Supporting homeless people in Charnwood during the Coronavirus pandemic

One of the many challenges facing Charnwood Borough Council during its response to the coronavirus pandemic has been supporting homeless households and rough sleepers.

On March 26, the Government instructed councils to arrange accommodation for anyone sleeping rough or at imminent risk of sleeping rough to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Under normal circumstances, councils only arrange temporary accommodation for homeless people who meet strict criteria. This targets those who are the most vulnerable and most in need. The criteria includes being in a ‘priority need’ group, such as having young children, being pregnant or a care leaver.

This has meant Charnwood Borough Council has gone from trying to assist two or three rough sleepers at any one time to trying to assist more than 30 people to access accommodation.

Cllr Paul Mercer, lead member for housing, said: “This was an enormous challenge for our Housing Options Team as the volume of people we could help increased enormously almost overnight. However, they have responded magnificently to that challenge.

“Despite what some people may believe to be the case, we generally have two or three people at most sleeping rough in Charnwood.

“When the lockdown started, we suddenly had to find accommodation for a large number of people. That was not easy. Rented accommodation is not easy to arrange quickly and not all bed and breakfast accommodation providers can to help.”

Katie Moore, housing needs manager at the Council, said: “Our primary aim has been to ensure anyone who is homeless within Charnwood is offered somewhere safe to stay. Many people who are homeless in Charnwood have complex needs and vulnerabilities, and it can be challenging to identify, contact and encourage them to access accommodation and ensure that they remain in accommodation provided. 

“The Housing Needs Team has been active from the outset. The CBC Lettings Team quickly reserved spaces in bed and breakfast accommodation and the Housing Options Team worked in partnership with voluntary and statutory agencies to identify people in need of assistance.

“Over the past four weeks we have offered emergency accommodation to 34 people who were rough sleeping or at imminent risk of sleeping rough within Charnwood. We have been accommodating up to 26 people in bed and breakfast accommodation at any one time.

“We have worked in partnership with Charnwood Community Action, the Council’s local campaign to help people in need during the pandemic, to ensure they are provided with additional food and with other voluntary and statutory agencies to ensure they have access to the advice and support they need to stay safe and to access longer-term accommodation. The bed and breakfast providers have also been supportive.”

This has happened as the Council itself went through a rapid change of operation as social distancing rules meant most of the workforce had to switch to home working over a two-week period.

The Council works in partnership with Charnwood Citizens Advice Bureau, Falcon Support Services and The Bridge East Midlands to ensure that advice is available for people within Charnwood who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Cllr Mercer praised the partnership working: “Supporting people who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless is always a joint effort between a number of agencies and there is never a simple solution.

“The Housing Options Team has done magnificently well to help people who are in extremely vulnerable positions during this pandemic and I cannot thank them enough.

“Much of the support that the Council has been providing during the pandemic is discretionary and goes above and beyond statutory responsibilities.

“We have to face the reality that we cannot sustain this level of additional support for all people facing homelessness within Charnwood for a significant period, as the Council’s resources are limited. Some of the individuals who have been placed into temporary accommodation will not be eligible for assistance in the longer term.

“As a Council, we will always do the best we can to help people and I think we have proved this during this national crisis.”

If you are concerned about someone who is sleeping rough, please contact the Council’s Housing Options Team on 01509 634 567 or housing@charnwood.gov.uk or report it via Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 or visit www.streetlink.org.uk.

If you are homeless or concerned about becoming homeless, please contact the Council’s Housing Options Team on 01509 634 567 or housing@charnwood.gov.uk.