Councillor calls for ‘borough-wide’ solution to homelessness problem

The borough’s homelessness services are too focused on Rochdale town centre, a councillor has warned.

Councillor Phil Burke has called on the council to look at providing ‘boroughwide support’, as areas such as Middleton are are also experiencing a noticeable increase in homelessness and rough sleeping.

He made the comments after the council’s head of neighbourhood services, Mark Widdup, addressed concerns over the support on offer to the homeless, rough-sleepers and ‘sofa-surfers’.

Mr Widdup told a meeting of the communties, regeneration and environment overview and scrutiny committe, how the council liaises with several organisations to support people in crisis and at risk of sleeping rough.

This includes working with The Sanctuary Trust, Petrus and Renaissance to ‘provide a package of support’ for individuals with ‘complex needs’.

Rochdale also participates in Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s A Bed Every Night initiative, which Mr Widdup said had been ‘very successful’.

He told the meeting: “This all suggests we work in strong partnership that starts off at the ground level with the wardens and staff but is supported by a multi-agency approach.”

But Councillor Burke said, while it was ‘great to see’ what was happening in Rochdale town centre, areas such as Middleton – which he represents – were seeing a similar increase in homelessness without the additional support.

He said: “We have fantastic services in Middleton such as Brentwood and Petrus helping people in need and homeless people.

“Once they shut if people need (extra) help and support they are told to come to Rochdale to seek it.

“People who are homeless and really struggling for cash can’t afford the money to pay for the bus fare to Rochdale to get the help and support.

“We need to be looking at – for Middleton especially – something like direct access where can have services in the town centre in Middleton offering help and support and maybe we will get a centre where we can look at beds for the night.”

He added: “Everything is focused on Rochdale and we are being left on the outskirts; we pick up what’s left over from Rochdale. We need a borough-wide scheme supporting everyone in our borough not just in Rochdale.

“I really do need to push this. We do need some form of direct access back in Middleton to offer help for the homeless and people that really need the support.”

Mr Widdup said he would raise Councillor Burke’s comments with officers and the cabinet member for housing, Councillor Daalat Ali.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter