A VILLAGE of some 50 tents on the streets of London has been dubbed Britain’s reply to the notorious “Skid Row”.
And the poverty-stricken camp of homeless folks is only a stone’s throw away from posh multimillion pound properties.
The rising encampment of tarpaulin, picket pallets and discarded newspapers is unfold throughout two halves of a significant junction on London’s Euston Road and out of doors Warren Street Tube Station.
Residents within the ramshackle tents informed The Sun this week they’re often shooed round close by streets by the authorities – however have been on the present location on the central reservation for seven months.
Just minutes away are the plush Georgian mansions of Fitzrovia – with locals saying the tent city is unacceptable and its inhabitants need assistance.
The capital’s homelessness disaster has reached an all-time excessive of over 13,000 annual tough sleepers – an increase of practically 75 % in a decade.
What’s extra, the “Skid Row” website sits inside PM Sir Keir Starmer’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency – with the Labour chief vowing he would put Britain “on monitor to ending homelessness” throughout his election marketing campaign.
And whereas Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan launched a Plan of Action in May to finish tough sleeping by 2030, these residing within the Warren Street camp really feel like they’ve been forgotten – and lots of worry for his or her lives.
Khan has been criticised for not doing sufficient to sort out the disaster of tough sleepers within the capital – a metropolis the place extraordinary affluence usually clashes with excessive poverty.
It comes as US President Donald Trump reignited his disagreement with Khan this week, labelling him “a horrible, vicious disgusting mayor” and accused him of doing a “horrible job”.
During our go to, the camp was mentioned to be cut up into two, on the central reservation, and likewise throughout the street, seeing a spread of nationalities, together with Brits, Romanians, Bulgarians and Ukrainians.
Some mentioned that they had been ready years for lodging.
Last month, a 32-year-old Romanian man residing on the website reportedly died after struggling a coronary heart assault. According to a different dweller, he had solely lately moved there.
Ukrainian Stepan, 59, mentioned: “Someday they are going to come into my tent and discover my physique.
“This authorities does nothing. There’s no help, no assist, no curiosity.”
Stepan has lived within the UK for 25 years, and used to work as a builder, however has been homeless for 3 years after an operation for bowel most cancers left him unable to proceed to work and help himself.
He has lived on the junction for the reason that spring and says he feels scared residing within the camp.
What is Skid Row?
SKID ROW is a neighbourhood in Downtown Los Angeles, additionally known as Central City East, that’s dwelling to one of many largest populations of homeless folks within the US.
It is unfold over 54 blocks, with inhabitants in any other case homeless or on low-income.
The massive focus has been prevalent since a minimum of the Nineteen Thirties however dates again in varied types to the nineteenth century.
In addition to the makeshift properties, there are additionally homeless shelters and help companies, and the world additionally accommodates a mixture of small companies, saloons and low-income housing.
Aside from the challenges, the row is dwelling to artistic expression, together with public artwork.
The Skid Row Action Plan seems to broaden housing and companies.
Stephan mentioned: “I wish to defend myself… The avenue is harmful. It’s very harmful.
“So many instances folks have attacked me. How am I meant to guard myself, with my incapacity I can’t defend myself bodily.”
Stepan has diabetes and arthritis, which implies he struggles to stroll and has to make use of a strolling persist with get round.
He pitched his tent there as a result of it’s simply reverse University College London Hospital, which implies he can go to appointments for his failing well being and entry a bathroom.
This authorities does nothing. There’s no help, no assist, no curiosity
Stepan
Stepan mentioned he feels a world away from the guarantees of politicians like Mayor Khan.
“I’m actually disenchanted in this nation,” he mentioned. “We misplaced humility. We aren’t people anymore, we’re animals.”
While he mentioned he may have the ability to get non permanent lodging, he actually needs a everlasting resolution.
“I wish to help myself. I don’t want a lot, simply meals and a spot to stay,” he added.
On Fitzroy Square, simply across the nook from the junction, gleaming white townhouses line the extensive, clear streets, with benches overlooking the gorgeous non-public gardens fenced in the midst of the plaza.
It is dwelling to the Liberian Embassy and the High Commission of Mozambique, and includes a wealth of blue plaques to figures like novelist Virginia Wolf and former Prime Minister Lord Salisbury.
The buy of a terraced home in Fitzrovia would simply set you again thousands and thousands of kilos, with one five-bed home on the sq. promoting for £10 million in 2022, in line with Rightmove.
Locals mentioned they thought the circumstances of these residing within the tents have been unacceptable.
But now they assume it’s too late for something to alter.
John, 61, who has lived within the space all of his life, informed The Sun: “It’s a shame, actually.
“But what can the police do about it as a backside line? They can’t make them disappear.
“It shouldn’t have been allowed within the first place. There’s too a lot of them now. It’s all over the place, it’s not simply right here.”
He in contrast the camp to love Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Homelessness within the capital elevated by 10 per cent in 2024/25, in line with the latest statistics from charity Trust for London.
This means there have been 13,231 folks seen sleeping tough in London in that 12-month interval, a rise of 74 per cent over the previous decade.
John mentioned he doesn’t assume London’s mayor has carried out sufficient to sort out the problem, particularly round his native space.
He mentioned: “He ought to do extra. It’s obtained out of hand. I might say it’s making the world much less protected. It all goes on spherical right here.”
He added: “I’ve lived spherical right here for 35 years, but it surely’s obtained worse.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London mentioned: “The Mayor has made clear that nobody ought to need to sleep tough on our streets.
“Under his management, greater than 18,000 folks have been helped off the streets, however there’s way more to do.
“That’s why Sadiq has launched a daring new Plan of Action to finish tough sleeping for good by 2030 and has supplied report funding from City Hall. This contains the one greatest funding of £10 million – greater than any London Mayor.
“The Mayor is delivering new Ending Homelessness Hubs and increasing his Homes off the Streets programme, alongside establishing a prevention phoneline and funding extra help employees in our communities.
“Sadiq will proceed to work carefully with the Government, London councils and the homelessness sector to sort out this disaster as we proceed constructing a fairer London for everybody.”
This time final yr, Prime Minister Starmer pledged to “sort out this injustice and ensure nobody faces homelessness”.
He promised his authorities was “taking motion to sort out the basis causes of homelessness”, however one yr on, the variety of tough sleepers has risen once more.
Many individuals who spoke to The Sun mentioned they didn’t assume he cared about their plight.
Arturo passes the tents each morning on his technique to work.
He mentioned: “It’s stunning. It seems like there’s nothing that may be carried out.”
Instead of issues getting higher, he mentioned there have been extra tents pitched up to now “two or three months”.
It is a miserable sight for folks commuting to work day-after-day, to see folks residing in such circumstances, he mentioned.
While he seen there was some “littering” across the website, he mentioned he had not noticed a lot anti-social behaviour, and felt that the individuals who lived there have been typically respectful.
A Camden Council spokesperson mentioned: “We take residents’ issues very critically.
“This will not be a state of affairs that may proceed, and we’re involved for the welfare of individuals tough sleeping right here.
“Our pressing focus is on working with companions, together with the landowners, to prioritise serving to folks tough sleeping right here rebuild their lives away from the streets.
“This means discovering appropriate lodging and offering the vary of help they want, whereas ensuring the world is protected, safe and maintained for everybody.
“We are clear that no-one needs to be residing on the streets, and we’re doing all we will to deal with this amidst a extreme housing disaster throughout London.”
Alex Wilson AM, Leader of Reform UK on the London Assembly: “This Skid Row-style tent metropolis is a blight on London… I urge the authorities to take fast and efficient motion.”
