Homeless: New deal offered by council

Shirley Kennedy

A new deal for the homeless has been worked out between the council and ‘Chill-Out’ campaigners. This was outlined at a meeting yesterday which was attended by senior councillors and council officers, including Councillor Terry Linden whose portfolio includes housing, and Councillor Jean Hornby who is responsible for adult care.

It was acknowledged by all that the previous policy did not meet the needs of homeless people in many respects and Councillor Linden, who chaired the meeting, thanked ‘Chill-Out’ for raising the issue and said that he looked forward to working with the group to ensure that the new proposals worked and that any problems could be worked through in partnership.

He reminded everyone that the council was still operating under tight financial restrictions but both he and Councillor Hornby felt confident that the new measures would work. These would hopefully include an end to people being put into unsuitable B&B accommodation outside the Borough and a clearly understood and accessible system for those in urgent need with support being put in place for those who required it to help them to deal with health and social issues.

‘Chill-Out’ was formed by Rochdale Online (RO) forum members in response to cuts in the provision of emergency beds earlier on this year. This resulted in the closure of the Salvation Army hostel at Providence House and the cuts in funding to other homeless charities. The campaign had received international support through blogs and social networking. It called off a mass sleep-out protest on the steps of the Town Hall after the council had offered an urgent review of its strategy and talks with members of the campaign.

After the meeting, Pete Hinchliffe, ‘Chill-Out’ co-organiser who posts on the RO forum as ‘Hinch,’ said: “Homelessness in the Borough is a growing problem and has increased by over 200% in a year. Let’s be clear about this, the problem won’t go away but we believe that the new measures being put in place will restore the safety net and ensure that there is a clearly understood system in place.

"Of course, the acid-test of any policy is whether or not it actually works.

"We wish to thank all those involved for their hard work and also to our supporters including Rochdale online and other media.”

“‘Chill-Out’ has not gone away and we will continue to work with the council to ensure that the homeless are treated with compassion and that the council continues to deliver under its statutory obligations.

"‘Chill-Out’ has proved that people really can make a difference when they feel that something is wrong and have organised and informed support.”

Co-organiser, Shirley Kennedy, who posts on the RO forum as ‘Spartacus’, told Rochdale Online: “There is an awful lot of PR speak about 'partnership working' which far too often is nothing more than hot air and platitudes when it comes down to basics.

"There was something different about today's meeting though; from the start it was obvious that the people gathered around the table had a genuine desire and determination to work together to drive things forward. Politics and agendas had been stripped away and replaced with common sense and compassion. If this kind of approach to working together continues we can look forward to the development of a positive and compassionate policy that the Borough can be proud of.”

A ‘provider event’ involving the various charities working on homelessness issues wills to be held at the Town Hall on 16 July to roll out the new policy.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/68755/chillout-homeless-protest-set-for-town-hall

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/69677/mp-slams-policy-on-rochdales-homeless-at-last