Cambridge has one of the UK's highest numbers of people sleeping rough outside of London.
The government has promised to reduce rough sleeping to as near to zero as possible and is working closely with local authorities to achieve this.
The council is responsible for coordinating the work of a wide range of agencies and organisations in an effort to reduce rough sleeping in Cambridge.
It is being particularly helped by Cambridgeshire Social Services, the Cambridge and Peterborough Drug Action Team, Cambridge City Primary Care Group, Lifespan Healthcare, Addenbrookes NHS Trust and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
What do we mean by rough sleeping?
Anyone who spends periods of time sleeping on the streets, in car parks, in doorways, under bushes, in disused or derelict buildings or railway carriages could be classed a 'rough sleeper'.
These people may also spend time in some of the city's hostels for homeless people, or sleep on friends' floors from time to time.
But essentially, their lives are sufficiently chaotic and distressed that sleeping out appears safer, or more appealing, or the only alternative.
How many people are sleeping rough in Cambridge?
2006
| Month | Number |
|---|---|
| November | 5 |
2007
| Month | Number |
|---|---|
| March | 6 |
| May | 2 |
| August | 6 |
| November | 1 (see note 1) |
2008
| Month | Number |
|---|---|
| April | 0 |
| October | 17 |
Highlighted figures (November 2006, March and November 2007 and April 2008) represent 'full' street counts where teams carry out a thorough search over a large section of the city. The results of these counts are submitted to central government.
Figures for the other months represent smaller-scale 'hotspot' counts where there are a smaller number of teams searching.
(1) The count carried out on 23 November 2007 found only one rough sleeper, but seven people were sleeping in emergency cold weather accommodation.
How do we count homeless people?
Unfortunately there is no better way of estimating the number of people sleeping rough than by conducting regular head counts.
Inadequate though it is, it is the best method we have. It is the indicator by which the city is measured by the government in its attempt to reduce rough sleeping nationally, and is used across the country by local authorities with rough-sleeping populations.
Head counts take place twice a year, and involve volunteers patrolling the streets and looking for people sleeping out. Our teams have a lot of information on where people are likely to be sleeping, but we can still miss people.
In addition to this, the council receives weekly reports from the Crime Reductions Initiative's street outreach team. This team carries out regular street sessions, especially first thing in the morning and late at night.
The information that it passes to us helps us to know the extent of rough sleeping in the city and the specific needs of those who are sleeping rough.
Coming in from the cold
'Coming in from the Cold' is the title of the a government report on reducing rough sleeping.
It recognises that while many people have been helped off the street by the hard work and commitment of professionals working for front line homelessness agencies, many problems stand in the way of those remaining on the streets.
These problems can include alcohol and drug problems, mental health difficulties, and histories of institutionalisation such as time served in prison, service in the armed forces, or long-term psychiatric treatment.
Another large factor is the emotional difficulties that may be associated with both becoming homeless in the first place, and remaining marginalized and excluded for (in some cases) many years.
Trained and skilled staff work carefully with rough sleepers trying to encourage them to make a move off the street, but sometimes the streets feel like the only security a person has.
They can be intimidated by the idea of hostels or shelters, and feel more in control of their lives knowing that they can 'disappear' whenever they want.
Our aim is to make the option of coming in more attractive than that of staying out - but it takes time and a lot of hard work.
What is happening to combat rough sleeping?
The council aims to:
- reduce the number of people sleeping rough in Cambridge to 10 or less, and to maintain that reduction
- prevent a new generation of rough sleepers
- give homeless people a voice and help they need to fulfil their potential
- work with and support agencies in Cambridge that share our aims
How will this be achieved?
The council has worked closely with its principal partners to develop the Single homeless and rough sleeping strategy 2006-09.
The strategy sets out some thirty tasks that the council and its partners need to undertake in order to achieve their aims.
What success have we had so far?
Since 2006 the following have happened to combat rough sleeping in Cambridge:
- head counts are run every two to three months to keep us in touch
- following a review, the outreach service has increased the number of workers on the streets and the length of time they work
- two dedicated police officers work with us and our clients
- the Victoria Road hostel has started focusing referrals on people in the city
A dedicated office and surgery was opened in 2003 on Newmarket Road to house specialist health services, street outreach, mental health outreach and tenancy sustainment teams.
Reconnections policy
We introduced a Reconnections policy in June 2007 as part of our strategy to tackle rough sleeping.
The policy is designed to provide guidance on when to accept a homeless person into services in the city, and when to offer them short-term services.
This decision will be primarily based on whether the person has a local connection as defined under the Homelessness Act 2002 and associated code of guidance.
Those being offered short-term services will be offered reconnection to areas outside Cambridge, where it is hoped they can find a long-term route out of homelessness.
Since the policy has been introduced, it has emerged that around 65% of those using rough sleeping-related services in the city do not have a local connection with Cambridge.
You can download the policy and its appendices:
- Reconnections policy
- Appendix 1: Definition of local connection
- Appendix 2: Communities and local government framework
- Appendix 3: Designated accommodation units
- Appendix 4: Agreement with Cambridge Cyrenians
Read more
You can read the annual report on homelessness for April 2007 - March 2008 or download quarterly reports and previous annual reports:
- Homelessness report April - June 2008
- Homelessness annual report 2006 - 2007
- Homelessness report October - December 2007
- Homelessness report July - September 2007
- Homelessness report April - June 2007
- Homelessness report January - March 2007
For more information email Robert Young or telephone him on 01223 457930.
What can I do to help?
There are plenty of ways in which you can help us combat rough sleeping:
- make a donation to the Alternative Giving Scheme. Collection boxes can be found at the railway station, the tourist information centre, the Grafton centre and various other places throughout the city
- contribute non-perishable food and goods to the food back boxes at some supermarkets
- volunteer to help for a few hours at a shelter. Contact Wintercomfort on 01223 518140 or Jimmy's Night Shelter on 01223 576085
Where can I find more information about rough sleeping and homelessness?
You may find the following links useful:
Government sites
Community-based sites
European Housing and Homelessness Issues
- EuroHousing - A joint site from People for Action and the National Housing Federation presenting European housing issues
- FEANTSA - The European Federation of National organisations working with the Homeless
- Housing Information Gateway