Quick one:
I’ve been searching for updated government guidance on hostel and day centre provision during the coronavirus and can’t find it anywhere. On 25 March, Gov.uk said it would be updated soon. I’m not sure what date the government had in mind for Soon, but I’m thinking that we have yet to arrive at it.
Am also looking for any government guidance for councils and/or others who are housing homeless families in cramped (often single room) hostels and emergency or temporary housing – housing in which people can’t isolate from other family members, because they only have one room to live in. I don’t necessarily mean shared accommodation, although that’s relevant. I mean temporary or emergency accommodation where people have their own kitchen and bathroom, such as they are, but only have a single room to live in. Hostel accommodation is often as cramped as that – several people living in one room. Family members who need to isolate have nowhere to go in those places..
If you’ve seen updated guidance for people in these scenarios – or any guidance at all – along the above lines, you’re welcome to leave a comment, or to contact me here if that is better. I’m hoping that I’ve just missed those things and that they are not actually missing.
There’s this from 2019 but it says at the bottom “Page last reviewed: March 24, 2020”
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/plan-prepare-respond.html
And just this from 25th March:
“Public Health England will be issuing updated guidance for those working with people who are experiencing rough sleeping and living in hostel environments as soon as possible.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-services-for-people-experiencing-rough-sleeping/covid-19-guidance-for-hostel-or-day-centre-providers-of-services-for-people-experiencing-rough-sleeping
Cheers – yes it’s that 25 March not-updated page which I keep getting sent back to and there’s nothing there. I wonder if Johnson’s brush with death drew attention/focus away from not so pressing matters such as cramped homelessness accommodation during a virus outbreak
It’s like they’ve conveniently forgotten about it, or just decided there’s nothing more to add.
I suppose I expect too much… A government lead by a weapons grade twat who brags about shaking hands during a viral epidemic then nearly dies as a result is probably not good at detail or projection. Also there are 1000000s of people about whom our leaders do not give a shit.
I have asking the same question, what monitoring has there been of the 48 hours to house homeless people instruction of Mar 31 (I Think) ?
I know the Leicester CC claim to have rented 10 properties to house people with Corvid19 symptoms and they also apparently are using B&Bs; but other than this no other news beside the usual statements of no one needing to be homeless! There are also no plans available for what happens after the pandemic is deemed over.
I considered submitting a FOI but am almost sure it will be refused due to the pandemic. I may do it anyway but as there is little to no scrutiny here, thanks to our ‘Labour’ mayor…
Thanks for continuing to battle Kate
Might be worth doing an FOI anyway…? Let me know what you think as I was considering one myself.
Thing is – as you say, it’s the ongoing situation that’s an issue.
Wtf is all this talk about a Coronavirus App? What’s it for? What does it do? What about all the people who don’t have a smartphone, or those who’s phone is out of date? Even Whatsapp stopped working on my phone as Microsoft no longer supports Windows 8.1 ,so I doubt the new app will work on my phone, even if I knew how to work it. I know loads of people who don’t have a smartphone, either because they are elderly and don’t want one or are too poor to afford one.
Here’s a link to a petition calling for a public enquiry into the Government’s handling of the Coronavirus emergency:
https://t.co/a6n3oWS9S7
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A petition from 38 Degrees:
“As coronavirus case numbers continue to grow, it is vital that everyone is able to play their part. That means staying at home, safely. But for some people, that’s not possible – not even if they have symptoms.
If you’re homeless, it’s near impossible to keep yourself – or others around you – safe by self-isolating. That’s why, during the first lockdown, the government launched an emergency scheme to find every homeless person a safe, warm place to stay.
But housing charities are slamming the government for winding down that scheme – just as a new, more infectious strain of the virus takes hold and the freezing winter months make the prospect of homelessness all the more dangerous.
We know what the government needs to do – because they did it last time: ensure all of us are safe by ensuring everyone has somewhere safe to stay. Please will you sign the petition demanding the government do that for homeless people now?
Will you join me and sign the petition today?”
https://bit.ly/2Lv05gs
Record number of families are living in temporary accommodation – figures for Yorkshire
“A record number of households and children are living in temporary accommodation, government figures have revealed.
A total of 104,510 households in England were in temporary housing at the end of March this year, according to data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. This is the highest number to date. The figures have risen since December which were at 101,300.
Almost 65,000 of those households have dependent children, leaving a total of 131,370 kids without a permanent home.That too is a record. The number of households living in temporary accommodation has more than doubled from the 50,400 recorded in 2010 when the Conservative-led coalition came to power.”
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/record-number-families-living-temporary-27403953