Fear for lives of rough sleepers as freezing temperatures continue
The Whitechapel Centre says more housing is desperately needed
There are huge concerns about the number of people sleeping rough across Merseyside - as temperatures hit freezing for a second night.
Emergency protocol is in place to get people off the streets and into safe shelter.
On Monday night into Tuesday, as temperatures plummeted and snow fell, the Whitechapel Centre were able to get 22 people who were sleeping on the streets into accommodation.
However, with rising levels of people becoming homeless in the region, there is a lack of secure accommodation available.
Liverpool City Council has launched a public consultation on proposals to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
The number of long-term rough sleepers in the city has risen by more than 40% in the last two years, with an average of 29 rough sleepers seen per night last month.
The council says pressures are exacerbated because there are only 1,500 social housing properties that become available each year, whilst 13,000 people are on the waiting list.
Sophie Mayor, Services Manager at the Whitechapel Centre, said:
"We do only have a limited provision of space and unfortunately, especially at the moment, the provision of accommodation spaces, be that a hostel to private rent to social housing, there is just not enough to meet the demand - so we will prioritise people who are rough sleeping that night.
"For example, in October, we had 182 individuals rough sleeping over the course of the month in Liverpool alone. It's a huge number of people and there just isn't the provision there.
"These really cold temperatures can kill"
"Our outreach team will work really hard to try and get people inside to to literally save their lives, because these really cold temperatures can kill.
"We have to have more provision - it's only getting worse at the moment. When I started working in Liverpool about three years ago, we were seeing about 70 people per month on the streets and that was high enough as it is.
"But since then it's just it's just increased a lot. We know that there's a cost of living crisis, we have been in a housing crisis for a really long period of time and it's it's a perfect storm of difficult situations for people, people who are in housing need and a lot of it is driven by poverty.
"People are stuck within the homelessness system"
"It's not just hostel provision, it's not just specialist provision for people who are homeless, it's all types of housing because people can't, and shouldn't, be living in emergency placements such as B&Bs or hostels and temporary accommodation like that for their whole lives.
"They need to move on into more suitable, sustainable independent accommodation and there just isn't enough of that going round, so it means that people are stuck within the homelessness system and staying in hostels for far longer than anyone would want.
"It has to change."
Anyone with concerns about someone sleeping rough in Liverpool can get in touch with the Whitechapel Centre's outreach team by calling 0300 123 2041.
The charity has also launched its Christmas Appeal, to support people facing homelessness this festive season.
New data from UK homelessness charity Centrepoint out today (20 November) also reveals that nearly 23,000 people, including more than 2,000 in the North West, are expected to face homelessness this Christmas.
Doctor Helen Miles, Head of Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) at Centrepoint, says:
"Experiencing homelessness at any age can have a huge and long-lasting impact on a person’s physical and mental health, but young people are particularly vulnerable.
"The trauma and instability of not having a safe home, family or network to turn to can severely affect a young person’s sense of physical and emotional safety, which can impact on their ability to engage in life opportunities, critical at this age in order to reach their full potential in the future."