The Government has asked local authorities to step in to house rough sleepers this weekend to protect the vulnerable group from the coronavirus.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government wrote to councils’ homelessness managers and rough sleeping co-ordinators yesterday calling for them to move homeless people off the streets as well as those in hostels and night shelters.
The letter read: “As you know, this is a public health emergency. We are all redoubling our efforts to do what we possibly can at this stage to ensure that everybody is inside and safe by this weekend, and we stand with you in this.
BREAKING: The housing ministry aims to house all rough sleepers in hostels and in night shelters by the weekend, in a bid to protect people during the #coronavirus outbreak.#KayBurley
More on #COVID19: https://t.co/QiQ52kqMOg pic.twitter.com/grZe5Z5dfv
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 27, 2020
“These are unusual times so I’m asking for an unusual effort. Many areas of the country have already been able to ’safe harbour’ their people which is incredible. What we need to do now though is work out how we can get ‘everyone in’.”
The Big Issue received notice of the government’s plans last week and their guidance was a central factor in our decision to temporarily halt vendors from selling the magazine on the streets as of last weekend.