London, UK
- "Todd" was 18 when he came to the United Kingdom from Lithuania in
2005 in search of a better life. But things didn't work out. By 2009,
with the British economy ravaged by recession, he had lost his job and
had nowhere to live.
"I
had really bad depression so I couldn't hold a job. I ended up sleeping
rough on the streets. My mental health was deteriorating... I had
suicidal thoughts," he recalls.
Todd
- an adopted Anglicisation of his Lithuanian name - ended up in
Brighton, a town on England's south coast with a reputation for
tolerance, a vibrant arts scene and a homelessness problem. It was there
that he began to rebuild his life, finding a vital support network
among those squatting in the town's ample stock of empty and neglected
buildings and sometimes opening them up as impromptu galleries and
cultural spaces.
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British squatters face eviction after law change
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"I
call myself houseless, not homeless. We are a community and we help
each other out," he explains. "There is a lot of support and there is
always somebody to talk to. Living like this, you're always in control
of your own life. You don't have the money to support yourself
food-wise, maybe, but you can go and get it from skips. It's still the
same food."
But
tens of thousands like Todd who seek shelter in unoccupied properties
now risk arrest and imprisonment under a government-backed campaign to
outlaw squatting.
Under
a law in place since the beginning of September, squatting in empty
residential properties in England and Wales is already a criminal
offence, with those convicted facing months in prison and steep fines.
The ministry of justice estimates that up to 2,000 people could be
prosecuted each year.
British ban squatting to tackle 'anarchists' - Features - Al Jazeera English
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