Long-term fate of the homeless in UK uncertain after Covid-19 emergency housing (TBL, 15 May 2020)
The race to house Britain's homeless: After an unprecedented effort to get ‘Everyone In’, the long-term fate of the homeless is uncertain
By Cat McShane. Published by the Bureau Local on 15 May 2020
Summary:
"There has been an unprecedented effort to house the homeless across the UK and yet future support is uncertain.
Bureau Local, working with our network of journalists and engaged citizens, has discovered that:
(...) Contracts with hotels to house rough sleepers expire next month. In England, there is no long-term funding for the emergency hotels;
The Greater London Authority is trying to negotiate extensions to their hotel contracts and find the money to finance them; local authorities across England will be left to do the same. (...)
“The initial emergency response to the outbreak showed what can be done when the political will and leadership from central government is there - but if we retreat into a failed ‘business as usual’, handing the issue back to overstretched local councils with no ring-fenced funding, then we let down not just the thousands experiencing homelessness today, but many thousands more at risk from the economic downturn we are entering.”"
Keywords: homeless, UK, Wales, England, coronavirus, Covid-19
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