- [Interviewer] Homer
you're here in London.
You're out here with your pup, sleeping rough.
Tell me about it.
- Well I've been on the streets in London
for the last 20 years,
on and off. - [Interviewer] 20 years.
- Yeah.
In that time I've had a couple of hostels,
but they haven't worked out.
It's just like being in prison.
I just don't abide by them, you know what I mean?
I'm not happy about it, to be honest with you,
it's just a fact of the time.
- [Interviewer] Why didn't the hostels work out?
- Because it's like being in a prison really, basically.
You've got too many rows.
People knockin' on your doors all hours of the night,
through the night and that.
And it just don't, know what I mean?
Waking you up at night at that.
It just don't work for me like that,
ya know what I mean.
And as far as I'm concerned, If I get in somewhere
I should have my peace and quiet.
Not be disturbed at four o'clock in the morning.
[Interviewer] Now how did you first end up homeless?
- I was brought up in a children's home
from the age of three months.
From there, I went to a boy's hostel in Kingston.
I got moved out of there into a bedsit,
was miles away from where I was working.
And from there I started squatting.
And then I became what they call the New Age traveler.
Traveled about quite a bit
working off the land and that
and then
I just ended up there.
I had a baby daughter born.
I was split up with the woman who had my baby daughter
not longer after she was born.
And for the last 20 years I've been on the streets.
- [Interviewer] This is no way to live, I mean
what gets me is the people just walking by.
- Well they do that all the time but that...
It's not the fact they walk by it's the fact
you get people making comments and that.
And they always think it'll never happen to them.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- But I met a man just the other day
and his whole world's just collapsed.
I mean, he's thinking of committing suicide.
It can happen to anyone at any time.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- You know what I mean, it's not like
I mean they may have their own little bubble around them
but a bubble can pop at any time
and they don't realize that.
You know what I mean, I've met solicitors,
I've met doctors on the streets.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- You know what I mean, it just shows
how easy it is for it to happen.
You know what I mean?
But people don't realize that, they think it's
they think it's a choice.
It ain't a choice really, you know what I mean?
And like, you "bless you, mate" with them.
You know what I mean?
And that's the truth of the matter, so...
- [Interviewer] So what's your future like?
- Well
I don't really know.
I mean, I'm trying to get in somewhere at the moment but
I'm on the wrong, being over this side
the people do you over this side
and they're all the same as the people
that do you on that side of the water and
you're not really very productive
on this side of the water.
Whereas on the other side
you've got St. Mungo's and all that and
yeah, they do help you out, I'd give them that.
They do try their best but
it's down to you, yourself to put the effort in.
And I'm not being funny, when you've been
here like this for so long
I mean I'm a lot happier like this.
And it's a sad thing to say but
you know what I mean, like
I've had four friends die in the last year.
- [Interviewer] Oh my god. - I mean, two have been
dead in their flats for like ten days
before they've been found.
At least if I die, someone's gonna
find me out here on the streets.
And it's a sad thing to say and that but
that is the way I look at it at the moment.
Know what I mean, like there's no
you know, there ain't no like
know what I mean?
What will I earn, I'd get a flat
and then I'd get the stress that everyone else has got.
Bills
(interviewer laughs)
and everything else, like here I don't
I mean, like I've got a choice here.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
I'd get pissed off with the view,
I can get up and move away tomorrow
and go elsewhere and that's like...
- [Interviewer] But still if you get a flat
with a bathroom and your own kitchen and dignity
you know?
- It would help, yeah.
- [Interviewer] Winter is coming, man.
- Well, I've spent many winters out here.
- [Interviewer] Oh my gosh, must be brutal.
- It is brutal, know what I mean, and
it don't get any better.
But
nah, it is a fact that paying the bills,
that the dole money that you get
wouldn't pay the bills, like.
If I paid the bills like regularly every week
I'm gonna be there for about,
I'd be lucky if I got 30, 40 pound left
for two weeks for me and my dog to live on.
And
yeah.
I mean, I could go out and buy a
leg of lamb or something and make a big stew
but that don't really work for me.
I think I'd rather
take each day by day.
- [Interviewer] If you had three wishes
what would they be?
- What would they be?
One would be
I'd like to be off the street.
Er, God...
If me and him, well me and the dog could be happy
so we got somewhere to live properly where
you know what I mean?
He's got a back garden or something.
Two, to be financially sound where
I ain't gotta worry about nothing but at the same time
I'd like to go back and
help people that are in the same situation that I am.
You know what I mean?
And that is what I would really like to do
but I do know there's a lot of people out there who
they sit here and say they're homeless and they ain't,
know what I mean?
Lot of people in hostels and that but like
I mean, they can't help the situation
and that there are who got drink and drug problems.
Mine's mainly alcohol.
It used to be drugs at one time but now it's alcohol.
I won't deny that, you know what I mean?
It's just the way of getting through the dying night.
That is the truth of the matter.
Know what I mean, what else can I say?
- [Interviewer] Well, it's tough being sober out here.
- Yeah it is.
(interviewer laughs) That's really what I mean like
I mean the abuse you get off people sometimes
especially in the evening like
at nighttime you get people like me acting
you know idiots, you know what I mean?
You do get idiots, like.
Try to wind you up, try to get you fights and that.
I mean
- [Interviewer] Well Homer
- I've gotta be honest I'm one of the lucky ones
I've had friends of mine that have had,
one he had his sleeping bag
set alight one night when he was asleep.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- Another one
he ended up with 186 stitches in his face
when he was begging one night.
- [Interviewer] Oh my god. - You have some that try
- [Interviewer] Yeah, no, I talked to a rough sleeper,
video before,
he was set on fire.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, unbelievable.
- Yeah, I've had, there was a guy who was out here
who got set on fire and
a plastic surgeon who works at St. Thomas'
said they do the operation for free on him.
So like, do the skin graft and that on his leg, like.
And that is like, that's the dangers I've had
I mean there's a couple of lads like
- [Interviewer] It's dangerous out here.
- Yeah, a couple of lads 10, 15 years ago now
they were kipping over the East End
they used to work on the markets so they were kipping
and they were found dead the next, like one morning.
Pair of them like, been stabbed at about,
they had about 40 stab wounds between them, like.
The next thing, you're asleep like, so...
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- You know what I mean, that's why I've got
my friend here, Brigadier.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, Brigadier.
- Yeah that's Brigadier. - [Interviewer] Great name!
Home run, Brigadier - Brigadier look at the camera
- [Interviewer] Hey Brigadier, how are ya?
He wanted to sit on my lap but
but anyways, home run Brigadier.
Thank you so much for talking to me.
- No you're welcome, thank you for the socks and that.
I really appreciate it.
- [Interviewer] You be safe.
- Yeah, I'll stay safe
(Brigadier growls)
I've got him near me.