Rough sleepers in London are being offered hotel rooms for the next three months to get them off the streets and protect them from the COVID-19 outbreak.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has worked on a deal with Intercontinental Hotels Group to block-book rooms across two hotels – giving homeless people somewhere they can socially distance themselves and self-isolate if they become unwell.
However with just 300 hotel rooms made available, there are more than 700 rough sleepers still stuck sleeping on London streets.
Khan said: “The coronavirus outbreak affects everyone in London and we must do all we can to safeguard everyone’s health – not least those Londoners who face spending each night sleeping rough on the capital’s streets.
“Rough sleepers already face difficult and uncertain lives and I’m determined to do all I can to ensure they, along with all Londoners, are given the best protection possible.
“Together, as a city, we will come through this incredibly challenging period.”