A young homeless lad has shared the grim reality of what life looks like while living on the streets in Scotland after he was rushed to hospital with pneumonia.
Travis Mitchell, from Edinburgh, has been living rough after being forced to flee his home due to domestic violence. The 25-year-old has ADHD, autism, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – and his disabilities make steady employment a challenge.
As the housing crisis continues and temperatures plunge below zero, rough sleepers have been forced to survive in brutal conditions. In an interview with Edinburgh Live, Travis described what his past week has been like.
“It’s been hard”, he said. “On Wednesday (November 20) another homeless dude was threatening me because he wanted my spot. I told him this is my spot, and he said to me, I’m just trying to make some money to get charged. He said he was going to kick my head in – I said ‘go ahead and get it done then because I’ve been through more shit than anyone should go through.
“On Thursday, I felt like my body was numb. I couldn’t even stand up. I can’t remember how many nights I was out in the cold. Around four o’clock in the evening. I had so much phlegm. It was sticky every time I breathed no matter how I tried to get it out my throat. It was just building up.
“I asked a woman for help and she said to me instantly, ‘I already knew’ because of how ill I looked. She phoned the ambulance and I was taken to the Royal Infirmary and they said I had pneumonia. The doctors had to put a tube down my throat, and every time I’d try to get it out I’d be sick.
“They gave me antibiotics to clear it up, but because pneumonia can be caused by the coldness and dampness – I told the doctor it’s gonna be hard for me to stay out of the cold when I’m homeless.”
Earlier today we told how the homelessness explosion in Scotland is set to result in record numbers of people claiming to have slept on streets. New figures show that in Scotland’s biggest city, 929 people have claimed to have slept rough this year – up 28 per cent in just six weeks from September 18, as sub zero temperatures hit Glasgow.
The numbers, released in a Freedom of Information request, also show that, for the first time, more than 8,000 people were living in temporary accommodation in Glasgow – up 4% in the same period. Homelessness is also on the rise in Edinburgh, with the capital seeing a 23% increase in applications from 2022-23.
Rough sleepers are a common sight on the capital’s streets – and while Travis says there are some people who have been kind to him, he does wish a larger number of locals could be more understanding of his situation.
Travis said: “There were a few who have been kind. Someone passing by told me to keep on going, keep pushing yourself to the limit. Achieve more life, achieve your goals, but keep on moving. And to keep a smile on your face. Another woman – she was about in her eighties – said ‘I love your smile.’ And I was like ‘I know, I got the cutest smile ever.’
“I just wish there were more kind people in this world, other than selfish, heartless people. When people help each other, you get loads of help back. There should be more helping this, but there’s people that grieve a lot. It’s just been a hard day and hard week, but it’s all about keeping moving forwards.”
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