A push for a permanent night shelter in Reading has been rejected, just as a major strategy to tackle homelessness in the town has been approved.
Reading has seen an escalating issue with homeless people living in tents and rough sleeping over the last year.
People have been spotted living in encampments at Great Knollys Street, the Broad Street Mall car park, Broad Street itself and Portman Road.
Sadly, Kepha Otundo, aged 47, and Genevieve Curwen, who was in her 50s, have died so far this year while sleeping rough in tents.
This has prompted Grace Gomez, the leader of The Way Ministry Christian charity, to push out her 13-year campaign to establish a permanent shelter.
But the request has effectively been rejected by Reading Borough Council.
The council’s five-year plan to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping from 2026 to 2031 was discussed at a meeting of its housing, neighbourhoods and leisure committee.
Addressing calls for a permanent night shelter, Matt Yeo, lead councillor for housing, said: “The request for it is largely against national guidance. Even if we had one, there would still be people who would refuse to take up the offer, whatever that was.
“And in addition, if we were to do this, we would be putting together in one place a range of people with different and complex needs and circumstances.
“That includes things like addictions, PTSD, anxiety, those prone to violence, as well as those who are fleeing from it and are vulnerable.
“And if you tried to put everyone into one simple place, then you would not be able to do half or any of the things [in this strategy], which suggests people need to be in individual units and require individual support.”
Cllr Yeo (Labour, Caversham) also rejected the permanent shelter while answering a question about rough sleeping raised by cllr Raj Singh (Conservative, Kentwood).
At the time, he said: “The council does not advocate for the operation of a year-round instant access shelter in Reading.
“National best practice and the government’s Operating Principles for Night Shelters state that permanent communal shelters should be exceptional, and that councils should prioritise self-contained accommodation.
“Permanent shelters can compromise privacy, fail to support long-term recovery, and risk creating dependency rather than progression.”
Instead, the council continues to support FAITH Christian group’s ‘ a bed for the night’ shelter from January to March each year.
The council maintains supported accommodation options with capacity for over 270 people, including six direct access spaces.
Options include the women-only Nova Project; the Caversham Road Pods; 36 beds at Willow House alongside 20 cluster-flat units; a 41-unit Young Person’s Service; Housing First and couples’ units for 37 people; the Accommodation for Ex-Offenders scheme; and more than 100 Working Towards Independence bedspaces across 20 properties.
Councillors unanimously approved the homelessness strategy at the meeting on Tuesday, March 10.
The Way Ministry could effectively set up a permanent night shelter on its own, but that would require building acquisition and planning permission from the council.
