High Wycombe charity issues rough sleeper warning ahead of winter months
They say support is needed
Rough sleepers face life-threatening conditions this winter, and shelter alone will not help them escape the streets for good, a High Wycombe charity has warned.
Wycombe Homeless Connection issued the stark message as Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveiled a £442 million national drive to offer everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets by Christmas.
James Boultbee, chief executive of the charity, said the “Everyone In” programme saved lives during the pandemic, but warned putting people in hotels was not a lasting answer.
He said: “People are put up often in poor-quality and expensive hotel accommodation and aren’t provided with the wrap-around care needed for them to recover from life on the street and find a home for good.”
Hundreds of volunteers from High Wycombe and across south Buckinghamshire are expected to come together this winter to operate the charity’s night shelter.
The project, which has helped keep hundreds of people off the streets during the coldest months for nearly 20 years, offers guests a bed, hot food, showers, fresh clothes and a warm welcome.
Crucially, it also provides tailored support intended to help people find somewhere permanent to live.
Mr Boultbee said: “Winter is life-threatening. People sleeping rough are particularly vulnerable to the cold and there are practical problems like having nowhere to dry clothes, keep belongings safe, wash or simply get a decent night’s sleep.
“Our night shelter is a key response to that, but getting someone through the winter is only the start.
“The real success is when people do not have to go back to the street when spring comes, because they have somewhere safe to live and the support they need to keep it.”
The charity hopes to receive a share of the Government’s newly announced funding to support both the shelter and its year-round work helping people who have lost their homes or are at risk of homelessness.
Mr Boultbee described the announcement as an opportunity for the Government to back community projects such as theirs, where local people are already making a difference, but said the challenge of ending homelessness locally remained “immense”.
He added that people sleeping rough are endangered not only by the winter cold but also by extreme heat.
During the extremely hot summer, the charity’s outreach workers handed out water and sun cream and told people living on the streets about the cool-spaces initiative run by Buckinghamshire Council.
Mr Burnham announced the Government’s plan one month after issuing his first instruction as Prime Minister, to end rough sleeping.
Under the package, areas with the greatest need are expected to receive the largest share of funding to help people leave the streets and give those facing long-term homelessness a settled home with continued support.
He said: “We did it in the pandemic. We can do it again. But it needs all of us. Government will put the money in. But I’m asking leaders in communities and sectors across society to play their part locally too.”