Homeless woman urges others to vote in election

Tessa (right) has registered to vote with the help of Suzanne Nimmo (left), from Sheffield's Cathedral Archer Project

A woman who is homeless has said she is determined to vote at the general election, saying the opinion of those without a home still "matters".

Tessa, 38, from Sheffield, said the election on 4 July would be the first time she had voted and she urged other people in a similar situation to do the same.

According to the latest figures from homeless charity Shelter, one in every 182 people in England was currently homeless - about 309,000 people in total.

Tessa said: "I have a right to a say. My say is still my say, whether I’m housed or homeless."

'Want life back'

She said she had found herself living on the streets after a family bereavement a year ago which had left her in a “difficult situation”.

“I suddenly had no fixed abode. I had to walk away from a bad situation to get myself better," Tessa said.

She said her experience of sleeping rough had been very difficult.

“It’s been horrible, soul-destroying. I was living in a house for 16 years and then nothing. Now at least I have some support," she said.

Tessa said she had been helped by the Cathedral Archer Project, a Sheffield-based homeless charity and despite the problems she had faced she wanted her voice to be heard at the general election.

“Homeless people are not bothered about voting. They have other things to worry about. I have a different end goal: I want my life back," she said.

The Sheffield Cathedral Archer Project supports homeless people in the city

Suzanne Nimmo, a peer mentor and progression support worker at the Cathedral Archer Project, said Tessa was the organisation's only client who had expressed an interest in the election and who had approached her about voting.

Ms Nimmo said she had helped Tessa register to vote online and then she had used the charity's address to apply for a postal vote.

There were several obstacles to people who were homeless registering to vote, she added.

"Most of these guys don't have photo ID or a National Insurance number. They're not going to take the time to fill in the form online," Ms Nimmo said.

'Still human'

Tim Renshaw, CEO of the Archer Project, said it was "vital that ostracised and ignored members of our community are empowered to have their say in government elections".

"We know how important lived experience is for understanding what support is needed for people experiencing homelessness, whose voices need to be heard in order for there to be meaningful change," he said.

Tessa said her experience being homeless over the last year had certainly given her a greater interest in politics.

"The country looks down at you if you're homeless," she said.

"Our opinion matters, we are still human."

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