From Betrayal to Resilience: Jason's Journey from Homelessness to Hope
Overcoming Betrayal, Addiction, and a Future Beyond the Streets
Photo by StreetLife Stories
Jason’s unrecommended path of homelessness began much like most stories do, you meet someone, everything is great and then something happens. In this case, Jason gave up his Hackney flat after deciding to move in with his then partner as she wasn’t so keen on his area. Things were good, talks of marriage and future plans were in the making but after 1.5 years, Jason heard rumors that he was being cheated on.
“I didn't want to believe it cause you don’t, you live in denial a bit but then I confronted her and she ended up telling the truth and she thought yeah I want him to move in and it'll be a bit awkward with me being there and so I had to bail out and went to the council for help and that was about as much use as a wet paper bag”
Unfortunately, Jason lost his job around the same time at a coach firm which had to move outside of London due to the Olympics. Had he been able to stay in the role, would he have been able to justify the travel? Even now, I hear senior individuals within the corporate world adding up the pennies for travel fares, so how do we expect those on a lower salary to spend over 3 hrs return per day to only be able to afford a loaf of bread?
“so basically it came crumbling down at once”
Jason sofa surfed (also termed hidden homelessness) for a while and understandably, this can be a bit much for both parties. Personal space is vital as it is but when having to go through the emotions of betrayal, broken trust, and the loss of your job and home, I imagine that physical, emotional, and spiritual space is the most valuable thing a person can have that is truly theirs. Jason’s nature comes across as empathetically sweet, so it came as no surprise that he took into account other’s feelings due to his predicament.
“you can only do that for so long because you don't wanna be a burden to people you know…sleeping out on the street, 1 week led to one month then one month led to 1 year”
Crisis also reported in 2019 that “sofa surfing is detrimental to mental and physical health with the majority of participants reporting both getting worse. Personal relationships also suffer. Over half (58%/66) saw friends and family less and relationships with hosts could worsen over time”.
Leaving this behind, Jason turned to the streets, which resulted in a back-and-forth game from street living to temporary accommodation and back full circle due to funding cuts.
These cuts are nothing new; Mungos.org reported that the past 9 years of government cuts to council budgets have left a £1 billion a year funding gap, reflecting a 165% increase from 2010 in the number of people rough sleeping in England. With numbers only continuing to rise and the possibility that any one of us in a split moment could be in this position, surely, we can be a little kinder?
Braving the cold nights in fear of falling asleep in case you are beaten up, robbed of the little you own while still having to process the emotions and trauma of what got you there is no easy feat. To top it off, Jason witnessed fellow homeless friends die and even get set on fire. The fire was started on purpose by “drunk idiots” and sadly, this is disturbingly common.
How are we living in a time where it crosses minds that this is acceptable and even more worryingly, fun? After all, we are products of our environments so…what does this say about the arsonists? What are they consuming and what are we feeding them for this to be…normal?
Is it any wonder the homeless community find a means to escape through drugs? Many people believe the homeless are all addicts, but in taking the substances are they actually causing any harm? Or is it a way to keep warm and hide from the world like the rest of us, but we have the privilege to keep our secrets behind closed doors.
Jason admits openly he spent time on drugs, in particular crack and heroin, 2 of the most addictive substances out there. Buying prices, starting at £10, are cheaper than a Tesco shop, and yet through all the cloudiness, Jason saw his out opportunity and he chose his determination and belief. With a little help from methadone provided by a treatment centre in Whitechapel, Jason is happily drug-free.
“focusing on getting the accommodation, rather than put it in alcohol and drugs first because there's no future in that shit you know, for real that just slows everything down”
Jason’s name finally came to the top of the list and he now has a flat in East London on probation. He sits outside Sainsbury’s peacefully drawing away to sell his art which goes towards the metered gas and electric. Although he now has a home, he continues to battle with loneliness and trust. The plan is to work towards putting himself together so he can reconnect with lost friends and family.
“It's a shame. You don't want them to see you know, embarrassment you know, and knowing where you've gone to in life you know. I didn't want to take the risk [telling loved ones] because maybe you get so used to other people's attitudes”
Feelings of shame and judgement can lead to the lowest, darkest and all-consuming places for a person. Despite this, Jason’s story shows how circumstances beyond his control rather than personal choices led him to where he is today, and yet he has remained thoroughly positive throughout.
“I had no choice but to keep going you know. At the time I had the dog, obviously you do say you wish yourself, like you hope there is some light at the end of the tunnel and luck has it, there was. If you beat yourself up about it, you'll end up driving yourself mad and then you just make yourself worse you know, and something that's hard enough to control and deal with it as it is you know [sic]”
Jason’s light at the end of the tunnel doesn’t end with his flat. He envisions working with the homeless in a way that they could really benefit from his lived experience as well as continuing his DJ’ing which began in radio stations pre homelessness alongside further graffiti collaborations such as the one he did with local artists for Converse.
The job search and hiring process can be a mind-numbing task, ticking boxes of what a person has achieved, any transferable skills, and a list of academics that may or may not come in useful. Why are we not seeing more homeless people being taken off the street to work in roles where they understand the system and the pain? It is these people who can re-strategise the entire process from the inside. Are we really in a position where the Prime minister gets a job by default, but a homeless person can’t even get a job in a field where they’re experts?
The categorisation of the homeless being ‘bums’ is so outdated. There is so much more to their lives than what we see by walking past. Jason is super polite, friendly, empathetic, creative, and resourceful. He spent nearly a decade on the streets caring for himself and his dog, questioning why he was trying to survive but knowing that he had a responsibility to care for his companion.
“[he] definitely helped me pull through you know, he was my responsibility and I could have been stupid a lot of times but I didn't because I had him you know, so I have to keep it together as much as bad things were [sic]”
Jason is now in a position to see his positivity come to fruition. He continues to sit outside Sainsbury’s with his art, taking each day towards his previously dreamt life.
@skram464 for a peak at Jason’s art.