Homeless in Bath during a pandemic - the knock-on effect to those who couldn’t stay at home, to stay safe

The city of Bath is the largest in Somerset and is ranked as one of the best places to live in the UK. Famous for its Roman baths, tall Georgian townhouses and lists of five-star hotels, it’s a popular tourist destination for many to visit.

The city centre is a bustling area and sees many of the homeless sitting in these prime spots to help them receive donations from the public. 

When the pandemic began in March 2020, people were forced to stay indoors, shops were closed and high streets across the country became deserted.

Some of the homeless were left on the streets with nowhere to go and without the steady source of food or a small amount of money that came their way from hundreds of passersby, it became increasingly more difficult.

Speaking to Scott, a homeless man who sat in the prime spots despite the lack of passersby said: “It was very difficult and very quiet, it made it very hard”.

Limitations of people carrying cash around with them due to the risk of transmission of the virus left people in the UK adapting to paying for things more on a card and some avoiding carrying cash completely. 

Steve who is also homeless explains: “It has been so hard, there was no one about anymore and everyone was too scared to carry cash”.

Without spare change and money given to the homeless as usual by passersby, it could leave the homeless struggling to eat each day, Steve adds: “It can be hard to find food each day and it didn’t help that everything was shut”. 

Speaking to Cecil Weir, Fundraising and PR Director of Julian’s House, a charity ‘that supports vulnerable and at-risk individuals in Bath, said, they saw the repercussions of the homeless not receiving money from the public. Explaining: “We didn't realise until the begging opportunity dried up, that some were using begged money to sustain alcohol or drug abuse and when they weren't getting it, it caused all sorts of problems.

Video taken around Bath and Zoom interview with Cecil Weir from Julian’s House

“The fact that a lot of people abuse the public's hospitality is another issue”.

A scheme was introduced by the government to help house the homeless in hotels or other temporary accommodation during the pandemic.

Explaining the scheme Cecil said: “The government got all the main homeless agencies up and down the country, doing all sorts of things that they couldn't do before because they didn't have the money.

“We are managing about 28 extra bed spaces than we were 12 months ago. And at the moment, the funding for that is being sustained”. 

Julian’s House also has a hostel available for the homeless to sleep for up to months at a time. This is at a free cost for the homeless, offering 20 beds and 24-hour staff support.

There is a waiting list to secure a bed at the Julian House which offers a ‘pod’ style room. Scott has been on the waiting list for four weeks and explains: “I go there to check in every couple of days to see what’s going on and to see how many spaces there are and where I am on the list”.

As the demand for a bed at the hostel can be high, it is unpredictable when you can get a place to stay. Working as a one-out, one-in basis and with no time limit to how long people can stay for, Scott adds: “It’s totally unpredictable, it’s all down to the people in there, if they misbehave or if they move somebody on to a halfway house or another hostel. It’s just a case of as of when”.

Julian’s house also has an outreach team that go out and talk to everyone who is sleeping rough to try and help them. Cecil said: “We know everybody who's out there and what we're always trying to do is lift them off the streets and put them into one of our services”.

Photos were taken after shops reopened in April 2021, showing more people around the city centre of Bath

With the number of rough sleepers in Bath, some can’t secure a place to stay and others may not want to, it can leave many looking each night for a place to stay.

If the weather is dry they have more options such as going to a nearby park but when it’s raining, it can become increasingly difficult to find shelter for a nights sleep.

Explaining his sleeping situation Scott said:

“I’ll go in the bandstand if it’s raining or sometimes I’ve gone in the 20p toilet for the night”. 

Depending on the day and the number of donations, sometimes they have the option to stay at a hostel at a cost. Steve stays at a local hostel when he can, “If I make enough money I’ll stay at the YMCA, they’re really good there. They know me and you get a nice cup of coffee in the morning”. 

Cecil adds that some of the homeless can get used to being out on the street “it kind of suits them” and “some of them are in quite a vulnerable situation”. 

With the threat of Covid around many of the homeless felt extra vulnerable, Steve said: “As the homeless, you just get used to the fact that if anyone’s going to get it, we’re going to get it”. Also adding: “Although we’ve probably built up a tolerance”. 

The roll-out of the vaccination has allowed some of the homeless to be vaccinated, Scott said: “I did feel vulnerable until I got vaccinated recently, it took a lot of my worry away. But I keep myself to myself”.

As restrictions begin to ease and shops re-opened it comes as some relief to the homeless to know that more people will be walking around Bath again, Scott said: “I’m definitely looking forward to the shops begin open again, it’ll make life a hell of a lot easier”.

Julian’s House has a Facebook group and also a donation page located on their website for anyone wishing to donate. Links for these are below.