Issue - meetings

D Hall provided an overview of the measures taken in relation to Everybody’s In Initiative in response to Covid 19.

Since the last time that the Task Group had met, there had been unprecedented times because of the pandemic, and the response to it brought about a change in the way in which homelessness and particularly rough sleeping was dealt with in our community.

He paid tribute to the response to the pandemic from the Housing Team and other parts of the Council to Everybody’s In which was brought in by Government, which had been extraordinary and their efforts should not be unrecognised.  The effort to bring everyone in from the Night Shelter and other people who were known to the sofa surfing or rough sleeping to a community centre which overnight was transformed into temporary accommodation, a vacant building which was turned into accommodation, to the security, cleansing services which were procured overnight, bedding, food and access to support was completely unprecedented and saw people working overnight and weekends, which was a huge effort.

The Council had worked closely with partners including the Purfleet Trust and their response was also extraordinary and humbling with problems being resolved. The effort resulted in everyone, including the hardest people to help, with a housing solution and no-one left on the street.  Lots of buildings were used and converted into accommodation and the Council procured some welfare cabins which had been remodelled to allow people to live in them.  Because of that huge effort, a positive outcome was achieved for some of those people.  The feedback had been that for a lot of people who had been difficult to reach and engage with, there had been some success stories through a degree of stability and had taken the first steps to change their life around and to get some more secure accommodation.

The Chair added that the team should be very proud of all their efforts.

Nikki Patton added that Council had been working closely with the Night Shelter and had taken it over that week due to Covid-19 and the number of volunteers who were shielding. 

The Council also received the letter at the end of March from Dame Louise Casey that all dormitory style accommodation needed to be closed.  The Night Shelter was dormitory style accommodation.

Staff worked closely with the Purfleet Trust and the Night Shelter over that weekend, to find suitable accommodation.  It resulted in a mix of accommodation with some hotels providing a limited amount of rooms.  The Council used one of its community centres and turned the meeting rooms into self-contained accommodation.  In addition, one of the Council’s hostels, which had been closed for refurbishment, was also used for accommodation and staff had worked closely with Broadland Housing to do that.  All 23 people from the night shelter was moved into the accommodation. Througout that period 3 meals a day were provided and during that time close working was held with Purfleet Trust who provided that support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4