Homeless encampment between multi-million-pound houses where rough sleepers fear being attacked
By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter
Beneath one of London’s busiest roads, a small collection of tents are dotted between the large concrete supports supporting the Westway dual carriageway.
Apart from the traffic roaring overhead, the encampment, on the A404 roundabout under the A40 in Paddington, seems relatively peaceful in daylight. But night time brings fear and wariness for the people who call it home.
Figures by RightMove show Paddington had an overall average house price of £1,363,001 over the last year. A three-bed home on St Mary’s Terrace, which runs parallel to the roundabout, costs £1.1million.
Some rough sleepers said they’d been living in the encampment for years – a symptom of a housing crisis that has seen street homelessness extended to those who have previously been settled in rented homes.
Sham, 36, has lived at the roundabout for three years and said he is so afraid of being attacked that he barely sleeps at night, and that the conditions become unbearable in the winter.
He said: “It’s very cold. Sometimes you don’t feel the cold. You lie to yourself and say ‘man, I want to sleep’.”
Sham, who said he is a qualified fire safety engineer, described becoming homeless when his landlord in East London kicked him out four years ago. He said he can’t work or receive benefits because he doesn’t have an address and claims he is waiting on Westminster council to find him a suitable flat.
The council said though it cannot comment on individual cases, it does operate an outreach service for those sleeping rough and offers housing and support.
Rita Caso-McKay, 66, and her daughter Jayc, 39, said they’ve been living rough since November, when they were kicked out of Paddington Station.
Both said they can’t apply for housing until they get new IDs, which they claim were stolen while they were camped in the station.
Ms Caso-McKay said: “In any situation, we have to adapt. If you don’t adapt you don’t survive. You have to let go of the past and live in the present.
“I cannot think that I once lived in a flat. I see a lot of people living in the past and they drink and take drugs. They can’t cope with it and that’s why.”
A Westminster council spokesman said: “We are aware of a number of individuals at this location, and we continue to offer outreach and opportunities to move on.
“Everyone we come into contact with is provided with a range of options based on their individual needs, which can include, access to support around immigration, access to health services, welfare and benefit advice and accommodation offers to end their rough sleeping and move away from the streets.”
Pictured top: From left, Jayc McKay, 39, with her mother Rita Caso-McKay, 66 (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)