Woman Sleep On The Streets After Husband's Imprisonment, Due To Lack Of Money

Woman sleeps on the streets after husband's imprisonment, due to lack of money to pay for house rent
 

'I'm sleeping on London's streets because my ex went to prison and I couldn't afford the rent alone'

Ruth Rugintye, 29, said living on the street feels like an endless cycle you can't break out of


Ruth Rugintye, 29, was robbed of her money and passport

A 29-year-old woman is sleeping rough in East London after her ex-partner went to prison. Ruth Rugintye was unable to afford the rent by herself, so was evicted by her landlord three months ago.

Since then, Ruth has remained in Stratford and is forced to rely on the generosity of Londoners offering money as she sits outside the railway station. Ruth suffers from mental health issues, and says the anxiety of sleeping on the streets has made her suicidal.

Ruth feels very unsafe being homeless after she was attacked and robbed of her money and passport. "It’s very dangerous at night," she told MyLondon. "A few weeks ago I was beaten up as some guy punched me until I gave him my bag. At first I said no, but after he kept hitting me I thought it wasn't worth it anymore so just let him take it. I couldn't get back up again for a while. This has made it harder for me to trust people as we were just having a normal conversation when this suddenly happened."


Ruth said she is constantly cold, tired and sick,
Originally from Lithuania, the 29-year-old has had no help from her family which is also living in the UK. The first night she was pushed out onto the street, Ruth didn't have a proper winter coat as she braced cool temperatures with just a light jacket.

"Living on the street feels like an endless cycle you can't break out of. I'm constantly, cold, tired and sick. I get moved from my position by the police, but there’s nowhere else to really go. If I do something wrong that’s fine, arrest me - but where on earth will I go? The police are supposed to care for people, but it seems many are cold hearted towards homeless people."

A recent report from Shelter shows Newham has the biggest proportion of homeless people in England. A shocking rate of one in 20 people in the borough are without permanent accommodation. This data doesn't just include rough sleepers, as many homeless people survive in Travelodge hotel rooms, B&Bs and tiny bedsits. Soaring rents and the increasingly high cost of living has resulted in an 11 per cent in the number of homeless people in London.


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Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, has described the situation as "out of control" as 167,000 people in London are now homeless. “Until the government takes this emergency seriously, our frontline services will do everything they can to help people keep or find a safe home this winter," she said. "It is only with the public’s support that we can continue to provide vital advice and support and fight for the solutions people want and need to end homelessness."