Safe places for rough sleepers to stay

All rough sleepers who need a place to stay safe from coronavirus now have somewhere to go. A second hotel has now been arranged, providing a further 51 separate rooms with en suite facilities. 

Together with the spaces already arranged at the YHA, this now provides enough places for all in need.

We are making sure appropriate provision is made for anyone who has symptoms to be able to self-isolate.

Food and support

The accommodation available also means those without symptoms have somewhere where they can follow the stay at home and social distancing guidelines to keep them as safe as possible away from the virus.

Everyone in the accommodation is being given food and support.

Our outreach service, St Mungo’s and Arch Healthcare are working together to make sure everyone being given a room is checked for symptoms before accommodation is allocated.

Outreach workers are out now letting people know the rooms are available and food will be provided. We are doing all we can to encourage people to take up this offer, but we cannot make anyone stay in a hotel.

Offering ongoing support

Councillor Gill Williams, chair of housing, said: “I’m very grateful to everyone who has worked tirelessly to help make this accommodation available to protect some of our most vulnerable residents.

"We now can make sure everyone in need can be inside this weekend. We will also be offering ongoing support over the weeks and months ahead.”

If you are concerned about someone who is rough sleeping, contact Streetlink with the details and the information will be passed on to an outreach worker who will make sure the person concerned knows there is somewhere safe to stay.

You can contact StreetLink online at www.streetlink.org.uk or by calling 03005 000 914. If you think the person needs urgent medical care or they're under 18 years of age, you should call 999.

Almost all the rooms being made available have televisions and we’re looking at making sure everyone has access to a television or device that can show broadcast programmes as soon as possible.

Local campaign group Galvanise continues to collect donations of kindles, hand held game console or similar to help ease the extreme isolation faced by anyone who is being asked to make this move.

Our outreach service, St Mungo’s, will distribute the electronics to people in need over the weeks and months ahead. If you can donate an item, please email hello@galvanisebh.org and a collection will be arranged from you to the St Mungo's team.

We will continue to work with partners to provide suitable accommodation for all those who are rough sleeping in the city and those who are in shared accommodation who need separate space to stay safe during the pandemic.

Additional spaces are being looked into in case more people are in need or we have to change plans at a later point in the pandemic.