Stratford-on-Avon District Council reports the number of rough sleepers across the District on a weekly basis, using figures based on intelligence, along with a weekly spotlight street count. The District Council is also required by government to provide a figure for rough sleepers when it conducts its annual street count on a specific night in mid-November.
The District Council and its partner agencies have worked hard to significantly reduce rough sleeping across the District since 2017, at which time its annual rough sleeper count reported 17 rough sleepers. The District Council reported 10 in 2018, 6 in 2019, 4 in 2020 and 3 in 2021.
The District Council, supported by a number of support agencies which included P3, the police, CGL, Spring, the NHS and the Street Pastors, carried out its most recent annual count in November 2022, this year reporting 4 rough sleepers.
Analysis of the weekly figures does show fluctuations, for example in the four weeks of December 2022, there were no evidenced rough sleepers, and for each of the last three weeks, there has been reported 1 rough sleeper.
The District Council has been able to achieve this reduction since 2017 using a combination of solutions, including:
- Continuing to operate according to the principles of the 'Everyone In' initiative, launched by the Government at the start of the COVID pandemic. Once individuals are verified as rough sleeping in the area, they will either be assisted to reconnect to their home area if safe to do so or offered emergency accommodation.
- Support and engagement from P3's street outreach team - usually the first agency to encounter someone on the streets.
- Offers of Housing First tenancies - this is where accommodation is provided along with intensive support.
- Intensive floating support for former rough sleepers who are in emergency accommodation.
- Offers of housing association homes from the Home Choice Plus register, where local housing association landlords can provide tenancies.
- Accommodation units in the Fred Winter Centre.
Elements of the work, accommodating rough sleepers, has been funded via successful bids, made by the District Council to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as part of the government's Rough Sleeper Initiative programme, with £859,956 awarded since 2019.
Those seen begging, particularly on the streets of Stratford-upon-Avon town, are unlikely to be homeless but already have accommodation, either their own tenancy, or emergency accommodation. The District Council and its partners are working together to encourage those who are begging in the town centre to take up the available support.
Cllr Jo Barker, Homes, Health and Wellbeing Portfolio says: "Once again, for the District Council to be able to report a low number of rough sleepers in the annual count is positive news, and it is reflective of a coordinated approach from agencies working in partnership.
"With the Fred Winter Centre now open, providing a hub for many relevant services, it is even easier for partners to work together and for those who are homeless to access support.
"It's important to say that we are not complacent, and we recognise that we all need to continue to work to maintain what has been achieved so far. We also know that supporting former rough sleepers who have been housed to sustain their tenancies in order to break the cycle of repeated homelessness and rough sleeping is the next challenge that we face."
If local residents are concerned about someone they believe to be rough sleeping, they can report this via the Street Link website: www.streetlink.org.uk/
Residents who wish to donate in order to help those on the street can do so via 'Meaningful Change'.
Stratford Meaningful Change provides an alternative way for the public to give to people rough sleeping or begging. By donating to Meaningful Change, rather than directly to the person on the street, you can be sure your money will go towards making a meaningful change. The money is pooled and used to provide for the specific needs of individuals on the street in Stratford.
You can now make your donations to Meaningful Change using the contactless donations points available at: Lush, High Street and Tesco Express, Bridge Street or you can donate via the Meaningful Change website - https://meaningfulchange.org.uk/stratford/donate/
There are several organisations in Stratford that can help and support those sleeping rough.
- P3 Charity: housing-related floating support service to over 25s in Warwickshire: 0808 164 6220
- St Basils: housing-related floating support to those aged 16 to 25 in Warwickshire: text NEED ST BASILS to 62277 or call 01789 332 540
- CGL: alcohol and drug treatment centre: 16 Court St, Leamington Spa, CV31 2BB Tel: 01926 353513
- Spring Housing: providing accommodation and support services to individuals who are at risk of homelessness: 0121 663 1443.
Spring are also managing the Fred Winter Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon - a community hub supporting local people with a focus on providing housing plus a range of services which address homelessness and hardship - https://fredwintercentre.org.uk/
- Citizens Advice Bureau: 25 Meer Street, Stratford-upon-Avon. Tel: 01789 200136
- JobCentrePlus: 38 Wood Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6JG. Tel: 0800 169 0190
