The organisers of the Autonomous Winter Shelter in Gray’s Inn Road [All photos: Guy Smallman/Instagram:@Guy.Smallman]

A HOMELESS shelter set up in a building that has been left empty since 2019 is facing eviction, despite bringing more than 25 rough sleepers in off the streets.

The Autonomous Winter Shelter was created by a group of squatters in a disused building in Gray’s Inn Road in December. They took refuge when temperatures plunged to highlight council and government inaction on homelessness.

The New Journal reported last month how, on average, one homeless person dies every month in Camden – including four people who have died in council-run accommodation.

The building, which is owned by housing association One Housing Group, is a former mental health-supported housing scheme run by charity St Mungo’s for the council.

One of the founders of the shelter, Kai, who was made homeless when she was 18, said: “We’re doing something about the fact that no one else is doing anything. The fact that a housing association owns this building and isn’t using it for housing is disgusting when there are people freezing to death on the streets.”

She added: “They’ve had two years to do something with this place and there’s still no planning permission.”

The purpose-built building has 20 rooms, bathrooms, kitchens on each floor and a lift. The group have furnished it with donations from the public.

[Instagram: @Guy.Smallman]

Ombeline, a member of Resisting Anti-Trespass, a group that campaign against the criminalisation of trespassing, said: “The shelter is flexible, there are no set rules. It treats people like adults, it’s not paternalistic. We don’t tell people what’s good for them. If people want to stay in their rooms for days that’s OK, it’s their decision. There is autonomy and support and we make sure people are happy, but that’s it.”

Another founder, Alex, who was homeless from the age of 16 to 19, said: “The pure reason we’re doing this is to help people – we know how many people die on the streets.

“We’re a group without money and we managed to do this, but those who have all the money don’t do anything. We’re highlighting all the problems with society.”

[Instagram: @Guy.Smallman]

Currently, squatting in a commercial property is not a criminal offence, but squatters can still be sued in the civil courts. In January, the shelter was taken to court by One Housing Group, and is now facing eviction.

Alex said: “We always knew we were going to be evicted, but I thought they would give us more time, maybe until the winter ends, given the nature of what we’re doing. To be a housing group evicting a load of homeless people without giving them any options is insane.”

Sunday, another member of Resisting Anti-Trespass, attended the hearing. She said: “They said they couldn’t ensure the health and safety of people inside the squat, and so they had to close us down.

“They didn’t see the irony of the fact they would be sending people back onto the streets, where it’s definitely not safe. They don’t see ‘but people are dying on the streets’ as an argument, they just say it’s not ours and we can’t stay.”

Now, the group are looking for another bigger building to move into. They want to expand, help more people and continue to protest against what they see as the broken housing market.

One of the residents, James, said he was taken in by the shelter after the council and its partner organisation, Routes Off the Streets, failed to help.

[Instagram: @Guy.Smallman]

“Ever since I came to London I’ve been homeless,” he said. “I was sleeping in a tent on Tottenham Court Road. No one came to offer me a place in a hostel, it was -2 degrees, so thank God the shelter found me.”

He added: “When they see you the council say, ‘I’ll come back in three days and if you’re still here then I’ll help.’ There’s waiting lists, I had to walk every day to Routes off The Streets to see if they had a place for me in a hostel and they kept saying, ‘Next week, next week,’ but it never materialised.”

Martin D’Mello, One Housing’s group director for health care and support, said: “One of our priorities at One Housing is helping to address London’s growing problem with rough sleep­ing. We’ve seen how the type of care and support available at our Arlington homeless hostel in Camden Town gets people off the streets and helps them restart their lives.”

He added: “We are working with Camden Council to redevelop the site on Gray’s Inn Road to support people with mental health needs. It will help people live well in the community and avoid unnecessary stays in hospital.

“The hostel service that was previously offered at the site by the charity St Mungo’s is now available at a different address in Camden.

“Occupying this building is illegal, potentially dangerous and risks delaying the redevelopment of the site, and therefore preventing the creation of a vital mental health service that will serve hundreds of vulnerable people.”

The Town Hall said there was no three-night rule before people could get help in place.

Labour cabinet councillor Nadia Shah said: “We work with our partners all year round to support people sleeping rough to rebuild their lives away from the street and regain independence.

“But we remain under constant pressure as Camden, an international transport hub and centre of a world city, has the second-highest number of rough sleepers come into it out of any area in the UK.”

She added: “The Routes off The Street (RTS) specialist outreach team conducts street-based shifts across the borough every day, engaging with up to 800 rough sleepers each year and providing them with support and advice.

“Anyone who is rough sleeping in the borough can contact RTS free on 0808 8000005 or attend the RTS Hub in Greenland Street, Camden Town. However, Camden can’t end rough sleeping on its own. We need the government to ensure that ending homelessness is a priority, that there is funding for everyone on our streets and for them to back us to build more council housing.”