{"id":202170,"date":"2021-06-13T16:02:30","date_gmt":"2021-06-13T16:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1442582"},"modified":"2021-06-13T16:02:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-13T16:02:30","slug":"conditions-at-a-home-office-housing-unit-deny-mums-and-babies-a-sense-of-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/06\/13\/conditions-at-a-home-office-housing-unit-deny-mums-and-babies-a-sense-of-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Conditions at a Home Office housing unit deny mums and babies a \u2018sense of safety\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
An expectant mother staying at a mother and baby unit in Glasgow spoke to The Canary<\/em> about living conditions there. This mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been living in this unit since March 2021. She said it’s \u201cvery stressful\u201d living in such cramped conditions where \u201cthere is no community\u201d.<\/p>\n Various campaigners in Glasgow, coming together as “the Roof Coalition”, are demanding the Home Office closes this unit that accommodates over 20 women and their babies. The Roof Coalition\u2019s #FreedomToCrawl<\/a> campaign calls on the public:<\/p>\n to take action to ensure that every baby and child in Glasgow has access to safe, suitable housing\u2014including those in the asylum process.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Because:<\/p>\n everyday life for these mothers and babies is confined to one small room, with the cot just steps away from the cooker and a window that barely opens.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So the baby or toddler doesn’t have much space to crawl around the living space.<\/p>\n The Mears Group<\/a>, which took over<\/a> housing provision from Serco<\/a>, runs this Glasgow unit. The #FreedomToCrawl campaign:<\/p>\n condemns the increasing use of this type of institutional setting to house people in the asylum process. Institutional accommodation denies asylum seekers the stability, privacy, and sense of safety they need to rebuild their lives. Children living in this environment are denied freedom of movement and the right to play.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Canary<\/em> also spoke<\/a> with two campaigners. Meghan O\u2019Neill is senior community organiser at homelessness charity Shelter Scotland, and Amanda Purdie is head of strategy at Amma Birth Companions. They’re both part of the Roof Coalition.<\/p>\n Purdie said mothers moved into this unit in January 2021. Beforehand, the mothers were told they were moving to a one bedroom flat in a community with other mothers. Instead, according to Purdie, they moved<\/a> into one-room bedsits:<\/p>\n in a very institutional style accommodation. This was done on a very no choice basis with a lot of intimidation and threats around… if they refused to move what would happen<\/p><\/blockquote>\n She added that they were only allowed bring two bags with them:<\/p>\n and to leave the rest of them… so it all came about very abruptly.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n O\u2019Neill added that this unit was previously for young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. And when that homelessness project closed down, Glasgow City Council described the unit as \u201coutdated and no longer providing suitable accommodation\u201d. Below is an example of the layout of one of the rooms in this unit from the #FreedomToCrawl campaign.<\/p>\nNo longer \u201csuitable accommodation\u201d<\/h5>\n