A NEW report to a Reading Borough Council committee will show a ‘coordinated approach’ to tackling rough sleepers, councillors say.
This month’s Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee is set to discuss the report which examines the council’s strategy to helping those sleeping rough and facing homelessness.
Included is an outline of how partnerships with other relevant parties forms a ‘key strand’ of the council’s approach, including with service providers it has commissioned, voluntary organisations, community groups, and faith groups.
At the committee, there will also be direct contributions from partner organisations St Mungo’s, Launchpad Reading, The Salvation Army, and Faith Christian Group about the partnership approach to tackling rough sleeping in Reading.
The HNLC report also includes details of support available to those in need.
More than 270 bed spaces remain available to help those who are found rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness.
These include supported accommodation pathways, such as a specific young person’s service, the female-only Nova Project, and a permanently-staffed, 24-hour support hub
Support for 100 bed spaces for individuals is also required for those needing housing-related support before moving on to independent living.
It also outlines a ‘Housing First’ and couples accommodation pathway, offering permanent tenancies with wraparound support for those with complex needs.
The support is in addition to seasonal provision through the Council’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) response offers emergency accommodation when temperatures fall to zero for three consecutive nights or when they reach dangerously high temperatures in the summer, as seen during the recent heatwave in June and July.
The Bed for the Night Winter Shelter, operated and funded by Faith with contributions from the Council, also provides extra bed spaces from January to March.
Matt Yeo, Lead Councillor for Housing at Reading Borough Council, said: “Rough sleeping remains one of Reading’s most high profile and visible challenges and the Council leans heavily on the knowledge, know-how and experience of our incredible charity and voluntary sector partners in order to tailor our support services according to need.
“A key strand of our new Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy is to build on existing partnerships and further tap into their expertise to design services which can make a real difference on the ground.
“When you see someone sleeping on the streets it can be easy to assume no support network exists, but that is far from the case in Reading with more than 270 bed spaces available and support services tailored to individual needs.
“So much positive and largely unseen joint working takes place behind the scenes, which we intend to develop further over the months and years to come.”
The Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee meeting is set for July 21.
A full copy of the report is available to view via: democracy.reading.gov.uk/documents
