When Jonathan Ward hit a difficult time in life, he expected society’s safety net would be there to catch him. Instead, he found himself living in “horrendous” conditions. Jonathan, trying to address serious personal issues found himself with nowhere to stay and at the mercy of Glasgow’s homeless system.
The Glasgow Times with Govan Law Centre has launched the End the Homeless Hotel Shame campaign. (Image: newsquest) We are calling for a rigorous inspection regime to force owners to improve conditions. For the Scottish Government to provide funding to ensure there is enough social housing and the UK Government to compensate Glasgow for the high number of asylum seekers and refugees who end up homeless.
READ NEXT: Glasgow Times new campaign: End the Homeless Hotel Shame Before we tell his story, Jonathan, said: “This isn’t a traditional riches-to-rags story. As an artist I’ve oscillated between both worlds for a long time. "I took a year out of the rat race to work on sobriety and this is what happened”.
Jonathan had gone from a job that involved travelling the world and working with rich and famous clients, first-class flights and seven-star accommodation to one of the city’s notorious homeless hotels. The artist and designer has worked for some of the world's leading fashion brands. (Image: Gordon Terris) He was artistic director for the Style Council in New York and counts some of the most recognisable names in the industry as his contacts having had DKNY,.