HOUSING
Helping the
As anyone who has been
out and about in the
city at night time will
know, rough sleeping is
still a serious problem
across London, reports
Quinton Drawbridge. It
has more than doubled
in the capital over the last
decade, with hundreds
of people bedding down
for the night outside.
homeless
T
he issue is not restricted to
the city centre. Ealing is in the
top 10 of London boroughs
for rough sleeping, and the
council encounters more people who
have to resort to living on the streets
every week.
Some good news, however, is that
the numbers are going down. Thanks
to new ways of working from Ealing
Council and its partners, its annual
count of rough sleepers found 20 last
November – down from 33 in the same
month in 2018 and 62 in 2017.
REACHING OUT
There are a number of factors behind
the diminishing numbers.
One is the increased support the
council has been able to offer rough
sleepers through grants it has bid for
26
around ealing February/March 2020
Homeless man and his dog in London. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
and won from the government. Extra
funding for cold weather staff has helped
get people off the streets quickly. It has
also enabled Ealing to open a shelter for
the entire period from January to March
while the weather is at its coldest, which
is run by the charity Look Ahead.
Another is the quality of the council’s
outreach service, which is run by the
homelessness charity St Mungo’s.
The outreach team makes good links
with local charities, such as Hope for
Southall Street Homeless and Ealing
Churches Winter Night Shelter, to help
rough sleepers to move away from the
streets and lead more settled lives. Staff
visit street sleeping hotspots, focusing
on helping people as early as possible,
before they become entrenched in a
rough sleeping lifestyle.
Since October, a rapid response team
has been on Ealing’s streets every night
helping people who have been flagged
as a concern by members of the public.
They offer emergency support for
everyone they find who is homeless.