You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Khan launches £40m fund to make homelessness hostels coronavirus-safe
London mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a £40m fund to help make homelessness hostels and women’s refuges safer from coronavirus infections.
The money is intended to fund works to alter hostels to make social distancing and self-isolation easier, such as by fitting en-suites to ensure that bathrooms are not shared.
A survey of London’s hostels carried out this month by University College London found that around half of residents share bathroom facilities with other people and 4% of beds are in shared rooms.
Rough sleepers are much more likely to have underlying health conditions, putting them at greater risk of COVID-19 than the wider population. They also often find it harder to follow advice to reduce infection, such as handwashing, self-isolation and social distancing.
Homelessness service providers will be looking to make permanent changes to their hostels, with social distancing requirements expected to stay in place for some time, City Hall said.
READ MORE
The funding, which comes from the mayor’s Homelessness Change programme, may be used for improvements in existing and new build hostels.
Bids will be considered on a rolling basis for work starting up to March 2022.
Mr Khan said: “The most vulnerable Londoners need our support at this time more than ever.
“That’s why I’m delighted that the Homelessness Change programme is able to deliver vital funding to help hostel providers to improve their accommodation.”
“Projects funded by this programme in the past have made a substantial and sustained difference to the lives of homeless Londoners and I am confident this funding will have an equally significant impact as we all adjust to a new post-COVID-19 world.”
He called on the government to provide ongoing funding to ensure the continued housing of rough sleepers who have been given accommodation since the start of the crisis.
More than 1,300 homeless people are currently in hotels and other accommodation paid for by the Greater London Authority and the government, with many more in council-paid accommodation.
Kellie Murphy, service director at St Mungo’s, said: “Safety is always critical for people who are homeless but especially so during this COVID-19 pandemic.
“This Homelessness Change funding will enable organisations to make the kind of changes necessary to ensure people in hostels, refuges and other kinds of shared accommodation can better physically distance and stay safe within those services while, crucially, staying connected with the vital staff on hand to support them.”
