The location and extremly poor conditions of the three York sites are proving problemnatic; families have to live in an enviroment that is constantly infested with vermin because theyy are placed on industrial estates.
Overcrowding on all three sites is a major issue due to the lack of provision and official reluctance to build another site. The lack of adequate facilities on each site creates poor living conditions and is detrimental to Travellers' well being.
These unacceptable living conditions, combined with lack of access to health services and poor nutrition, contribute to the fact the Travellers tend to have worse health and shorter life expectancy than the general population. Other contributory factors and mutual anxiety and lack of knowledge between Travellers and service professionals. the project has started to rectify this imbalance, but there is still a long way to go.
Although Travellers have a desire to learn, their take up of secondary education is far below the norm and hardly any very few tend to access further and higher education. Many have difficulties with literacy and numeracy. This in turn leads to difficulties in obtaining employment and dependence upon welfare benefits, and this has the effect of further isolating Traveller communities.
In their everyday life, many Travellers constantly experience some form of direct or indirect discrimination, harassment and prejudice relating to their culture.
