Daily life has grown increasingly difficult for the homeless, economically and in other ways, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, charity group Homeless Taiwan said.
Homeless Taiwan secretary-general Lee Ying-tzi (李盈姿) on Wednesday said that while the group has received enough monetary donations to operate shelters and enough supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer, to make them available to homeless people at the facilities, life has become tougher for many homeless people.
A survey conducted by the charity group found that nearly 70 percent of homeless people are employed, mostly in temporary jobs such as handing out leaflets and holding advertising signs, she said.
Photo: CNA
However, their job opportunities have in the past few months dwindled due to the pandemic, while fewer charity groups have provided them free meals and supplies since the outbreak of the virus, she said.
Without the charities, homeless people might not even have access to masks, she added.
To improve public understanding of the challenges homeless people face, Homeless Taiwan held a photography exhibition at Taipei’s Bopiliao Historic Block, highlighting the stories of homeless people. The exhibition concluded yesterday.
One of the people who told his story, a homeless man who goes by the name Mr Airplane, said that life was hard before the pandemic, but his income from selling the Taiwanese edition of the street magazine The Big Issue has since fallen to NT$5,000 a month.
He said the drop in sales is likely caused by changes in the economy and people’s reading habits amid the pandemic.
The charity group would also hold a 36-hour event starting on Saturday to allow 25 people to experience living on the street, Homeless Taiwan said.
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