Homeless Charity Endorses Council’s Crackdown on Tent Dwellers

A charity dedicated to assisting the homeless has endorsed a local council’s initiative to relocate rough sleepers residing in tents from a seaside town’s promenade. Blackpool Council declared “a zero tolerance approach” regarding these tents, citing concerns about potential anti-social behaviour. Kim Hughes of Streetlife stated that the organization would “not recommend” tent dwelling due to “safety reasons” and expressed her support for the relocation effort. The council conceded that these encampments were not as extensive as those found in larger cities but affirmed the necessity of intervention, noting that individuals being displaced were provided with assistance to secure housing. Ms. Hughes remarked, “I don’t think it is a prevalent issue in Blackpool, compared to many inner city areas.” She suggested that Blackpool might attract young individuals, further stating: “There are reports which show that Blackpool is the cheapest place you can move to in the UK. You can move to Blackpool with £100, get a B&B for a few nights, and if people are trying to escape from something in their home town, then it can seem like the easiest and cheapest option to do that… coastal towns tend to struggle more with this.” Ms. Hughes reiterated, “Tents are not something we would recommend for safety reasons more than anything else.” The charity provides assistance to individuals aged 16-25 at its drop-in facility, The Base, in addition to operating a night shelter for urgent housing needs. The council declared that tents occupied by rough sleepers would be cleared in September, with the objective of preventing the formation of “tent cities” within the resort. Lynne Williams, leader of the town’s Labour-controlled council, informed BBC Radio Lancashire: “I don’t think we’ve had it quite as bad as some other places , but enough that we had to take some action “The idea is to try and house them, and find them suitable accommodation.”I don’t think it’s a case of moving people to another destination, but rather trying to engage with those who are suffering from homelessness, and seeing how we can help them.” She explained that the council’s primary inclination was to offer “wrap around support” to ensure homeless individuals residing in tents received appropriate services. However, she added that if people were unwilling to accept assistance, the authority was compelled to “take measures to ensure that we have that right feel about the town, particularly tourism… but for our residents… it isn’t right and that’s why we’ve brought these powers in”.