New homeless hub planned for London
A rough sleeping hub is likely to be set up in London to organise housing and support for homeless people, as part of a drive to end the problem by 2012.
The hub, which will be run by London charities in a location yet to be decided, will act as a centre for rough sleepers to be taken to after they have been spotted on the streets.
They will only sleep there if no alternatives can be found and for no longer than three nights.
A 24-hour hotline is also planned, which members of the public will be able to call if they see someone sleeping on the streets. Outreach teams will then head out and engage with the homeless person reported.
The news emerged as the body set up to end rough sleeping in the capital in time for the Olympic Games finalised plans for meeting the target.
Under its ‘no second night out’ plan the London Delivery Board decided the target would be met if no rough sleeper spends more than one night on the street.
It wants to stop 80 per cent of rough sleepers spending a second night on the streets by next year. The number of rough sleepers seen just once in London in 2009/2010 was 47 per cent, says charity Broadway.
Richard Blakeway, the London mayor’s housing advisor, said the mayor was also looking to work more closely with the NHS and prison service ‘to ensure that no one leaves without access to housing’.
‘If this requires additional resources then they will be found,’ he added.
The news came as housing minister Grant Shapps indicated the government would back the national target to end rough sleeping by 2012, something it had failed to do since the formation of the coalition. But Mr Shapps said: ‘I support the 2012 target. It will be a really, really difficult nut to crack but I will make sure the government is focused on acting on it.’
