Emergency accommodation made available in Liverpool for rough sleepers during cold snap
An amber cold-health alert is in place in Liverpool
Emergency accommodation is being made available for rough sleepers across Liverpool as temperatures plunge.
An amber cold-health alert has been issued across the whole of the North West until midday on Friday 12 January.
Compared to last year, the Whitechapel Centre has seen a 30% increase in the number of people sleeping rough at any one time.
63 additional units of accommodation have been set aside - including B&Bs across the city to fast-track people indoors.
David Carter, CEO of the Whitechapel Centre, said:
"Obviously it's there when the trigger temperatures are met, so two degrees or less on any given night, but our aim is to actually use it as a stepping stone into permanent accommodation.
"Its not solely the severe weather (alert) and then you're out, the idea is that we'll support people to remain indoors permanently."
The charity's outreach team are out 24/7 to identify rough sleepers whilst also responding to calls - during the last cold weather alert in early December, they received 1,056 calls in seven nights through the Always Help Available Number.
The leader of Liverpool City Council Liam Robinson sent a letter to the Secretary of State Michael Gove in November to call for more resources to deal with what he called the 'homelessness emergency' in the city.
Mr Carter adds:
"It was an extra 561 different people. That's phenomenal. We're a local charity, that's a scary number.
"Last year, we saw a 15% increase in the number of people coming through our doors.
"We're going to see a similar increase this year, it's too many.
"There is a dearth of affordable housing that's available, there is the timely access into that accommodation and there's a poverty crisis so those things altogether are creating real difficulties.
"There is a wider issue about resources and accommodation needs and the Severe Weather Emergency Provision, I suppose, is the icing on the cake in terms of the visible sight of the homelessness issues."
Anyone who sees someone sleeping rough can call the Whitechapel Centre Outreach Team on 0300 123 2041.