Durban homeless people’s lives improve during pandemic

THE ‘hard’ lockdown saw the creation in Durban, in record time, of emergency shelters to keep homeless men and women safe.

Now, during level three, the municipality and NGOs are continuing to provide services at some of the emergency sites.

Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) director, Raymond Perrier, said The Strollers building in Durban had been recommended by the Task Team on Homelessness, of which he is the chairman, 18 months ago, as a potential women’s shelter.

Thanks to support from FNB and Urban Lime, it was refurbished and went on-line as the emergency women’s shelter in March.

“Although its long-term management still needs to be finalised, it has continued as a free shelter now at level three, with about 80 women staying there in two-bedded rooms, and with space for more,” said Perrier.

For men, there are safe open sleeping spaces – four in the Durban CBD and one in Pinetown.

Perrier said across those sites each night, about 700 to 800 men are sleeping in marquees, on pallets with blankets, suitably spaced out.

ALSO READ: Good endings for residents at Denis Hurley Centre

“Some services are being provided by e Municipality and NGOs, for example, our Street Lit project has just delivered more books, the DHC is helping people access the Covid grant, and We Are Durban continue to co-ordinate delivery of breakfast and supper,” he said.

However, many initiatives are coming from the residents themselves.

A great example is a vegetable garden created at the Durban Jewish Club; and the residents hope they will grow enough to create a viable business.

The Bellhaven Memorial Hall is being turned into ‘the African Centre for Hope’ where a drug medication programme is being run.

“So step by step, and through collaboration, Covid is actually making the lives of some of Durban’s homeless better than they were before!” said Perrier.

Contact the DHC if you can assist with resources or expertise for the project at the Jewish Centre – raymond@denishurleycentre.org.

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At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.

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