The Big Issue 3/22/2021

Westminster took the “unprecedented action” of launching the Everyone In scheme on March 26 last year. In total, 37,000 people have been put up in hotels, B&Bs and other emergency accommodation through the scheme – a figure nine times the official rough sleeping count. As well as uncovering the scale of homelessness, the scheme has undoubtedly saved lives – University College London experts found 266 people would have died without the intervention during the first lockdown. Ministers have thrown money at the problem – £750m will be spent on protecting people in hotels and finding them a permanent home, with ministers last week announcing £212m to find 6,000 homes for rough sleepers alongside wraparound support to keep them housed. That model is widely known as Housing First and has been making waves in…

John Lewis is eyeing a move into the housing market with plans to build affordable homes to plug their Covid-19 profit black hole and Britain’s housing crisis. The employee-owned chain announced record losses of £517m during the pandemic and plans to close some of its 42 stores for good. With few signs the retail sector will return to health any time soon, John Lewis bosses told staff that “40 per cent of our profits will come from financial services, housing and outdoor living” by 2030 when announcing financial results last week. Last year, the firm revealed plans to expand into the build-to-rent market by converting unused shop space into affordable homes. The company is still in the early stages of planning but has identified 20 possible sites to convert in this way. Planning…

VENDORS Across the country vendors are prevented from working on their pitches by the national lockdown. Our staff is working closely with each vendor to make sure there is extra support to make up for lost earnings. We also understand that apart from reduced income, the lack of social interaction will cause a lot of distress. If you would like to pass a message on to your local vendor please email editorial@bigissue.com and we’ll do our best to make sure they know they still have your support. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND SHOPS Since the first national lockdown last year, we have supported our vendors with more than £1m of financial assistance to make up for lost sales. As the only certainty is more uncertainty, we urgently need your help to make sure we can continue…

Prize letter The enclosed photographs are of a piece of work my daughter and I made for a competition launched by the library in Bath which invited members to submit a piece of work using printed material: a book, a magazine, a newspaper. Our piece was inspired by and made from The Big Issue. We called it “charm bracelet” but, as you can see is large enough to be a neck piece. We felt it was an interesting way to represent and recycle your paper. I am glad to say that our piece has won first prize! Anna Hurwitz letters@bigissue.com Copy approval Before the pandemic I used to buy a Big Issue whenever I saw a vendor but have to admit I often didn’t read the magazine. Last March I took out a subscription and…

Top stories this week A year on from the first lockdown, the lessons we’ve learned from Everyone In about tackling homelessness Jay Blades on how The Repair Shop is fixing Britain Send in a song you’d like to dedicate to a loved one during Russell Watson’s Big Singalong on April 2! Find out about The Big Issue Jobs & Training helpline for those with work worries Watch exclusive clips from our Line of Duty interview where Vicky McClure and Martin Compston interrogate each other Plus: LoD creator Jed Mercurio on the show’s future…

There are fewer than 100 whole-life tariff prisoners in British jails. That means that almost every single one of those 87,000 people currently inside will be released. The penal service and how it deals with those in jail generates visceral responses. You may take the view that sentences should be longer, that prison as punishment needs to punish more, that the population needs protecting. Or you might think the balance between jail time as deterrent and jail time as a chance for rehabilitation is wrong, because something bad has happened in the past to drive people there. Regardless, the release is a fact. It’s inescapable. There are a huge number of charities and organisations who work with prisoners, who attempt to help them on the inside so they are ready – and ready not…