Nearly a dozen rough sleepers in Mansfield

Charities have welcomed a drop in the number of people bedding down on the streets across England, but warned more must be done for the Government to reach its target of eradicating homelessness by 2024.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data shows there were 10 rough sleepers in Mansfield during a spot-check one night in October, up from seven in 2020, but down from 22 in 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

There were six in Ashfield, up from between one and four in 2020 and five in 2019.

Mansfield Council said the ‘continued success’ is the result of the authority ‘helping prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place and working to provide accommodation and support for those on the streets’.

Across England, the number of rough sleepers fell from 4,270 in 2019, to 2,690 in 2020 and 2,440 last year.

Eddie Hughes, rough sleeping and housing minister, said: "The Government remains focused on ending rough sleeping by the end of this parliament and we’re making excellent progress towards this.”

While rough sleeping has declined in recent years, the latest figure represents a 38 per cent increase from the 1,770 rough sleepers counted in England in 2010, when records began.

In Mansfield, there were seven rough sleepers in 2010, alongside between one and four in Ashfield.

Osama Bhutta, of housing charity Shelter, said the figures ‘show the race to end rough sleeping has started, but is far from over’.

He said the looming cost-of-living crisis and lack of suitable long-term homes means ‘we’re now at a fork in the road’.

He said the Government cannot meet its 2024 target without a ‘proper plan to tackle the root causes’ and called on a roadmap to end homelessness.

Advice

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities says it is providing £2 billion over the next three years to end homelessness.

Mansfield Council’s homelessness team dealt with 617 cases from April-September 2021, with 435 cases closed after appropriate advice to prevent homelessness.

A report to councillors last year said “In Mansfield we still see a high proportion of family evictions where parents ask their children to leave. We are considering ways in which we can incentivise parents to delay this process.”

The council also runs a First Steps porgramme to help rough sleepers with issues around mental health, addiction and substance abuse.

If you see anyone sleeping rough in the district, contact Framework’s Street Outreach 24-hour hotline on 0800 066 5356.

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