder so many are struggling to get by.

And then there’s always the risk of eviction, even if you have done nothing wrong…

Imagine being forced to leave your home for no reason. This is a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction, a power that landlords have.

No-fault evictions rose by 52% in London from September 2023 to 2024.

Since 2019, 84,650 households have sought homelessness support after receiving a Section 21 notice.

https://wavelength.org.uk/one-of-britains-biggest-inner-city-developments-excludes-mentally-ill/

Unemployed households can only account for 25% of the social housing provided, to achieve “a balanced mix of incomes and prevent a concentration of residents wholly dependent on benefits” according to the plan

https://corporatewatch.org/kings-cross-central-a-crude-exercise-in-social-engineering/