£250k to be spent tackling homelessness in Lancaster amid fears rising costs could see more living on streets

The council’s funding for homeless services will increase by at least £50,000 in the new financial year, during which rising costs could see many more people struggling to pay their bills.

And some of those who were spared eviction during the height of the Covid pandemic could now face losing their homes too.

This double whammy of woe comes at a time when Lancaster’s only night shelter, provided by Christ Church for almost 30 years, has closed.

The church received a letter from Lancaster City Council citing health and safety concerns about the shelter, which can’t provide the type of accommodation now preferred by the authorities following the government’s commitment to end rough sleeping.

“It was with a heavy heart that we had to close the shelter, which was the only open access night shelter in the north west, but we are unable to provide the kind of accommodation required,” explained Christ Church vicar, Rev Carol Backhouse.

The dormitory accommodation provided not only camp beds, supper and breakfast but also friendship and support.

“People knew they would receive a warm welcome at our shelter and be accepted as human beings,” said Rev Backhouse.

The shelter’s closure has left a significant gap in overnight provision for those homeless people who have to wait to be assessed by the council.

“We’ve always worked closely with the night shelter as we provide a safety net for homeless people during the day and it was the safety net at night,” said Phil Moore, manager of Lancaster’s District Homeless Action Service (LDHAS) in Edward Street.

During the pandemic, LDHAS knows of 20 former clients who died, not from Covid but other illnesses linked to homelessness, and the service is now dealing with people with more complex needs including mental health, drugs and alcohol related problems and domestic abuse.

“People with more complex needs are not able to cope with living in bed and breakfasts and the accommodation found for them tends to be in Morecambe where they are removed from their support networks in Lancaster,” said Phil.

“It’s not the council’s fault, that’s where the accommodation is available, but it’s not where people with complex needs want to be.”

And LDHAS also helps those rough sleepers who come to Lancaster from away and have to be thoroughly assessed to see if they can be accommodated locally or have to return to their home towns. All this takes time.

Coun Cary Matthews, Lancaster City Council’s cabinet member for homelessness and housing, said the council had access to various forms of accommodation depending on an individuals requirements at any given time.

“We never leave anyone sleeping on the street if they want our help,” she said.

Between April and December 2021, the council carried out homeless assessments on 750 people. In January and February alone this year, 160 homeless presentations were made.

Recently, one homeless man claiming that the council hadn’t done enough to find him a home chained himself to a pillar at Lancaster Town Hall in protest.

The council said they had provided him with accommodation during the pandemic but he had decided to leave and refused other offers of alternative accommodation. However, since his protest, the man has been accommodated to his satisfaction.

The impact of the cost of living crisis is worrying for all those attempting to help homeless people.

Ever since it opened in Victorian times and became the church for people in Lancaster’s work house nearby, Christ Church has helped those in dire need and though its night shelter won’t re-open, it still supports the food bank.

“The cost of living crisis is a huge worry especially coming after the Covid pandemic which has left a hole in many people’s finances,” said Rev Backhouse.

“The night shelter was right for its time but whatever we do in future has to be sustainable.”

Recently, representatives from local churches, the council and LDHAS met to discuss how they might help those in need in the future.

This included provision for basic needs such as food, shelter, warmth, equipment, and accommodation as well as longer term support with the cost of living, financial help and specialist advice, health and wellbeing; and the importance of community and support networks in befriending. Another meeting to discuss the next steps will be held on April 25.

In the meantime, anyone worried about someone who might be rough sleeping or in danger of becoming homeless themselves can call the council on 01524 582257 during office hours or 01524 67099 outside office hours and at weekends, or email [email protected]

Anyone who can support LDHAS in any way should visit www.ldhas.org.uk, call 01524 842008 or email [email protected]

People can also donate to Lancaster District Street Aid which can give local homeless people a chance of turning their lives around. Visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/streetaid for more information.

Overall, Crisis estimated that around 227,000 people in the UK were experiencing the worst forms of homelessness – rough sleeping, sleeping in vans and sheds, and stuck in B&Bs – across England, Scotland and Wales in 2021.

English councils helped 268,560 households to prevent or relieve homelessness between April 2020 and March 2021.

Recent quarterly counts have shown a fall in the number of households requiring support from councils to help with homelessness. More than 67,000 households needed help between July and September 2021 in England, down four per cent on the same period in 2020.

However, there has been a surge in the number of households with children living in temporary accommodation. Almost 10,000 households were staying in B&Bs, hostels and other temporary accommodation between July and September 2021, up 15 per cent on the same period in 2020 and eight per cent higher than in 2019 before the pandemic.