Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
COVID-19 poses a unique challenge to the lives of all people, but the effect on each individual is not the same. Cohorts with existing vulnerabilities are affected by the symptoms of the disease, but perhaps more so by the measures put in place to ‘stop the spread’ and ‘flatten the curve’. Rough sleepers, people in […]
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Image description: a rainbow flag with the slogan ‘Queer & Proud’ The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), the charity for homeless young LGBTQ+ people, recently advised that young people considering coming out to their families should pause their plans as the restrictions in place to combat coronavirus could make a bad coming out experience a whole […]
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The Saïd Business School, University College, and Pembroke College, alongside commercial hotels, are partnering with the Oxford City Council to free up 121 rooms to house rough sleepers. In late March, the government told councils it was “imperative” to house rough sleepers. Residents of shelters including O’Hanlon House and the recently opened Floyds Row had […]
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For a newly-launched non-profit, founded and run by two Oxford students, entirely through one social media platform, we were overjoyed to have received 70 donations for our first ever book drive: as Homeless Oxford Literature Drive (HOLD) approaches its second drive this MT19, we hope to raise many more books, and want to encourage as […]
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Image description: Helsinki Cathedral at sunset, 2016 This week, I came across a report by The Guardian into Helsinki’s approach to solving homelessness. The report praised the radical approach, named Housing First, taken by Helsinki’s authorities with the intent of solving the homelessness crisis that the city faced. Inevitably, I thought of our city of Oxford […]
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A 34-year-old Polish man was admitted to John Radcliffe Hospital last Sunday and died the following day of Sepsis according to Oxford City Council. This follows a spike in deaths this winter, where as many as five people died while homeless in Oxford, between November and February. No more information other than age and nationality […]
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Following the growing homelessness crisis in Oxford, the City Council have announced their intentions to increase its spending on rough sleepers to more than £2 million in the coming year. Persistently high numbers of people sleeping rough, changes to funding for housing support services in Oxfordshire and plans to expand winter emergency accommodation mean that […]
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Air vents which are situated on Brasenose lane, and which homeless people often sleep on to provide them with warmth, have been boarded over. These air vents allegedly belong to Lincoln College. This has led to criticism that homeless people are being prevented from sleeping there to stay warm, as these grates put out hot […]
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William Wilberforce once said, “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know”. Wilberforce vehemently opposed the Vagrancy Act of 1824, which criminalises the very existence of homeless people by making it an offence to sleep rough or beg. It is striking that a law […]
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Image Credit: Tejvan Pettinger Almost 70 women stand to be evicted this Christmas from shared accommodation as a result of Oxford University’s purchase of the building to serve as future graduate accommodation. The property, which is currently Oxford’s only all-female shared housing accommodation, is being sold by Catalyst Housing Group, a charity based in London […]
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Image Credits: unclelkt (CC0) and Autopilot (CC BY-SA 3.0) A scheme called ‘Greater Change’, is trialling a new system in Oxford, to change the way we donate money to homeless people. They want to provide homeless people with QR codes, like the kind used for online tickets, so that members of the public can give […]
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Image Credit: Alex Kumar Today at 5pm, a number of homeless people are set to be evicted from a site owned by Merton College, Oxford. The field, which is claimed to be overgrown and unused, has been a place several homeless people have been using as a place to sleep. A photo of the sign […]
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Image Credit: Matthew Woitunski (CC-BY-SA-3.0) An email sent to students from the university of Oxford has caused outrage as it seemed to blame the generosity of students for the high levels of homelessness in Oxford. The email was sent by senior proctor Mark Edwards and junior proctor Cecile Fabre, and claimed that: “Oxford’s students have a […]
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Neo, 47, is one of the most recognisable faces in Oxford. With his characteristic beard and Akubra-style hat, he can usually be found busking on Cornmarket Street. Having been involved in various campaigns, Neo has come to represent Oxford’s growing homeless community. In an interview with The Oxford Student, Neo and I discussed the various […]
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Anneliese Dodds is the Labour MP for Oxford East, which encompasses most of the Oxford colleges, as well as Oxford city centre and Oxford Brookes. She has served in this capacity for almost one year, being part of the group of MPs swept into Westminster during the 2017 snap General Election after her Labour predecessor, […]
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Alex Kumar, chair of the Oxford SU On Your Doorstep homelessness campaign, has rejected a nomination for the Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards. The awards “recognise students who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in commitment to voluntary and charitable work, and social entrepreneurship”. In a Facebook post, he cited Vice-Chancellor Richardson’s defence of academic freedom for tutors […]
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Owners of bags left outside a shop on Cornmarket Street have moved their belongings two days after the issue of a Community Protection Notice ordering their removal, leaving behind a soiled duvet and some cardboard. Community Protection Notices have been served across the city centre as of last Wednesday, giving rough sleepers less than 24 […]
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Oxford City Council’s latest threats to fine rough sleepers in the city centre have been sharply criticised by the city’s Green councillors. Community Protection Notices were served last Wednesday to people in the city centre with “no fixed abode” requiring the removal of “obstruction on any pavement […] that may constitute a hazard”. The notices […]
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Many food bank users are falling deeper into financial and food insecurity, according to a report released last week. The study, commissioned by the Trussell Trust – a poverty charity with a 400-strong food bank network – highlights income insecurity and the prevalence of food insecurity and material deprivation in the population of food bank […]
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