"Since COVID began, we have helped 800 rough sleepers toward a settled life in permanent homes", says Cllr David Harvey.
Our last street count in June 2021 showed another 170 had come onto our streets.
Over 95% had no Westminster connections and about half had no legal recourse to public help, only to charities.
There are often differences between rough sleepers and beggars. Most beggars have homes, and many beg primarily for drug money thus giving them money will help shorten their lives.
Anyone with an ounce of compassion will feel for the plight of those that sleep rough or beg, but to help them please donate to our registered homeless charity partners St Mungo’s and The Passage to help them. To report rough sleeping and get help go through Streetlink, call 0300 500 0914.
Hopkinson House, run by the charity Look Ahead, deals with the most complex problems which can erupt onto our streets in the form of anti-social behaviour. We are also working with Look Ahead and the Police to see how they and our neighbours can be best helped and problems minimised.
