A homeless woman in Sheffield is urging others to vote in the election

A homeless woman has said she is determined to vote in the general election, saying the opinion of the homeless still “matters”.

Tessa, 38, from Sheffield, said the July 4 election would be her first time voting and urged others in a similar situation to do the same.

According to the latest figures from homelessness charity Shelter, one in 182 people in England was currently homeless – around 309,000 people in total.

Tessa said: “I have a right to a say. My word is still my word whether I’m housed or homeless.”

She said she found herself living on the streets after a family death a year ago left her in a “difficult situation”.

“Suddenly I didn’t have a fixed place. I had to get out of a bad situation to get better,” Tessa said.

She said her experience of rough sleeping was very difficult.

“It was horrible, soul-destroying. I lived in a house for 16 years and then nothing. Now at least I have some support,” she said.

Tessa said she had been helped by the Cathedral Archer Project, a homelessness charity in Sheffield, and despite the problems she had faced, she wanted her voice to be heard in the general election.

“Homeless people are not bothered to vote. They have other things to worry about. I have another ultimate goal: I want my life back,” she said.

Suzanne Nimmo, a mentor and progression support worker at the Cathedral Archer Project, said Tessa was the only client of the organization who expressed an interest in the election and approached her about voting.

Ms Nimmo said she helped Tessa register to vote online and then used the charity’s address to request a postal vote.

There were several obstacles to people who were homeless registering to vote, she added.

“Most of these guys don’t have photo ID or a National Insurance number. They won’t take the time to fill out the form online,” Ms Nimmo said.

Tim Renshaw, CEO of the Archer Project, said it was “vital that ostracized and ignored members of our community are empowered to have their say in government elections”.

“We know how important lived experience is to understanding what support is needed for people experiencing homelessness, whose voices need to be heard for meaningful change to happen,” he said.

Tessa said her experience of being homeless for the past year has definitely given her a greater interest in politics.

“The country looks down on you if you’re homeless,” she said.

“Our opinion matters, we’re still human.”