Conference centre to be used as shelter for rough sleepers

A room in the Brighton Centre will be transformed into a shelter for people sleeping rough in the city this winter, the council said.
Green councillors campaigned for council-owned buildings to be opened to the homelessGreen councillors campaigned for council-owned buildings to be opened to the homeless
Green councillors campaigned for council-owned buildings to be opened to the homeless

The shelter in the council-owned venue will open its doors from Friday, December 10, providing shelter for up to 30 people.

The funding for the venture was agreed at Budget Council in February this year, but the council said it has taken some time to find a suitable space in the city providing 'a safe environment for people to stay overnight.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At the most recent count last year, it was estimated there were 144 people sleeping on the streets in Brighton and Hove. The city had the second highest rough sleeping rate in England after Westminster.

The Brighton CentreThe Brighton Centre
The Brighton Centre

Labour councillor Clare Moonan, who is the council's lead member for rough sleeping, Conservative councillor Robert Nemeth, and Green councillor David Gibson have been meeting regularly to organise the plans for the shelter, the council said.

In a statement councillors said: “There is a national crisis in the number of people facing the risk of homelessness and we’re united in trying to find ways to help those in need here in our city. This shelter will help many rough sleepers to sleep at night and provide a safe place to go as the temperatures drop.

“We know residents in the city are rightly concerned about people living rough, especially at this time of year when the weather can be extreme. The shelter is one of many ways we are providing help and working with partners to keep people safe and warm this winter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

People living rough on the streets are at high risk, vulnerable and need help. The average life expectancy of a man sleeping rough is just 47 years old - that’s a shocking fact we are addressing here in Brighton and Hove.”

The council said places at the shelter will be allocated from referrals by outreach workers from St Mungo’s and BHT (Brighton Housing Trust). The outreach workers will also offer support to those staying at the shelter, linking them to services and sources of support across Brighton & Hove.

The dates the shelter will operate are December 10 to February 11. No confirmed bookings at the Brighton Centre will be affected by the plans, the council said, and work is ongoing to find a suitable place for the shelter to run through to March 2018.

Green councillors have welcomed the move, but urged the council to open the shelter sooner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brighton and Hove City Council said: "Earlier opening dates are still being actively looked into."

Councillor Tom Druitt, who proposed the original idea to Full Council, said: “It’s great news that after many months of hard work, public support and campaigning the council will finally get to work on the proposals to use council buildings to provide more homeless shelters. However it should not have taken 10 months to get this far and I’m concerned that the council doesn’t seem to be treating the issue with the urgency it requires.

"We need to make sure at the very least that this new shelter is open before the beginning of December and that this winter no one has to sleep rough against their will. With many vacant buildings still dotted around the city whilst people are forced to sleep in doorways we must push to put vacant premises to good use.”Councillor David Gibson, spokesperson for the Greens on the Council’s Housing Committee, said: “After our original proposals received so much support, progress on a council building being used as a new shelter is very welcome. We still need to ensure new shelters remain open through the winter and beyond. The number of people rough sleeping is rising, with 144 counted last year. There is simply not enough ‘move-on’ housing – leaving people stuck in hostels or on the streets. Rough sleepers are currently waiting an average of three months for a hostel place, which is unacceptable.

"To truly tackle this we also need longer term solutions that address the causes of homelessness –bringing down unaffordable private sector rents and building more truly affordable social housing. Greens will continue to campaign for this change.”

Anyone concerned about a rough sleeper should contact Streetlink which will share information with outreach workers.

Related topics: