New survey reveals that two thirds of UK adults don't feel confident in knowing how to help someone sleeping rough
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Government funding boost to tackle homelessness
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Provision for rough sleepers in London stepped up as temperatures drop
" />Posted 23.12.21
Homeless Link: Further reading
As the cold weather closes in, a new survey has revealed that two thirds of adults (64%) in the UK wouldn't feel confident in knowing the best way to help someone sleeping rough.
The survey, commissioned by Homeless Link and carried out by Opinium, asked a representative sample of 2000 adults questions about how they would react if they saw someone sleeping rough.
The results reveal that the majority of people are unsure of the best action to take, with this lack of confidence often translating into inaction.
Even if they were concerned about someone sleeping rough, people's most likely response would be to do nothing, with a third of adults (32%) saying they wouldn't do anything to help.
Just under a quarter (23%) said they would contact an organisation like a local authority, local charity or outreach service to help, while 16% said they would give the person food and 7% said they would give them money.
The survey also found that the biggest barrier preventing people from helping someone sleeping rough is not knowing what to do, with nearly a third of people (29%) citing this.
Three in five adults (61%) would be more likely to help someone sleeping rough if they knew the best way to connect them to long-term support.
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Posted 21.12.21
GOV.UK: Further reading
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has announced a £316 million funding boost to protect people from homelessness.
The government's Homelessness Prevention Grant will support households in England who are homeless, or at risk of losing their home.
Councils will use the funding to help them find a new home, access support for unexpected evictions and secure temporary accommodation where needed. ,p>The funding includes an additional £5.8 million to support people forced into homelessness by domestic abuse. This follows the landmark Domestic Abuse Act, which ensures councils give people who find themselves in this situation a "priority need" for assistance.
Funding will be allocated to all councils responsible for housing in England based on local homelessness need in individual areas.
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Posted 07.12.21
Mayor of London: Further reading
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has boosted the capital's ability to get rough sleepers off the streets during the coldest days of winter by investing more than £800,000 in a new homeless accommodation at a hotel in east London.
The hotel, operated by St Mungo's, will open when the Mayor activates the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). When temperatures anywhere in London are forecast to drop below 0C, SWEP compels councils (alongside homelessness charities) to open emergency accommodation for people who are sleeping rough during weather conditions that could pose a threat to life.
Whilst London's boroughs will be providing over 500 SWEP beds this winter, the new hotel will act as overflow accommodation, offering a further 66 rooms for rough sleepers across London.
To avoid the risk of Covid infections, the Mayor has asked boroughs that only single-occupancy accommodation such as hotel rooms be used for SWEP provision this year.
All London councils have also committed to implementing the 'In for Good' principle, meaning that once someone has accessed SWEP accommodation, they are accommodated until a support plan is in place to end their rough sleeping - regardless of whether the temperature has risen above freezing.
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Updated 21.12.21
National housing Federation (NHF): NHF joins steering group to examine rural homelessness - with the hope that the research will reveal what interventions are needed and why strategies to reduce homelessness in urban areas are often less successful in rural communities.
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Updated 29.12.21
The Guardian: Johnson has a chance to end homelessness now - if he dares to seize it.
The Big Issue: Housing First: What can Finland teach us about tackling homelessness?
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