"No one needs to sleep rough this winter", councils pledge

Councils across the Birmingham area have pledged that no one needs to sleep rough this winter, with shelters, hostels and emergency accommodation all open and available.

For the second year running, Birmingham and the six neighbouring metropolitan councils have drawn up a joint winter plan with the regional combined authority, the Homelessness Task Force and partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Help for everyone

The commitment covers everyone, including pet owners, couples, people with no recourse to public funds, people who may previously have been banned from support services, those with no local connection to the area and people with complex needs.

Free bus tickets will be available for people who need to travel to reach accommodation or support. Members of the public can alert councils to someone sleeping rough by contacting StreetLink, and outreach teams will then work quickly to find them and help them to a place of safety.

"More than enough accommodation"

Julie Griffin, acting housing director at Birmingham City Council, said winter was a crucial time for supporting people sleeping rough.

"With the near freezing temperatures bringing people indoors, it provides us with additional time to really engage with people indoors, in a stable environment, to be able to make repeat offers of support for health, housing and their general wellbeing," she said.

"Knowing how important these opportunities are, every year, we ensure that in Birmingham there is more than enough emergency accommodation for everybody."

Housing First

The winter plan follows a successful year for the region's Housing First pilot, which has helped more than 100 rough sleepers move into permanent homes. Housing First gives people with the most complex needs a home first, alongside intensive support to help them recover from problems such as mental ill health or substance misuse and keep their tenancy.

Over the winter, the pilot will continue to help entrenched rough sleepers into accommodation.

Severe weather

Councils will open severe weather provision in line with their own arrangements, taking into account Met Office weather warnings. The shelters give people a safe place to stay and allow staff to carry out a proper assessment of what support they need.

Deborah Cadman, chief executive of the combined authority, said the conditions that pose the greatest risk to people sleeping rough are low temperatures, strong winds, heavy rain and snow. "We will do everything we can to ensure that there is a route off the streets for every single person who finds themselves there during severe weather," she said.

How the public can help

Charities working with homeless people in Birmingham can apply for funding through Change into Action, a scheme that lets people donate to help rough sleepers rather than giving money on the street, to help individuals off the streets with personalised support.

In November, each council also carries out a count or estimate of the number of people sleeping rough on a typical night, to track progress and shape new approaches. The public is being encouraged to check on the welfare of anyone they see sleeping rough and to contact StreetLink so that help can reach them quickly.