Removing the homeless from where they sleep is not a sustainable approach, or solution

“We cannot wish away the homeless from an area because the homeless are across Johannesburg, both in the inner city and in the suburbs. This is the typical plight of every city in this country and the world,” said the founder of the Johannesburg Homelessness Network (JHN) Mary Gillett-de Klerk.

She describes punitive measures like the forced removal of the homeless from their chosen spaces, or ‘micro-cleansing’ as clearing an area for a short time. But individuals often return with the costly exercise of having achieved nothing other than angering the targeted and frustrating the entities doing the removals.

Speaking of the recent raids at Alberts Farm where possessions and structures belonging to a group of 30 homeless people were confiscated and demolished, she said, “Raids leave people without their medications and belongings. It sets them back and only fosters anger and hurt. Those of us working with them need to almost start at the beginning of rebuilding trust as we try to avoid a return to previous negative behaviours like substance abuse.”

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She explains that to meaningfully address the complex issue of homelessness, a pipeline of various services needs to be in place for the individuals to voluntarily access as they journey off the streets. “It has been accepted by local government and the Department of Social Development that working together with civil society in the sector that sustainable solutions require a holistic approach with different stages for one to pass through.”

A social worker holds their hand tightly at the beginning of the process and lightly at the end as they become more self-sufficient. These services include access to clinics, social workers, drug rehabilitation centres and more.

In 2017 it was agreed with the IEC during important stakeholder engagements about the homeless that they could participate in the elections, especially local government elections. They can use the address of an organisation within the area in which they live, provided the organisation vouches for them in a meaningful way.

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De Klerk said, “It was encouraging to see so many participate in local elections because it means ward councillors represent not only the monied in an area but those who are having a tough time too.”
Many homeless obviously don’t have an exact address but they are territorial even though they may move around within a small area.

The process of people cycling in and out of shelters does not help the users of them as facilities do not seem to benefit people in a sustainable way. Other solutions are needed. The paper visited the Windsor shelter in June and found it to be a wonderful option for some, but not fit for purpose for many for a variety of reasons.

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