City Council wins further £500,000 funding to help rough sleepers

The focus of the Green Party's last local election campaign was homelessness. It seems that the message has hit home. Just a year ago the City Council were denying the issue whilst introducing controversial policies aimed at 'managing' rough sleeping - such as the Public Space Protection Order, Community Protection Notices - and closing hostels such as Lucy Faithfull House. We seem to have reached a turning point - they are now recognising the humanitarian crisis unfolding on our streets. However, the Council's thinking is still not fully aligned. We still have the draconian PSPO and only this week it was revealed that the Council are removing benches used by the homeless.