One rough sleeper in Bucks as homeless protected from coronavirus

This comes after big efforts from the council to get those sleeping on the streets moved into temporary accommodation.

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Councillor Isobel Darby, Buckinghamshire Council’s housing chief, told her colleagues 80 rough-sleepers have been housed since the coronavirus lockdown began.

She said: “Rough sleepers are a very vulnerable section of our community and we’ve heard nationally they are more likely to succumb to coronavirus.

“We have had a real success story across Buckinghamshire.

“We’ve currently only got one rough sleeper in Buckinghamshire that we know about.

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“Our challenge is what we are going to be able to do at the end of this. The government wants to ensure by 2024 we’ve eliminated rough sleeping.

“But we really need to do something sooner if we can and this really could be a golden opportunity.

“That’s something the team are working towards but at the moment this is funded and there may well be a cost so we’re going to have to look at that.”

Cllr Darby heaped praise on the new council’s housing team which came together from five separate authorities following the merger.

She also urged members of the public to get in touch with the council if more rough sleepers are spotted so the housing team can arrange temporary accommodation for them.

Council leader Martin Tett added: “It’s fairly easy at a time like this to forget those who are the most vulnerable and who are homeless, particularly the rough sleepers who are particularly vulnerable in the locations they are.

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“So it’s great the way everyone’s really focused on them, so maybe this can be the start of something great where we can virtually eliminate rough sleeping across the new council area.”

Wycombe Homeless Connection has been working closely with the council to help make sure rough sleepers are housed during the pandemic. 

A spokesperson for the group told BFP: "Following months of hard, collaborative work Wycombe Homeless Connection were pleased to report earlier this year that in partnership with the council and other organisations, we had managed to make sure everyone who otherwise would have been sleeping on the street and needed a bed, had one.

"This was achieved in January for the first time in many years. This put us in the incredible position that when the pandemic hit we were able to quickly ensure people were in safe accommodation where they could self-isolate.

"But, more people are coming to us each week who are homeless or worried about becoming homeless.

"We are continuing to work with the council and other partners across Buckinghamshire to get anyone who is homeless into safe accommodation as soon as possible.

"We agree with Buckinghamshire Council that there is a golden opportunity here to end rough sleeping for good, but believe it could be done well before 2024, the latest target set by the government.

"It will take the right focus, effective partnership and of course, enough funding. We will continue to work with the council to make sure they do everything possible to ensure no one has to go back on the streets at the end of the pandemic".