The BMC Medical Education Journal has shown that some of the particular concerns of homelessness are the mental and physical health aspects. In addition, homeless and rough sleepers experience stereotypical attitudes leading to obstacles in accessing resources.
Bradford council’s focus is currently on the prevention of rough sleepers, rather than on providing emergency housing (as it has done previously) to decrease homelessness. Homelessness may be defined in some circumstances as those who are registered with councils and placed in temporary accommodation, whereas rough sleepers are visible street homeless individuals counted on a single night.
After many years of hard work in combating homelessness and rough sleepers in Bradford, the team at Homeless Outreach Partnership (HOP) has won a gold award at the prestigious national Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards which recognises the work of HOP as it touches many lives. HOP is part of Bradford council’s wider work to prevent and respond to homelessness across the district.
HOP’s work looks good on paper, but rough sleepers fall through the cracks
HOP brings together a specialist support, 12-strong team, including drug and alcohol workers, complex needs workers and housing options specialists. The team works across Bradford city and surrounding areas, 365 days a year.
In a press release from Bradford Council, HOP team co-ordinator since its launch, Clare Flannigan, said: “When we first meet people, they are often literally on the streets. They are out of options, and it is heart-breaking. We work every day with people who are facing very complex situations, often with a background of trauma.”
However, it It appears that Bradford Council and HOP did not consider the visible signs of rough sleeping outside the Magistrate’s Court when they accepted their awards.
To date, little has been done to accommodate these rough sleepers, who were previously staying at the Forster Square tunnels until they were moved on and the site closed. The sleepers were not provided with anywhere else to go, so have settled outside the court buildings, within view of the Bradford council offices.
Councillor praises ‘hard work’
Councillor Jayne Morgan, is Bradford council’s cabinet member for Healthy People, a portfolio encompasses adult social care, an anti-poverty strategy, environmental health, housing and homelessness, living well, public health and the voluntary sector. Morgan said: “This award is testament to the hard work of the Homeless Outreach Partnership who are on the streets every day offering support and accommodation to those in need.
“The HOP has transformed the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in this district. It is a truly pioneering approach in the way that it is so collaborative with many partners. The Council’s work centres on innovation, and the HOP is just one part of the many services offered which provide crucial support to those on the streets.”
There are mobile numbers for contacting HOP on its website. I contacted them for comments regarding receipt of the gold award while the encampment remains outside the court buildings opposite the council offices, but I received no response.
Bradford councillors have a duty to their constituents to provide council services to everyone living in their council area. However, it seems that those who have been marginalised by society will remain hidden in tents for the foreseeable future, unless the dichotomy of visible homeless and rough sleepers on one hand, and award-winning homelessness practitioners on the other is scrutinised, and a solution is found.
No Second Night Out service
The No Second Night Out service (a Conservative government initiative), collaborating with the charity Humankind, provides emergency accommodation for people who need immediate support. The council also provides longer-term accommodation for rough sleepers and has secured funding for additional beds across the city: funding which seemingly has not yet enabled these rough sleepers to secure housing.
According to a report by Andrew Vaux in The Municipal Journal (April 2024), chief executive Jon Royle of the charity Bridge Project said: “The service has operated in Bradford since August 2018, and so far we’ve helped over 30 people with the most complex lives. Investing in this way saves the public purse money in the long run, because many of our beneficiaries have spent decades in and out of hospital, prison, and homeless hostels without making substantial progress.
“It’s a compassionate, humane response to help a small group of people who’ve had incredibly difficult and challenging lives fulfil their potential and gain a level of dignity that most of us take for granted.”
A solution must be found
Housing First service manager John Robinson explains why the HOP project is considered to be so successful: “The principle of granting people accommodation without the need to fulfil any conditions is essential for people with multiple disadvantages. Residents have the space to get their basic needs met, process any trauma they may have, think about what they want in life based on their own terms, and start establishing boundaries.
“Owning a home is truly a springboard upon which other positive outcomes can emerge – for example residents being able to think about budgeting, and not having to rely on shoplifting to meet their needs, which reduces their offending and criminal behaviour. Residents feel valued, respected, and have a sense of belonging to wider society.”
A Bradford council worker, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s very sad for the individuals who have to sleep here, and that their lives have brought them to a place where they don’t seem to live like the rest of society. To have a life, to afford to keep a home. Every life lying around [the Magistrates’ Court] will have a back story that is very complex so that you can’t make a judgement.”
Bradford council and churches such as Inn Churches do have policies in place when the temperatures are sub-zero for housing rough sleepers, but these are only intended as temporary measures. There needs to be a substantial push to ensure that there is adequate housing allocated for those who are homeless or rough sleepers. This should form part of the multi-million-pound regeneration projects that are being developed in Bradford, such as the new 1,000 homes complex at Bradford City Village. And one way to enable this is to ensure a change in any remaining stereotypes and biased views of those who have no permanent homes.
Meta boxes
Use up and down arrow keys to resize the meta box pane.
Bylines Network Gazette is out!
The latest Bylines Network Gazette is out now. Become a Friend of Bylines Network or upgrade to a paid Substack subscription, and you will get access to a vital collection of citizen articles and stories.
Journalism by the people, for the people.
