While Christmas brings joy and festivities the winter period is extremely challenging for many who face hardships heightened by the cold and the isolation the season can bring. A new installation by Single Homeless Project located under Camden Lock bridge has popped up designed to raise awareness of Londoners facing homelessness over the festive period. 

The charity ‘Single Homeless Project’ is calling for immediate Government action as new analysis has found that over four thousand Londoners could be forced into homelessness before Christmas - one person every 9 minutes and 50 seconds.

To draw attention to this shocking fact and urge people to help drive action, CPB has helped to create an outdoor installation that depicts a Christmas on the streets; ‘Home for Good’. 

The installation makes up a full festive scene complete with a twinkling tree, comfy armchair and warm throws sit out on a London street causing passersby to stop in their tracks and take notice. In the middle of the scene, a grubby duvet lies on some damp cardboard contrasting the bleak living conditions for Londoners forced to sleep on the streets with the joyful cosy decor many might have in their homes in December.

TV star Gail Porter has had first-hand experience with homelessness and joined the charity at the ‘Home for Good’ installation. She explained “Christmas is a time for being around friends and loved ones, sharing festive cheer. I know first-hand that for many people experiencing homelessness, it’s one of the loneliest and most difficult times of the year. 

She continued: “Everyone deserves a safe and cosy place to call home, so please help a fellow Londoner today. You can make a difference - whether it be donating, volunteering, calling for help in an emergency or even just a smile from a friendly face - it all goes a long way.”

Against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis that has greatly affected everyone, while many might feel overwhelmed it is also easier to imagine the realities of homelessness and the hardships people are facing. To help those in need The Single Homeless Project is calling for the Government to increase the Local Housing Allowance and raise the benefit cap proportionately to help Londoners pay their rent and stay in their own homes. The charity warns that without these measures, 4,239 people living in the capital could be forced into homelessness by Christmas day.

The installation is a poignant reminder of the need to give back and look after one another during the festive period, embracing the Christmas spirit of giving. 

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