Mayor calls for funds to provide accommodation for homeless

THE mayor of London has called on the government to provide funding for local authorities to house homeless people in Covid-secure locations over the winter months.

In a letter to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, Sadiq Khan said “self-contained accommodation like hotels” were the “safest way to protect those who would otherwise be sleeping rough during this period”.

“If the government fails to urgently provide the clarity and resources needed, people sleeping rough in the capital will face the double risks of Covid and exposure to winter weather conditions over the coldest months, in addition to the already unacceptable dangers that sleeping rough presents all year round,” he wrote.

In response to the letter, a the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said they would monitor the situation to ensure that local authorities are able to meet the needs of rough sleepers.

A spokesperson said: “We took decisive action at the height of the pandemic to protect hundreds of lives by bringing nearly 15,000 of the most vulnerable into safe accommodation.

“We are working with councils, charities and other partners – backed by over half a billion pounds this year alone – to protect vulnerable rough sleepers this winter, and provide longer term accommodation and tailored support as part of our commitment to end rough sleeping for good.”