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Homeless tell of their difficulties
TOUGH LIFE:A survey of 140 homeless showed that 90 percent
had jobs before falling on hard times, and more than 70 percent are currently in
the work force
By Loa Iok-sin / Staff Reporter
Accompanied by a social activist, two homeless people tell their stories
yesterday during a press conference at the legislature, where they asked for
greater understanding of their plight from the public.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
For the nation’s homeless, life is not only about finding a place to stay or
ways to sustain themselves, it’s also often about being dispersed and having
their belongings taken away by the government.
“How am I supposed to sleep on a cold day like today after you [the government]
take away my clothes and blankets? I sleep in the park, at the train station and
on sidewalks with a covering because I don’t have anywhere else to stay,” a
tearful homeless woman named A-chun (阿春) told a press conference at the
legislature yesterday.
“I’m suffering every day, but you only know how to drive me away,” she said.
A-chun is one of the homeless people who make Taipei Railway Station their home.
The Homeless of Taiwan organization held the press conference to release the
results of a survey of 140 homeless people living in or near the railway
station.
Aside from worrying about finding ways to sustain herself, A-chun often fears
being driven away by police or having her belongings cleared away once she
leaves her “home.”
“I want to work to support myself, but how can I take all my belongings —
clothes, blankets and sleeping bags — to work?” A-chun said. “I usually hide
them somewhere, only to find that my stuff had been taken away by the cleaning
squad.”
Contrary to the impression that the homeless do not want to work and often beg
for money, 90 percent of those surveyed had jobs before becoming homeless, and
more than 70 percent of them are currently employed, though mostly in low-paying
temporary jobs, such as construction work, holding advertising placards or
custodial work, the survey showed.
Close to 90 percent of the 140 homeless surveyed said their No. 1 concern was
not finding a job, while 80 percent said they were also worried about their
belongings being taken away.
“The government should help the homeless or at least not treat us like rats to
be gotten rid of,” said Zhuiying (追影), a 65-year-old homeless person who also
lives around the railway station. “We sleep in public places and try to find a
job because we don’t want to break the law.”
Some homeless people who cannot stand their condition anymore sometimes commit
minor crimes just to be put in jail so they can receive shelter and food, he
said.
Cracking down hard on homeless people will only turn more into criminals,
Zhuiying said.
Before he became homeless four years ago, Zhuiying owned a teahouse in Sanchong
District (三重), New Taipei City (新北市), and had a house in Taipei’s Shilin
District (士林).
About six years ago, a family friend persuaded his parents to sell their house
and invest a large amount of money.
“I was busy taking care of my business and didn’t pay attention to it at first.
When I sensed something was fishy, it was already too late,” Zhuiying said. “The
man took just about everything my family owned and ran away.”
Soon after, Zhuiying’s parents passed away.
Zhuiying worked as a security guard for some time before becoming homeless.
Homeless people also often face exploitation at the hands of their employers, he
said.
“I worked at a construction site where I was told I could make NT$1,000 per day,
but at the end of the day, I only got NT$700,” he said. “I asked why and was
told: ‘If you don’t want the job, then don’t come to work.’”
Chunghwa Telecom Union vice president Hung Chun-lung (洪春龍) said that if the
government did not improve hiring conditions for subcontractors or temporary
workers, more workers would risk becoming homeless.
Many companies hire temporary workers to replace full-time -employees as a way
to save money.
“The government claims the economy has improved, but official statistics also
show that more than 3.6 million households have a monthly income of less than
NT$30,000,” Homeless in Taiwan member Kuo Ying-ching told the press conference.
“This is an issue that the government should seriously look into, instead of
trying to cover it up.”
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