New rough sleeping services for London

The Mayor of London has announced an expansion of rough sleeping services, with figures showing that  more than 1,200 rough sleepers were helped into emergency accommodation during two weeks of freezing weather in January. This is around 30 per cent more than the same period last year.

A new ‘No Second Night Out Hub’ will be opening in West London at the beginning of April, providing additional assessment spaces and beds to help people off the streets and into longer-term accommodation.

The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is activated in London whenever temperatures fall below 0°C. The protocol ensures additional emergency accommodation is available for people sleeping rough. During 13 days of sub-zero temperatures earlier this month, 1,282 people were helped by the GLA and London boroughs, compared with 949 during 14 days of SWEP in January 2023.

19 per cent (242) of those helped reported that they were newly granted refugees who had just left Home Office provided accommodation.

he Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “These new figures are very worrying, and a should be a wake-up call for the Government. Despite the huge amount of work being done in London, we can’t do this alone and the truth is Ministers are turning a blind eye to the scale of this national crisis.

“In December I asked the Government to play its part and deliver an emergency winter package of support, including pausing Home Office evictions to help prevent those most at risk sleeping in the cold this winter – something they have failed to do. The Government’s continued hostile approach to refugees has meant that hundreds of people are becoming homeless or sleeping rough on our streets.”

“As Mayor, I’m determined to do everything I can to work with boroughs and the voluntary sector to tackle rough sleeping in the capital and I urge Government Ministers to back our efforts to end this shameful situation for good.”

Image by Kev from Pixabay