Homeless families staying at a hotel in Enfield, London have been asked to leave to make way for people travelling with Beyoncé for her concerts in London. At least 30 families will be temporarily relocated to make space for those accompanying the famous singer. The Tottenham Hotspur stadium will host her concerts between 29 May and 4 June. Some families have been living in the Travelodge hotel for six weeks, which is the legal limit for hotel accommodations. They will be moved to other places as their rooms will be used to accommodate people travelling with Beyoncé.
The Enfield council has allotted 100 rooms to families and individuals who reported themselves homeless to Enfield. In some cases, four or five people live together in the same room. The news has impacted the well-being of the homeless families as they feel helpless since they have nowhere else to go. The Enfield council had private concerns about the impact Beyoncé’s upcoming tour could have on families living in these Travelodges.
The council spokesperson said, “we recognise that hotel accommodation is not ideal for families which is why we continue to lobby for national action to address the fundamental shortfall of affordable housing”. Collette Collington, who has resided in Enfield Travelodge with her four-year-old daughter and two-year-old twin sons with autism since the beginning of the month, will be relocated to a Travelodge in Hertfordshire on Thursday and won’t be able to return to Enfield until June 4th. She believes this change will be extremely distressing for them as they struggle with adapting to new environments and maintaining a consistent routine.
