TV host Alison has teamed up with charity Shelter for their winter campaign and she was in tears as she spoke to a 39-year-old single mother who is homeless
Emotional Alison Hammond has spoken of her shock about the stark reality of what it means to be homeless and living in temporary accommodation at Christmas.
TV personality Alison, 50, has teamed up with the charity Shelter for a new winter campaign which sees her speak to Alicia, a 39-year-old single mum who is currently homeless in temporary accommodation, with her six-year-old son, Aeon.
Alison, who cries during the video with Alicia, told the Mirror : “I couldn’t believe what Alicia was telling me – it really got me. She’s a single mom the same way that I am so I really felt connected to her in that way and could feel the love she has for her son. No one should have to live how Alicia and Aeon are living currently. They’re in temporary accommodation but they’ve been there for over 5 years now – that doesn’t feel very temporary to me.
“Alicia is so strong and positive despite what she’s been through and is still going through, and I just think she’s amazing to be honest with you. I came away feeling inspired by her, but heartbroken to know thousands of families are in similar situations to them and will be spending Christmas homeless in damp, mouldy and unsafe temporary accommodation.
“Both of them have been struggling with their breathing lately, and Aeon’s even been in hospital. She’s laying two types of mouse traps because the infestation’s got that bad, and on top of that she’s sorting all the legal papers out… This is Alicia’s Christmas to-do list. Can you imagine? No family should have to spend Christmas like this.”
In a moving one-to-one conversation for the campaign, Alison sits down with fellow mum Alicia, who reveals that she and her son Aeon have been homeless for nearly six years — the entirety of his young life. She describes being moved from one temporary place to next, constantly battling mould, damp, and the uncertainty of never knowing when or where they will be sent next.
Alison is moved to tears and appears heartbroken as Alicia shares her Christmas to-do list, which includes buying new mouse traps, chasing up repairs, and tackling mould on the walls, all while trying to make the holiday special for her son.
The film comes at a time when homelessness is at record levels, with 172,420 children currently homeless in temporary accommodation in England — the highest number since records began 21 years ago.
Alicia, 39, is a single mum who is currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation in London with her six-year-old son, Aeon. Aeon has been homeless his entire life. When Alicia first became homeless, she says she “went straight into survival mode.”
She said; “You just think, I need to find some kind of stability. I felt really alone and didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. The first temporary accommodation I lived in was awful; there was damp everywhere, you could smell it, and there were bedbugs — I had to throw away all my mattresses. My mental health really suffered, and I felt so isolated, like it was just me and my son against the world. Now, in my current accommodation, there’s mould and mice, and I don’t feel safe. My asthma has gotten worse, my son’s breathing has gotten worse, and there are moments when he stops breathing at night. I feel like I’m getting bounced around, and you start to feel forgotten.”
When things became too difficult to manage alone, Alicia reached out to Shelter for support, speaking with a Helpline advisor who helped her understand her legal rights and guided her through her options for securing safer, more suitable temporary accommodation.
And Alison added: “Alicia was saying that she feels forgotten, and that her and Aeon are lost in the system and I’m not surprised she’s feeling like that to be honest with you because it’s been so long and they haven’t been given any update on when they might be getting a home. When I was younger, my mom was given a social home and it was a really nice house to grow up in. That was a real life line for my mom at the time and it meant safety and security for me, my brother and sister growing up. I just wish that was the case for Alicia and Aeon, and for all of the other families who are stuck in temporary accommodation with no end in sight. “
Record-high private rents and a chronic shortage of affordable social homes are pushing more families to the brink and robbing them of the basic need of a safe and stable home.
Shelter’s emergency helpline, online advice, and frontline services provide support to families facing homelessness.
Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive Officer at Shelter, said: “Every day we hear from families in temporary accommodation who are terrified of waiting out the winter in appalling conditions, watching their breath hang in the air as damp and mould climbs the walls. Their experience is only worsened by bitter isolation, as many are moved miles away from their extended families, schools, and communities.
“At Shelter, we’re doing everything possible to help parents fight for a better home for their children. No family should face homelessness alone this Christmas. Donate today and you can help connect parents to someone who will provide support now, and in the tough times ahead.”
* To support Shelter this winter, visit www.shelter.org.uk/donate
