Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.01.2018, Blaðsíða 50

Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.01.2018, Blaðsíða 50
The Voices Unheard Locals living in trailers and vans at an urban campsite speak up Words: Jessica Peng Photos: Art Bicnick It was a normal Friday night in Reykjavík in December. The tem- perature had dropped to -8°C. While most people slept through the night in their homes, warmed up by heaters, others woke up shiv- ering. Due to difficulties with find- ing housing, some locals have been staying in trailers and vans parked at the Reykjavík Campsite in Laugardalur. The electricity at the campsite went out in the middle of the night, and they struggled to keep themselves warm. It has become increasingly dif- ficult for renters to find afford- able rooms and apartments in Reykjavík. The booming tourism industry of recent years has led to a marked upsurge in hotels and Airbnb rentals, indirectly resulting in many residents being unable to find apartments. We went to the campsite and spoke to locals about their housing situations. Smári, 28 years old Originally from Hafnarfjörður, Smári lives with his cousin and a friend in a trailer. Despite his cur- rent living situation, Smári has a heart-warming smile and is great to talk to. He moved to the camp- site two months ago, after many at- tempts to find housing in the city. “You kind of lose hope on this,” he says. “I may get an interview, but after the interview I never hear back.” Oftentimes landlords re- ceive more requests than they can answer, making it more difficult for renters. Smári has also been on the wait- ing list for social housing for six years. These houses are owned by the government, and the rent is more affordable. When asked about the wait time for such housing, he says, “They said mostly five to sev- en years.” The queue is progressing slowly, and he still doesn’t know when exactly he will be able to se- cure a place to live. Currently Smári is paying 45,000 ISK (around €358) per month to park his trailer at the campsite. “You get Internet, electricity and you can use the showers,” he says. Helgi, 58 years old Helgi was watching a video on his laptop when we knocked on the door of his camper. “Come on in,” he said. He welcomed us in and invited us to sit down. Helgi is someone whom you know has a story to tell. Originally from Kópavogur, he parked his camper at the Laugarda- lur campsite last month. “I lost my place on December 12th in 2016,” he says. “They were going to change the apartment I had into a hotel.” During the cold month of holidays, Helgi was forced to move into his 20-year-old Mercedes Benz, which he sold for scrap in the end. Before buying the camper where he currently resides, Helgi went to the Ministry of Welfare for help. “Just before Christmas, I came in and said, ‘I don’t have any money for food’,” he recalls. “They said, ‘Ah you know, we’ve got a board meet- ing in a week. Come then and we’ll see what we can do.’” Helgi is legally considered 70% disabled for work. He went to the Ministry again for help last sum- mer because his eyesight was get- ting worse. “They said, ‘No, we won’t help you because you don’t have the right disability’,” he says. Angry and disappointed, Helgi told the person working at the Ministry, “I will never ever step into this es- tablishment again.” Now he has to wear two pairs of glasses to be able to see clearly. Despite some unpleasant expe- riences with the Ministry of Wel- fare, Helgi receives a monthly ben- efit of 180,000 ISK (around €1,432). “I have to pay the insurance for the car and the fuel,” he said. “I also smoke cigarettes. 180,000 ISK isn’t very much.” Helgi is not actively looking for housing, because it costs too much for him. In contrast, he quite enjoys living in the camper, where he has a gas stove for cooking. “Here no one bothers me, and I can see the sun,” he asserts. Svanur, 58 years old We heard some whistling out- side while talking to Helgi, and it turned out that his friend Svanur 50 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 01 — 2018 Pallets used to keep a tent off the frozen ground The entrance to the camp site Discarded matresses are a common sight Caravans are also used as homes A windscreen as a living room window
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Reykjavík Grapevine

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