(Reposted from Adur and Worthing Council website)
Almost all of the homeless people on the streets of Adur and Worthing have been found emergency temporary accommodation at the start of lockdown.
Adur & Worthing Councils' Homelessness and Outreach Teams have been working tirelessly over the last two days to find rooms for rough sleepers.
In total 14 people have been found shelter while three others are in contact with officers from the Councils. The teams have also set up 'pop up' day provision at St Mary of the Angels Church, Richmond Road, Worthing, to support those who are on the streets with volunteers providing food daily.
The housing department is also beginning to deal with enquiries from the 'hidden homeless', people who are moving between friends and family or in insecure accommodation who may need temporary accommodation as lockdown progresses.
The response has been possible due to preparation work that the teams have been doing ahead of the winter period.
Adur District Council's Executive Member for Customer Services, Cllr Carson Albury, said:
“We have acted extremely quickly to find accommodation for these people. Obviously during a lockdown not all the services normally available to them remain open so that it is vital that we at least find a place inside for them, especially as unlike last time we are now in colder conditions.”
Funding from the government's Next Steps Accommodation Programme will help the Councils find a variety of shelter options over the winter. Last lockdown the Councils' housing budgets came under increasing pressure as the problem of housing rough sleepers grew.
If you are concerned about someone who is sleeping rough, please let us know via the StreetLink website.
Photo: Outreach Workers Georgina Baumann and Carl Sutherland in Worthing
