Gloucestershire "well ahead of the game" in supporting rough sleepers during pandemic
£3.8 million will go towards providing permanent accommodation for the homeless
Gloucestershire is "well ahead of the game" in supporting rough sleepers in the county during the pandemic, according to the manager of a local homeless charity.
City Mission has been working tirelessly since March to provide food, essentials and accommodation to people on the streets during lockdowns.
After being forced to close their day centre in March, the charity switched to an outreach model which operates 6 days a week.
This saw volunteers going around Gloucester with trolleys of food, hot drinks and emergency provisions, such as sleeping bags and clothes.
City Mission have also been working closely with Gloucestershire County Council, accommodation support charity P3 and Street Link to support as many people as possible.
Manager Kevin Howie said:
"We've been working closely with loads of other agencies because we believe partnerships are important and you can't do it all on your own.
"There are also some other brilliant providers across the county who are also trying their hardest to keep going and support rough sleepers."
Last year, the charity also opened a coffee shop, Revive, in Gloucester city centre which employs people who have previously been homeless.
"It's been difficult because we've had to keep opening and closing as the restrictions have changed.
"But it's brilliant to have a city centre presence to help raise awareness about homelessness."
At the beginning of the pandemic 140 people were put into emergency accommodation across Gloucester and Cheltenham - with around 60 people still in hotels.
"We think more and more people are giving"
It was recently announced Gloucestershire County Council has received £3.8 million to provide long-term housing for rough sleepers currently in temporary accommodation.
It will fund 100 properties for people to move from short-term housing into permanent, independent-living.
"This isn't happening across the country - this is specific to Gloucestershire as the local authority had to bid for that funding and they've done an amazing job to get that.
"However our main concern is that some of these guys don't want to be in accommodation long term, perhaps due to drug or alcohol dependencies - or mental health issues.
"It's all very well putting money into accommodation but it's also important to provide extra support to them so they can learn how to live independently."
Fundraising is still a huge issue for the charity as donations decreased as people faced financial uncertainty.
But although people aren't giving cash donations, offerings of food and other essential items have actually increased.
"We actually think more and more people are giving. It's more from corporations but we think it's because people can see it's such an issue.
"If people can perhaps donate less but more frequently over the year then that actually works out well for us."
The charity have temporarily stopped accepting donations of essential items due to staffing issues, but they're encouraging people to continue holding virtual fundraisers to help with monetary donations.
For more information on how you can get involved with helping City Mission head to their website.
If you're at risk of homelessness, or are worried about someone who is, here are a list of agencies and charities in Gloucestershire:
City Mission - head to their website for more information on how to access local services
Street Link - notify the charity of a rough sleeper by heading to their website, downloading the app, or by calling 0300 500 0914
P3 - head to their website, call 08081 786003 or email refer2@p3charity.org
Emmaus House - head to their website or call 0300 303 7555
Gloucestershire County Council - head to their website for a list of financial support for those who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless