Squatters Take Over Building To House The Homeless

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A small group of activists has taken over a building in central London hoping to house, feed and support up to 200 homeless people who would otherwise be forced to sleep outside in freezing conditions.

The handful of unpaid volunteers have dubbed the four-storey space the Sofia Solidarity Centre (SSC) and have appealed for donations of food, supplies and time. “There’s snow on the ground, it was -3C two nights ago. It’s windy, it’s cold and people have frozen to death on the streets,” 22-year-old Zoe told HuffPost UK.

Temperatures across the UK plummeted as the ‘Beast From The East’ struck, with no let up forecast until later this week at the earliest. On Tuesday a homeless man was found dead inside a tent in Nottinghamshire on the same day as a record 3,600 alerts were sent to the StreetLink app that helps rough sleepers find shelter.

The volunteers said they had taken over the space, at 20 Great Portland Street, to “provide shelter and refuge” for rough sleepers. They were appealing to the public to donate supplies such a mattresses, bedding, tools and food. The building is privately owned but is not currently used as a residential building, so while the group are squatting they are not committing a crime.

Another volunteer, John, said: “We’re not sure who owns the building but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. Maybe they might have a kind heart and let us keep this building. We could house 200 people here very simply, we’re not asking for a penny.” A company called W1 Developments appears to own the property but has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Councils and charity-run shelters across Britain are offering extra accommodation to rough sleepers. When temperatures fall to zero degrees or lower for three days, special measures come into action with the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). This guidance for local authorities, homelessness providers, faith and community groups, provides responses in order to help prevent the deaths of people sleeping rough during winter.

But John pointed out that sometimes shelters are not the preferred option for some: “So many people don’t want to go into shelters for myriad reasons – there could be too much drug use there, it could be bullying. People particularly in the LGBT community get bullied in shelters and that’s often overlooked.”

“Maybe they’ve got an animal and they’re not allowed in with their pet,” he told HuffPost UK. He added that rising rates of homelessness in the UK are a sign that charities aren’t the only solution to the issue. “Homelessness has increased year on year on year on year so charity has failed. Now it’s time for solidarity, to help each other.”