On Sunday, we went back to the streets with our annual “Homeless for Christmas 2024”. The main purpose being to update the data collected during Everybody Counts.
Everybody Counts was launched during Homeless for Christmas 2022 as a count and assessment of the homeless in Cape Town and it was completed during “Homeless for Christmas 2023”.
This data needs to be updated regularly to ensure that we offer the actual services required by those living on the streets to come off the streets.
If one is not aware of the extent of the issue one is dealing with, or what the issue you are dealing with is really all about, well, then you are working in a vacuum, guessing, wasting money and resources and achieving nothing.
With homelessness, the issues are:
- How people became homeless
- What that journey has been like, and most importantly
- What services THEY require to come off the streets
Strangely, my column last week which was an in-depth look at our “Homeless for Christmas” initiative, had a number of anonymous people hot under the collar, and taking to social media to launch an orchestrated attack accusing me of “making matters worse”.
Their biggest objection was to my handing out care packages during this intervention:
“WHY DO YOU GIVE CARE PACKAGES AWAY DURING HOMELESS FOR CHRISTMAS? IT'S A HAND OUT THAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM SEEKING ASSISTANCE!” they shouted.
And so I am responding this week and I appeal to everyone to please read my response and try and read it with comprehension.
My answer to their loud question and statement is plain and simple: NO IT’S NOT, AND NO, IT DOES NOT!!
Most homeless individuals are not living on the streets by choice. They do not have a viable alternative.
- 1000 beds at safe spaces and 1500 beds at shelters are not enough to house 20 000 people living on the streets, and
- Most would in any case refuse to go if they were given the rare opportunity
- And no, it’s not because they all want to do drugs and crime
It’s because:
- They are forced to be out of these these places for 12 hours of the day from Monday to Friday.
- They have to live in prison-style dormitories of 50-100 people they don’t know
- Only one safe space allows couples
- No families
- No pets
- No agency to determine what your own future will look like
- Evicted back onto the streets after 3-6 months
People living on the streets do not receive any benefit from any sphere of government. Neither do they benefit from any funds collected from the public through the give responsibly or give dignity campaigns.
And so, people living on the streets are left to their own devices and rely on the general public for survival.
Our care packages are put together from the information we collected during the Everybody Counts assessments
Care packages consist of: Some food (can of pilchards, can of baked beans, an energy bar), toiletries (soap, wet wipes, a razor, sanitary pads, toothbrush, toothpaste,a nail clipper, toilet paper, plasters), a solar powered charger/light and a pair of socks).
And so, care packages are a small gesture of acknowledgement and gratitude to those still living on the streets when we go back “Homeless for Christmas" to update our data and learn how we can help to get people sustainably off the streets and bring them back inside as we have successfully done again this year.
You can sponsor one care package by donating R150.00.
CM HOMELESS SOLUTIONS TYMEBANK 678910
ACC: 5300 1069 559
REF: CARE PACKAGES
* Mesquita is a previously homeless man and founder of Outsider an organisation focused on enlightening people on homelessness and on accommodating those living on the streets in a dignified and sustainable manner. He can be reached at [email protected] or 071 341 3378.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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