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Council plans to close shelter for good as part of post-pandemic transformation of homelessness service
Liverpool City Council has said it does not plan to return to the pre-COVID-19 model of housing homeless people in communal shelters and is instead looking to increase the number of self-contained rooms available for rough sleepers.
As set out at a recent cabinet meeting, the council’s ‘post-COVID transformation’ plans for rough sleeper accommodation include the permanent closure of the council’s homelessness shelter, Labre House.
In place of this, the council is looking to increase the number of self-contained rooms it has for people coming off the street by agreeing leases at a number of locations, including the YMCA.
Liverpool City Council is currently accommodating about 350 people in hotels, who were either sleeping rough or using Labre House at the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
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In an attempt to stop these people from returning to the streets, the council has suspended its choice-based lettings system and a number of housing associations in the area have agreed to let 100% of their empty homes to homeless people.
To fund the acquisition of new self-contained accommodation leases, the council plans to bid for funding through the government’s £433m Next Steps Accommodation Programme for rough sleepers who have been housed during the pandemic.
In autumn, the council plans to bring forward a draft ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) policy that will set out how it plans to support those who cannot access benefits because of their immigration status.
Previously the council supported these people at Labre House, but it said it will now need to find a new solution as it moves to self-contained housing.
The council’s plans come as night shelter providers across the UK warn that they will have to significantly reduce the number of beds they can provide this winter because of social distancing measures, leading to fears that rough sleepers will be left on the streets during the coldest months.
