Public Urged to Contact Outreach Teams to Aid Homeless

Individuals seeking to assist those sleeping rough this winter are requested to reach out to specialized outreach teams. Wiltshire Council has disseminated firsthand accounts from homeless individuals, aiming to inspire the public to help others “find a warm place to stay.” Over the past 12 months, the Rough Sleepers Team has provided support to more than 275 people sleeping on the streets. Councillor Phil Alford, cabinet member for housing, stated, “If you see someone sleeping rough let us know so our team can step in and start helping.” An individual identified as Alice (a pseudonym) had been experiencing homelessness with her partner, residing in a tent. They received assistance to transition into a hostel and subsequently into their own residence, where they now report feeling settled. Alice elaborated: “I love being in my own place; day to day I can get up and make coffee, tea, whatever I want and sit, watch telly or listen to the radio.” She added, “Obviously if you need help you can get in contact with the Rough Sleepers Team. They will come out and find you and give you good support.” The council reported that an additional 15 bed spaces have become available in Wiltshire, attributed to supplementary government funding. It was also stated that several individuals had been assisted in re-entering employment, engaging in voluntary work, or enrolling in college courses. Furthermore, three individuals who had been long-term rough sleepers, collectively for 54 years, have also been relocated into accommodation. Mr Alford further commented, “We have put serious investment into this area to create new bed spaces and we have a strong Rough Sleepers Team, so that ongoing support is available for people to make that transition from being on the streets into a warm home.” Geraldine Roast, a member of the team, stated: “It’s our job to help them with barriers; it could be with not being with a GP, it could be that they’ve not got benefits in place, it could be that they’re in debt or have housing related issues. “We want to support them in the hope that they do eventually get their forever home. Everybody deserves to have a home.” Members of the public are informed that contact with the Rough Sleepers Team can be made through Streetlink. For updates, follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.