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Dame Louise Casey calls for Rough Sleeping Taskforce support
Dame Louise Casey has called on businesses, faith groups and community organisations to support efforts to find permanent homes for rough sleepers during the coronavirus pandemic.
The government rough sleeping tsar said work since the onset of the crisis to provide accommodation for people without a roof over their heads has presented an “extraordinary opportunity” to give them long-term help.
Nearly 15,000 rough sleepers have been housed in emergency accommodation since March to help keep them safe from COVID-19, according to the government.
Dame Louise is chair of the government’s ‘Rough Sleeping Covid 19 Response Taskforce’, which is focusing on permanent housing for people who have moved indoors during the pandemic.
Today, the archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster promised that churches will help the taskforce achieve its aim.
Comic Relief, the Prince’s Trust and Business in the Community – the Prince’s responsible business network – have also pledged their support.
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Dame Louise said: “It has been an incredible achievement to bring almost 15,000 homeless people into emergency accommodation. I am truly grateful to the council staff, charity workers and others that made that happen.
“However this terrible crisis has also given us an extraordinary opportunity to build on the success of bringing ‘everyone in’ and to try to make sure they don’t go back to the streets.
“While government, councils and frontline charities are all doing what they can, it’s clear that we will need the whole of society to help, too, whether that is youth hostels offering rooms, businesses providing employment opportunities, or faith and community groups reaching out the hand of friendship.”
Ministers have laid out plans to build 6,000 new long-term homes for rough sleepers housing during the crisis.
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Thousands of lives have been protected as a result of the shared commitment to protect the most vulnerable in our society throughout this national emergency, with accommodation offered to over 90% of known rough sleepers.
“Looking forwards, we have now made £433m of government funding available to provide 6,000 safe and sustainable homes for rough sleepers.
“As we move towards the next steps in this process, support for community partners will be vital in helping our new taskforce.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: “I am enormously proud of and grateful for the amazing contribution churches across the country make in supporting those who experience rough sleeping and homelessness.
“I commend efforts to ensure that as we slowly emerge from lockdown no one has to return to rough sleeping and pray that they are successful.”
