Rough sleeping halves as prevention improves

Skip Navigation

Rough sleeping halves as prevention improves

Friday February 3, 2012

The number of rough sleepers in Hammersmith & Fulham has halved as the council is named as the top performing London borough for preventing new rough sleepers.

There were eight habitual rough sleepers on the streets of the borough last year - down from fifteen in the previous year, according to figures from the latest pan-London street count.

Many rough sleepers are known to have serious drink, drug or mental health issues and the news comes as Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council was named as the top performer for reconnecting nearly nine out of ten first time rough sleepers with services that can prevent a life on the streets.

Under the ‘No Second Night Out’ initiative, which is being piloted in ten London boroughs - including H&F, councils refer new rough sleepers to a 24 hour assessment hub in Islington which assesses their needs and provides them with the support they need to get off the streets. H&F had the best ‘reconnection’ rate (87%) compared with an average of just 36%.

The proactive early intervention approach has also been combined with tough enforcement action - which recognises the large proportion of central eastern European nationals who rough sleep in the borough, according to the council.

H&F Council has been working with nationally recognised outreach services - including Barka, Broadway and Thames Reach. The dual approach has seen ten rough sleepers returned to their country of origin over the past four months.

H&F was also one of the first councils in Britain to introduce a blanket ban on street boozing, in November 2006, and anti-social street drinkers who refuse to hand over their grog face a £500 fine and a night in the cells.

Cllr Greg Smith, H&F cabinet member for residents’ services, says: “Tough zero-tolerance measures on the ground combined with a proactive, early intervention, approach is reaping dividends.

“Our success rates in preventing new rough sleepers spending a second night on the streets is just the latest evidence that people can get back on the straight and narrow if they are shown the way.

“The message from H&F is loud and clear - the party is over for street drinkers and there are constructive alternatives to a life on the streets.”

The Barka foundation has been working with the Broadway Centre in Shepherds Bush and other local groups to reconnect eastern Europeans in need of help. Barka has a well developed system of housing, training schools and social enterprises in Eastern Europe. Many are built by people who have themselves been helped by the organisation.

» Send us your comments now

Cllr Greg Smith, H&F cabinet member for residents' services, said: "All independent figures point to the fact that our homeless population is dwindling significantly. This is because the council takes an extremely proactive attitude to taking homeless people off the streets as soon as possible. Our approach focuses on working very closely with agencies such as Thames Reach and Broadway to ensure that those in danger of becoming homeless do not spend more than one night on the street."
From Hammersmith & Fulham Council on 06/03/2012 at 17:00
Angela, there are only certain residents of H&F that they want to help, and those of us with an income under 50k are not among them. This council makes me sick.
From Kristy on 24/02/2012 at 16:57
I think Cllr Greg Smith needs to spend more time on the borough''s streets rather than in the ''cosiness'' of the Council''s cabinet office to get a better grasp of the problem. He''s talking ''tosh''!

As he lauds the Council for their effectiveness, this is only so, or seemingly so, because they have really closed their eyes to the real situation. Anyone can ''solve'' a problem if they haven''t really grapsed the problem in the first place!

Each night in west London more than 70 homeless men and women are given space by West London Churches Homeless Concern in conjuction with a good number of local and caring churches who open their doors, ''staffed'' by splendid volunteers.

While Cllr Smith indulges in spin, self-congratuation and says the party is over for street drinkers, he really has no idea, bless him. It was never a party, Cllr Smith, and for many homeless people in your borough it still isnt over!

What is needed is an honest, authentic and accurate appraisal of the situation, and then real action. Not to do that dehumaises the very people who are out tonight in the cold in your borough, Cllr Smith!
From Ben MacAdam on 16/02/2012 at 16:59
58 in the West London Homeless shelter last Sunday ncluding pregnant women and for the last month the figures remain much the same.
From Sue on 16/02/2012 at 13:59
That is complete rubbish my 21 year old niece who has serious mental health problems was sleeping rough in ravens court park for over 6 months before u helped her it was only when she was found by police after a overdose that u then started listening but I had to go all the way to the top to get her help and then for 2 years u shipped her from hostel to hostel leaving her in danger from the drinkers and drug users which then caused her to develop a serious drink problem for which she had to get rehab !!!! I''m sorry but hammersmith and fulham council spill out lies to make there selves look good !!! How many homes do u have sitting empty for months and even years !!!! I know of empty properties that u just leave I don''t blame people for squatting what other choice do they have when u turn them away !!! It''s about time u started do something positive and help the residents of h&f !!! You help the fraudsters as they know how to abuse the system and the real people in need suffer SO MUCH FOR THERE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS !!!!
From Angela on 08/02/2012 at 23:53
FACT: West London Church Homeless concern, a non governmental homeless service, had 51 roughsleepers in Askew Road Methodist church last Friday,
No second night only houses qualified British people sometimes. Mostly they offer tickets back north.
As all professionals know, these "counts" are only snapshots to look at trends and are NOT absolute numbers. Most of these are in hiding at night for safety from attacks or in squats on construction sites and vacant buildings.
This press release is sheer propaganda and self-serving, but not factual or accurate of the roughsleeping climate in West London.
From Marquart on 08/02/2012 at 07:39
What a load of bull.
Interesting how my ex-husband doesn't count in your figures because he sleeps on other people's sofas and floors, because you are refusing to house him, despite him being nearly 60 AND very ill (asthma, gout, heart and reflux disease) - and then when he does sleep rough, he sleeps rough in other boroughs, so as not to be seen by people he knows, because he is too proud. Your figures are rubbish and your propaganda is just that: propaganda. If you were helping the people you purport to be concerned about, then the "No Second Night Out" shambles would not be a shambles, and all those empty homes across London would have people in them who actually NEED rehousing, instead of ALL the council housing departments happily massaging their figures and publishing disgraceful lies and propaganda like this.
From Jennifer Sano on 07/02/2012 at 12:13

Comments

Your comments

Name:*
Display name:*
E-mail:*
Comment:*
 
characters
 
Enter the code shown above:*

                      I accept the terms and conditions of posting to this site*
 

* denotes mandatory field