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Prime Minister's rough sleeper pledge poses a major challenge for rural areas like Somerset, says charity
Overview
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's pledge to offer accommodation to every rough sleeper in England by Christmas has been described as a very big task for rural areas by the homelessness charity Alongside. While Somerset Council has received £5.87m in government funding to tackle the issue, charities and local officials highlight that rural rough sleeping is harder to spot and often complicated by barriers such as mental health challenges, addiction, and isolation.
Key points
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to offer accommodation to every rough sleeper in England this winter.
- Homelessness charity Alongside describes the pledge as laudable but notes that turning it into reality in rural areas is a massive challenge.
- Somerset had the third highest number of rough sleepers in England during the government's annual snapshot, with an estimated 160 people sleeping rough on some nights.
- Somerset Council has been awarded £5.87m over three years from the government's rough sleeping programme to fund new initiatives and expanded services.
- Barriers such as long-term isolation, addiction, and mental health challenges can make it difficult for rough sleepers to trust organisations offering help.