Treating homeless people with dignity

Is SBC's modular housing the answer?

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Not a permanent solution to homelessness - but perhaps at least a decent temporary one

At the most recent Swindon Borough Council Cabinet meeting, a proposal to spend more than £2m on modular self-contained accommodation was discussed. If all goes according to plan, the move will save the authority up to £326,000 a year and prevent homeless families from being housed in bed and breakfasts and hotels. Although a permanent solution to homelessness is far more complex, some temporary measures are far better and more compassionate than others. Is this one of them?

By Barrie Hudson

The ongoing scandal and disgrace of homelessness has been in the news agenda rather a lot lately.

Earlier this month, for example, a certain politician we do not care to name voiced an intention to clear away tents used by desperate homeless people, and claimed that homelessness was a lifestyle choice.

Some days later, video footage emerged of tents belonging to homeless people sleeping rough near a hospital being seized by workers - apparently operating on behalf of a London council - and methodically cast into a waste disposal truck. At least one of the victims reported having lost what few possessions they owned.

There are two important observations to be made following this sequence of events.

The first is that none of us should ever be tempted to think that horrors of the kind we associate with brutal foreign regimes down the years and decades could never happen here. Sadly, no nation is without a significant number of people willing - whether through misguidedness, misanthropy, moral cowardice or simply the threat of being out of a job - to inflict unspeakable, heartrending degradation and brutality on their fellow human beings. It is almost certain that the crews who hurled those tents, those last vestiges of shelter, to their destruction did not think of themselves as evil, even as they committed acts which were evil by any standard of human decency. No doubt many of the people who in previous eras helped to run concentration camps didn’t think of themselves as evil, either.

The second observation is that anybody who sincerely believes homelessness is a lifestyle choice is at best dimwitted, wilfully ignorant or both, and at worst utterly lacking any semblance of compassion. The urge to kick a blameless fellow human being, whether literally or metaphorically, is the mark of a brute. The urge to target the most vulnerable for such treatment is the mark of something far, far lower than a brute.

Homelessness is not a lifestyle choice. Anybody who claims that they actively, personally choose the misery, squalor and danger of homelessness over warmth and safety is suffering from an abnormality of mind - and an abnormality of mind is not a lifestyle choice.

Neither is chronic substance abuse. Neither is being forced to flee violence, sexual abuse or some other horror, and having nowhere else to go.

Neither, for that matter, is going through life fairly unremarkably alongside your family, only for the unstable economy to pitch you into joblessness and an inability to keep a roof over your head and those of your loved ones.

Charities at the sharp end of helping homeless people, including Swindon’s own Threshold Housing Link, are only too familiar with the widespread prejudices regarding homelessness, and also with the true causes and nature of homelessness.

Something else they are familiar with is the sheer lack of resources available to help people threatened with or suffering homelessness.

Last year in Swindon, over 100 families were accommodated in hotel and temporary accommodation. Providing such accommodation can cost the council around £1,700 a month per family. The last time we studied house rental prices in the borough, £1,700 a month would be enough to rent a decent family home, so we daresay the owners of the bed and breakfasts and hotels in question are doing rather nicely out of the situation.

Commendably, Swindon Borough Council is exploring an approach which, while innovative, harks back some eight decades.

In the aftermath of World War Two there was an immense housing shortage. Some families had been bombed out of their homes while others had roofs over their heads but were forced to live amid moldy filth and squalor thanks to amoral slum landlords. The Government of the period embarked on a massive long-term house-building programme, but in the meantime built entire neighbourhoods of prefabricated dwellings. These ‘prefabs’ provided the people who lived in them with decent, warm, sanitary housing until suitable permanent accommodation became available. Many of those who had previously been obliged to live in nasty slums became so fond of their ‘prefabs’ that when the time came for them to leave they did so with heavy hearts and fond memories.

Back in the here and now, a budget of up to £2.1m has been set aside by Swindon Borough Council for the purchase of modular housing units at a cost of between £85,000 and £130,000 per unit. The council calculates that it could save up to £326,000 a year if everything goes according to plan.

If these savings could be ring-fenced and ploughed straight back into other efforts to tackle homelessness, so much the better.

Cllr Janine Howarth, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “We are committed to addressing homelessness in Swindon and the proposed investment in modular, self-contained accommodation is a cost-effective solution that not only saves taxpayers money, but will provide better living conditions for those residents who require support and ensure we reduce our reliance on hotels and B&Bs. 

“It forms an important part of our affordable housing programme, which aims to provide more homes for residents in Swindon who need them, aligning with our three missions to reduce inequality, build a better Swindon and achieve net zero.” 

Whether in the wake of global conflict or in the midst of an economic situation which thrusts millions into fear and uncertainty, everybody has the right to decent housing.

Other things everybody has the right to include not being forced to live in poverty and squalor, not to be faced with the stark choice between enduring abuse or taking to the freezing streets, not being obliged to have mental anguish or substance dependency go without effective treatment and not to be told that their abject suffering is a lifestyle choice.

The Ink News Briefing

Nine tonnes of vintage and pre-loved clothing at Swindon sale - People can stay cosy and shop with a clear conscience at a special Swindon event this weekend. Worth the Weight will return to Swindon Meca on Sunday 26 November with nine tonnes of handpicked vintage and pre-owned stock, including a range of Autumn coats and jackets. Read More

Swindon child rapist jailed for 24 years - Matthew Vandross, 30, of Homington Avenue, has been jailed for multiple sexual offences against a child, including rape. Read More

Helping others is at heart of life with the Lions - Swindon Lions Club wants to hear from people interested in helping others. It welcomes anybody with a few hours to spare per week, and who has the desire to put something back into Swindon and their community. Read More

Wiltshire Air Ambulance unveils new Critical Care Car - Wiltshire Air Ambulance has unveiled its brand-new Critical Care Car, which has been fully funded by a grant from the HELP Appeal. Read More

The Ink Piece 

The Culture Vulture

This week our resident culture expert Jessica Durston looks at Swindon duo Sayers, and the recent release of their debut album. 

Sayers voice the change they wish to see in the world

By Jessica Durston

Earlier this month, the duo Sayers dropped their debut album ‘The Change You Want To See.’

The band say they wrote the album as a response to the social, political, and environmental challenges of the early 2020s. The outfit is made up of husband and wife Rebecca and Harry Sayers.

Sayers say “Our message is clear; we need to rebuild communities, rebuild ourselves, and rebuild our vital relationship with nature.”

The duo both played the function circuit for years before forming Sayers. They left a big function band earlier this year in February, with intentions of focusing on creating original music of their own, and spreading the messages they believe in.

A spokesperson for the band explains: “The songwriting duo use every tool that they have to create thought-provoking, ecologically-conscious music. They produce just what the world needs; intelligent music with a head, and a heart but, more importantly, a soul.

“Thunderous eight-string guitar riffs give way to classical piano etudes; funky grooves sit below silky harmonies, and it all comes together as a vehicle for a social change singalong.”

The musical pair say they take inspiration from a number of other groups and artists, from Alicia Keys, Fleetwood Mac, Feist, The Beatles, and Muse, to The Staves, Mike Love and Jacob Collier.

The lead single from the album ‘The Change You Want To See’ has already amassed over 45,000 views on YouTube after being released on 13 October. This video was shot at Crescent Records Studio in Old Town.

Rebecca Sayers added: “We want to continue songwriting, releasing music and play at as many festivals as we can in the summertime! It means so much to us that our lyrics are felt and appreciated, and it has been so nice having feedback on this from listeners.”

The album was self-produced, and was mostly recorded at their home studio. Sayers also collaborated with several Swindon creatives, working with Golden Oak Productions and OT House for their music videos. These videos can be found on Sayers’ YouTube channel.

The performers have already played gigs at local Swindon haunts, including their album launch event at The Tuppenny. This event took place on the evening of 2 November, and the duo were supported by Swindon/Bath band English Weather. This event was part of The Tuppenny’s Thursday Night Music Club programme.

Sayers were able to promote their album, meet members of the public, and sell artwork and CDs to attendees at this official launch.

In addition, Sayers have also played a live slot at the Swindon Hub during its Vegan Eco-Living Market event, and appeared on the bill of this year’s Swindon Shuffle festival.

Furthermore, the pair have just confirmed their first festival slot for next year - VERVE Festival (described as the ‘Woodstock of Wellness’). Rebecca and Harry say they hope to be on the bill of many more festivals in the future too.

More information about Sayers Music can be found online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sayersmusicband

Instagram - @sayersmusic

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sayersmusic

More information about the album and the streaming platforms Sayers use can be found at https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sayers1/the-change-you-want-to-see-2

The band can also be contacted via email at harrycsayers@gmail.com

What’s On - Weekly Roundup, 17 November - 24 November:

●      The High Sheriff’s Diwali celebrations at Swindon Meca. Friday 17 November, from 6pm. More information here

●      Moore’s Exotic Reserve DJ Set at The Tuppenny. Saturday 18 November, from 8pm. More information here

●      Everybody Sing - One Day More (student showcase) at the Wyvern Theatre. Saturday 18 November, from 7pm. More information here

●      Family Fundraiser for Dogs (live music performances and proceeds going to Strays Without Borders) at The Victoria. Sunday 19 November from 3pm - 10.30pm. More information here

●      Glen Manby Quartet at The Royal Oak (Jazz Knights Live Weekly Jazz Sessions). Tuesday 21 November from 8pm. More information here

●      Rumpus Theatre Company presents ‘What’s Your Poison?’ at Swindon Arts Centre. Friday 24 November from 7.30pm. More information here

The Swindon Link Magazine Archive

Over on The Ink’s sister publication Swindon Link’s website you will find an impressive archive of the past 45 years of Swindon Link magazines, giving you a huge glimpse into the town’s recent past from the beginnings of West Swindon to now. You can find the archive here

The latest magazines

For the North West Swindon Link Magazine click here

For the South East Swindon Link Magazine click here