Rough sleeper pledge a 'big task' for rural areas

Prime Minister Andy Burnham's promise to offer every rough sleeper in England accommodation by Christmas is "a very big task" in rural areas, according to one homelessness charity.

Alongside, which works in the West of England, said Burnham's ambition was "laudable and very important" but the challenge would be turning it into reality.

Zoe Conn, fundraising and development director for Alongside, said rough sleeping was harder to spot in rural areas which made offering people a bed harder "because you need to find people first - you need to reach them where they are".

Somerset Council has been awarded £5.87m over the next three years by the government's rough sleeping programme.

Conn said Somerset had the third highest number of rough sleepers of any English local authority in the annual government snapshot published last winter - after Camden and Westminster in London - and said it was "a really massive challenge for the county".

She said 103 people were counted rough sleeping on one night, while the council estimates the true number may be about 160 some nights.

Councillor Sarah Wakefield, Somerset Council's lead member for housing and homelessness, said the new government funding was "recognition of the significant challenge in Somerset, where rough sleeping is particularly acute compared to similarly rural counties".

Conn said there can be "lots of barriers" which make it hard for people sleeping rough to accept help.

"Imagine if you've been long-term rough sleeping and you're used to this life of isolation and prejudice and being stigmatised as well as maybe developing addiction issues, alcoholism, mental health challenges, entering into abusive relationships.

"All of these things conspire to make it really hard for someone to trust in an organisation coming to them and saying: 'We want to give you a bed'.

"People experiencing rough sleeping have gone through an awful lot and I think bringing people in after that experience can be harder than you might expect," Conn added.

Wakefield said the funding was "really good news" and would be spent on new initiatives and expanding existing services, including accommodation specifically for women and some higher support accommodation to work with people with complex needs including mental illness and addiction.

She said the council was working with the NHS and voluntary sector to draw up a rough sleeping partnership plan.

Wakefield said the council was "hopeful" they could get "as many people as possible" into accommodation by Christmas and then work with them on long-term housing.

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