Nottingham City Council is offered additional support measures for rough sleepers as the temperatures start to drop. These extra measures will provide enough shelter for anyone who otherwise would be sleeping on the street.
The City Council and its partners offer a range of support throughout the year, but this is increased between October and April, with further safeguards in place when temperatures fall below zero. This includes a multi-agency group including Framework, Emmanuel House, voluntary organisations and local churches, which develops a cold weather plan to prevent and respond to rough sleeping.
This plan also works to reduce the risks to the health and wellbeing of those who sleep on the streets during winter months. All available government funding is being used to help the city tackle homelessness, and the council has recently been successful in applying for an additional grant of around £300,000 to be spent on accommodation and outreach services.
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This includes specialist roles to help engage those who refuse help, and also to support people back to their accommodation who are rough sleeping despite having housing available. This funding is in addition to the £2.2m from the Rough Sleeping Initiative, which has been awarded to Nottingham to support rough sleepers this year.
The council has also been successful in bids for Government funding to help ex-offenders into accommodation upon release from prison. They are also working to deliver accommodation for homeless patients released from hospital, provide specialist housing for female rough sleepers who have survived domestic violence and, alongside housing provider partners, deliver new homes for rough sleepers.
The help available this winter includes beds in hostels and specialist accommodation and daily opportunities for rough sleepers to have a hot drink, meal or shower. There is also a winter night shelter running until April, and Outreach Teams out each day from 5.30am talking to rough sleepers and offering them support.
Framework is also working until 9pm with the Red Cross on cold evenings, visiting people in their rough sleeping spots and assessing them for the most appropriate accommodation.
Councillor Toby Neal, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “As the cold nights draw in, we are doing all that we can to make sure that no-one needs to sleep rough in Nottingham this winter. That is why we will continue to prioritise securing funding for local services for rough sleepers in Nottingham, working alongside charities, faith groups and other agencies to make sure there are enough beds for anyone who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets.
“We have robust measures in place all year round to provide support for anyone who sadly finds themselves on Nottingham streets. These are stepped up further when temperatures fall below zero, which involves making additional shelter available and offering it to all identified rough sleepers to ensure they are protected from the cold."
He continued: “You may still see people on the streets as although all are offered support, for a variety of complex reasons some don’t accept it. Others may be people who beg who are not homeless. We would urge anyone who wants to help to donate to charities who are in a position to provide the best support.”
Homelessness and rough sleeping is on the rise nationally and locally, but members of the public who see a rough sleeper can contact the street outreach team by texting SOT and a message to 80800, calling 0800 066 5356 for free 24/7 or go to www.streetlink.org.uk
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