This project is not intended to be art, this is to show the sad reality of homelessness. Not all homelessness people are on drugs as some believe often they are people like you or me who have just fallen on hard times. They say we are only three wage packets away from being homeless our self’s and having become close to this myself in the past I believe this to be a fact. I have met some very wonderful homeless people during my project, some with some very sad stories to tell. Like Sarah made homeless after being evicted from her mother’s home after her mother died. Sarah was ordered to leave the property a week after her mother died by her local council as she was not on her mother’s housing contract. Yes she was offered sheltered housing but it turned out to be safer for her on the streets, I cannot go into details other than to say an 18-year-old girl should never have felt the need to feel at risk in a sheltered facility for a woman. I have seen first-hand how Sarah has been treated as people walk past and verbally insult her or spit at her. It angered me but Sarah seemed to have hardened to it. When I asked Sarah how she managed to stay so calm, she replied “You get used to it” my heart sunk. I met Mark who asked me to tell his story of how he found his friend Pedro dead on the streets, Mark begged people in the area who to help but they just walked on by. I don’t believe all people are heartless I just don’t think they know how to cope. I met two ex-servicemen one did not wish to be photographed, he looked like he would have fitted very well in the vogue magazine as a model I respected his wishes his friend was happy to be photographed. I gave them some money, not that they asked for any they immediately started to plan what they would buy with it, tin food, water, etc. like they were on a military exercise. Both have since been rehoused, but this was only after the public got to hear how two ex-vets were on the streets of London. This Project started for me when I was studying at University I happened to show it to several established members of the photographic industry such as Bridget Coaker picture editor at the Guardian/Observer at the time, Bridget convinced me I needed to pursue this project and asked me to keep her updated. So whilst other members of my year group used our yearly trips to London to wind down and relax I was out with my camera on the streets of London day and night listening to the stories and capturing the sad reality of what I witnessed.
