Issue - meetings
Homelessness and rough sleeping provision
Meeting: 16/01/2020 - Health and Wellbeing Board (Item 57)
57 Homelessness and rough sleeping provision 
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Report to follow.
Contact: Laura Fisher, Housing Services Manager, Shropshire Council
Minutes:
Laura Fisher, the Housing Services Manager introduced and amplified her report – copy attached to the signed Minutes – which updated the Board on a range of actions being undertaken to support and rehouse rough sleepers in the County.
The Housing Services Manager reported that the annual rough sleeper count had taken place on 14 November 2019 which consisted of both a count (in the main market towns) and an estimate of those known verified rough sleepers who were not seen. The final figures submitted were 16, which was a reduction from 21 the previous year.
She then drew attention to the cold weather provision, which was a non-statutory provision of accommodation, which had been activated on 30 November 2019, the earliest that this provision had ever been activated. Although the offer was made to all known and verified rough sleepers, not all would accept the offer and many would refuse initially. Severe Weather Emergency Provision was offered during times when the weather was severe eg if below freezing for three consecutive nights and was a statutory duty. This provision had been activated for three nights so far this year at 70 Castle Foregate.
The Housing Services Manager explained that the Outreach service operated all year round. She reported that funding had been secured to set up a rough sleeper team of 5 additional posts which would enable them to extend the service. The service would be based within 70 Castle Foregate and it was hoped to open the following week.
She then drew attention to the development of a new App for reporting rough sleepers (Appendix A) along with work with Shrewsbury BID to develop a streetlink website (Appendix B). She urged colleagues to circulate this information around their organisations.
The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Public Health congratulated the team for their hard work in reducing the number of rough sleepers in the County to 16, the lowest number yet, and for their work in relation to 70 Castle Foregate.
RESOLVED: That the contents of the report be noted.