Help at hand over the winter period

This winter, Carlisle City Council and local churches will be providing support for people sleeping rough on the streets so that they can find shelter and hot food.

Following a meeting last week, (Monday, 10 December) including representatives of the City Council, church groups and local MP Eric Martlew, work was undertaken to investigate a night shelter and other methods of support. Following further investigation, the following arrangements have been put in place:

• Overnight accommodation for any rough sleepers who approach the City Council’s Hostels - London Road’s Women’s Hostel and John’s Street Men’s Hostel.
• If the hostels are full, the City Council will provide emergency overnight accommodation, making sure it is safe and warm with access to showers, cooking facilities or food.
• An assessment of what further action is needed to help a person who is homeless.
• The Churches and the Salvation Army will also be able to direct people to the City Council for help both during and out of office hours.

Carlisle City Cllr Judy Prest, Portfolio holder for Health and Wellbeing, who attended last week’s meeting along with the City Council’s Chief Executive, Maggie Mooney and Housing staff, said:

The City Council working in partnership with other agencies, the churches and voluntary bodies, is committed to dealing with homelessness in all its forms including helping rough sleepers and young people who do not have a home of their own. We want to get the message across that we are here to help those in need of our support. Our hostel staff are experienced and have the expertise to provide this help. No one should have to resort to sleeping rough this winter.

In the longer term as the City Council develops and consults on their new Homelessness Strategy, they will work alongside other agencies to put in place new ways of working that will help transform the outlook for people who are homeless in the city. As part of this, the City Council’s Executive committee, yesterday (Monday, 17 December) approved a funding bid to the Department for Communities and Local Government for the replacement of the existing London Road Homeless Families Hostel, with a new purpose built hostel and facilities for training and day activities, on the Shaddongate car park. This would include shared accommodation for single women and self contained accommodation for families. It would have better play facilities, a secure garden and space for recreational activities, as well as emergency accommodation for rough sleepers.

A multi-agency group – Carlisle Homeless Improvement Partnership - is also actively developing a new project that along with the Council’s own "It’s Your Move" programme, will tackle homelessness and rough sleeping and its causes. The aim is to help prevent future homelessness.