‘I’m petrified’: Leeds faces up to winter under cost of living crisis

theguardian.com:

There are very few places in the UK these days where £2 would get you a cheese toastie.

But at Meeting Point Cafe, in the diverse inner-city ward of Harehills in north Leeds, the prices are based on what customers can afford – which, in many cases, is not very much.

“We have people who are sleeping on streets waiting for us at seven o’clock when we open and when wintertime comes they’re going to need something warm to eat,” said Pauline Burrow, who runs the cafe, which is subsidised by the Methodist church. It is a “safe space” to eat, have a conversation with a friendly face and, crucially this winter, keep warm.

Previously it has hosted weekly drop-in sessions providing meals free to anyone who needs one but it is reliant on grant funding and this winter there are no guarantees yet.

In her 28 years running the cafe, Burrow has never seen such destitution and she is desperately worried for the winter. “It’s tragic,” she said. “I think people are going to either starve to death or freeze to death.”

As one of the most deprived places in the UK, the cost of living crisis is particularly acute in Harehills, said Salma Arif, a Labour councillor here.

She said: “If I’m being really honest, it petrifies me. I’m terrified of what is to come – it’s just going to be unprecedented.”

She said as it stands, people queue for three hours before the food bank opens and she recently spoke to a car dealer who said people are already selling their cars to pay bills.

The Compton Centre, a large community centre in the middle of Harehills, is one of the many places across Leeds that the council said will provide a warm place for people to sit, with refreshments and activities. Already serving as an advice centre, library, gym, language school,