Dozens of people were discovered sleeping rough in Reading over the winter, with the council being pressed to act.
A recent count over the winter found 57 people sleeping rough in the town.
The count took place during the coldest part of last year, when the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) was active.
This protocol, engaged by Reading Borough Council, is activated when temperatures fall below 0°C for three consecutive nights, and involves offering emergency accommodation to rough sleepers to prevent deaths.
The count has been revised to 42 people designated as sleeping rough.
The figures have been seized on by councillor Rob White, the leader of the opposition, who has pushed for action from the Labour council and government as a whole.
Cllr White (Green, Park) said: “If we accept the reasons given for the figure been particularly high and take the council’s revised figure of 42 people sleeping rough this is still a very disappointing 17 per cent increase from the previous year.
“There are too many people sleeping rough on our streets and in our parks.
At the recent Council budget meeting Green councillors highlighted that Labour were cutting £76,000 of core council funding from the budget to support rough sleepers into accommodation.
“As council officers said in the secret business case cutting this money leaves the council worryingly dependent on one-off grant funding.
“When will the Labour-run Council get a grip on rough sleeping?
“When will the Labour government move away from austerity and fund councils properly, and when will the number of people sleeping rough start to come down?”
Cllr White made the speech at a meeting last month.
Matt Yeo, lead councillor for housing, clarified the snapshot figure of 57 submitted for Reading in 2024 was skewed and inflated due to SWEP being active.
He also stated that the council had difficulties arranging support for some individuals as 37 per cent of the people found sleeping rough had an unknown, or unresolved immigration status meaning they have no recourse to public funds.
However, the council has been provided government funding to tackle rough sleeping.
Cllr Yeo (Labour, Caversham) said: “To enhance Reading’s off the streets and winter offer government awarded the council £122k of Winter Pressures funding in November 2024.
“Further awards were made of £203k in January and £133k in March 2025, specifically in response to Reading’s increased rough sleeping figure.
“These funds are being utilised to boost prevention and relief interventions for people rough sleeping, and at risk of rough sleeping.
“Some funds have been used for immediate emergency accommodation,
winter shelter and crash pad offers.
“Other initiatives include a specialist outreach social worker to work alongside outreach teams, developing Reading’s lived experience and co-production work, and providing additional staffing resource across the Rough Sleeping Initiative and substance misuse outreach teams.”
The exchange took place at a council policy committee meeting on March 17.
