Support for people sleeping rough this winter
The city’s Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is set up to offer warm accommodation for people sleeping rough this winter.
The support will open when the temperature is predicted to feel like zero degrees Celsius, or there’s an amber weather warning. This is one of the lowest triggers for offering SWEP accommodation for people sleeping rough in the country.
SWEP provides shelter for all rough sleepers in the city and venues are made available to meet demand. The majority of the accommodation is in single or double rooms with a small amount of congregate space that can be used depending on demand.
When SWEP is triggered, CGL’s Street Outreach Service work in partnership with the council and other services in the city to refer known rough sleepers, or those who will sleep rough for the first time, to come into warm accommodation.
Food is also provided in the accommodation and services will complete quick assessment and support for those who may be new to rough sleeping.
While people sleeping rough are staying in SWEP accommodation, services continue to work with to find move on options wherever possible.
SWEP will operate, when the weather triggers, between 1 November and 31 March 2025.
Helping people move aways from the streets
SWEP is an additional support over the winter to the supported accommodation that runs throughout the year.
This includes the ‘Off Street Offer’, which provides short-stay emergency accommodation in a safe place for up to 30 long term rough sleepers.
The service provides 24-hour support, working in a trauma-informed manner to support first stage recovery from rough sleeping.
There are also 2 other ‘Off Street Offer’ projects across the city, providing a further another 28 places. These projects work with couples, women, those with no recourse to public funds along side men who have experienced rough sleeping.
People staying in the accommodation will have their needs assessed and personalised support to help them move permanently from the streets.
The Off Street Offer accommodation sits alongside the council’s core and grant funded Supported Accommodation Pathways for single adults and young people, providing nearly 700 beds of accommodation.
Concerned about someone sleeping rough?
If you’re concerned about anyone sleeping rough in the city, including people staying in tents, please let us know by reporting through the Streetlink website.
Our Street Outreach Service, provided by Change Grow Live, will then contact them to try to offer them appropriate support and housing assistance. The council funds this specialist service which provides support on the streets, all year round.
It’s important that anyone sleeping rough is offered help as soon as possible and that the assistance offered meets their needs, so accommodation for people on the streets is provided through referrals from organisations who understand what’s available and what support is needed.
Reporting where people are bedded down through Streetlink is the best way of making sure that people get the support they need. This route helps us support residents of the city still sleeping on the streets into emergency accommodation.
Preventing homelessness
If you are threatened with homelessness, please contact us to get advice as soon as possible. We can support you with any problems making it difficult to stay in your home.
The homeless prevention and housing options support we provide includes action to prevent applicants from becoming homeless, help to keep or secure accommodation and a personalised housing plan.
Safe secure accommodation
Councillor Paul Nann, the council’s lead member for homelessness, said: “We believe it is everyone’s right to have somewhere decent to live, and we want to help everyone sleeping on the streets into safe, secure accommodation.
“The national housing crisis has a serious impact in Brighton & Hove, with the city’s street services working with about 10 new people sleeping rough every week.
“Our SWEP accommodation is a vital service to keep people safe and warm through the winter and link them up with the support to move them from the streets. It’s why we have one of the lowest triggers in the country for opening the accommodation.
“If you are worried about anyone sleeping rough this winter, please let us know by contacting Streetlink so we can provide them with the support they need.”
Make Change Count
If you’d like to support the charities and organisations in Brighton & Hove working with people to help them find a permanent solution to their homelessness, please donate to Make Change Count.
The Make Change Count campaign links local organisations experienced in supporting rough sleepers and preventing homelessness.
This year’s campaign has raised more than £1,000 so far. Many thanks to everyone who has donated.
