Issue - meetings

Rough Sleeping Update Report

Meeting: 10/03/2021 - Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee (Item 17)

17 Rough Sleeping Update Report pdf icon PDF 603 KB

This report provides a summary of responses and outcomes since ‘Everyone In’ with regards to supporting those rough sleeping, or at risk of rough sleeping during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minutes:

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report which provided a summary of responses and outcomes since the introduction of the Government’s ‘Everyone In’ approach with regards to supporting those rough sleeping, or at risk of rough sleeping during the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Council’s Rough Sleeping Delivery Plan for Reading was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report explained that 264 individuals had been placed into emergency accommodation under ‘Everyone In’ between March – August 2020.  Those placed had either been rough sleeping (verified bedded down) or had been assessed by homelessness teams as being at risk of rough sleeping.  The report gave an update on progress that had been made in finding permanent accommodation for those individuals, and for others who had been identified as homeless from September 2020 onwards.

The report also explained that future plans focused on the delivery of accommodation and interventions including:

·      Provision of additional accommodation in two locations, one of which would be female-only and would provide accommodation and support to women with multiple or complex needs.  Both accommodation projects would have 24-hour intensive support provision to help the residents to rebuild their lives;

  • Provision of targeted substance misuse support from 2021 – 2023 via a dedicated team within Reading’s drug and alcohol support service (CGL) to target those sleeping rough/at risk of sleeping rough with substance dependence;

Resolved:

That the actions taken during the Covid-19 pandemic for those found sleeping rough or at risk of rough sleeping in the Borough and the current plans to sustain the reduction in rough sleeping moving forward be noted.