Reconnecting with someone I met in the past that is still homeless happens far too often in the United States and Canada. On this trip to the United Kingdom, I happen to run into two rough sleepers in London that I interviewed in the past.
I was talking to Mervin, a homeless man I first met in 2017, and happened to glance across the street and I could not believe my eyes. From a distance, I was fairly certain it was Homer and sure enough, it was.
I first met Homer in 2014 in almost exactly the same spot. At the time, he said he was on the streets sleeping rough for over 20 years. He would go in and out of hostels (UK term for homeless shelters) because he felt like they were prisons. The only thing that has changed is Homer has been sleeping rough for another four years.
Homer says he has housing setup soon. He wants to go inside because his dog is getting older.
