THE PANDEMIC will create a new type of homelessness, warns a charity founder.
Elaine Chalmers-Brown, who founded Bracknell-based Pilgrim Hearts Trust 20 years ago has warned that different people will become homeless due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The charity has been running a night shelter each winter for the last five years in Bracknell, and for this first time this year in Wokingham.
And during the two-month pilot for the Wokingham centre, 26 homeless people used the facilities.
But according to the borough council’s latest count, there were only seven rough sleepers documented across the borough.
Mrs Chalmers-Brown said: “The count works by going out at 2am, finding, waking up and documenting each case.
“But it’s done in November when it’s cold.
“These people are less likely to be in areas like car parks, and may have found indoor places to stay, such as on a sofa.
“Not everyone is going to be outdoors, so it warps the count.”
Recognising this, the council now have plans to carry out a second annual rough sleeper count in May.
But Mrs Chalmers-Brown is concerned that there will be a new wave of people affected by homelessness due to bankruptcy, housing evictions, and domestic violence within the pandemic.
“Under the coronavirus, people have begun to realise that Universal Credit is not a lot,” she added.
Mrs Chalmers-Brown said: “It’s £94 per week. Some private landlords won’t rent to people on Universal Credit and for others it isn’t enough to make the rent.”
This — she said — could create a rise in homelessness for people who have recently been made redundant and not previously at risk.
And Sue Jackson, founder of Wokingham In Need, said that demand for charity funding from her organisation is in high demand.
Their most recent donation to the Salvation Army was used to support people with the stress and anxiety they are facing in isolation.
Ms Jackson said: “Isolation is proving to be a huge problem for mental health. Some people have been furloughed and don’t know if they will even be going back to work.
“But people with no job at the moment still have mortgages and rent to pay, and mouths to feed.
“We’re supporting lots of charities across the borough helping these people.”
Earlier this year, the borough council published the Draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for the next three years.
And it focuses on hidden homelessness, to provide support for people who may be sleeping on sofas instead of streets.
Cllr John Kaiser, executive member for finance and housing at the borough council, said: “We’re hoping to become more flexible about who we take onto our books.
“We have a rolling average of about 300 people who are in some sort of need when it comes to housing. And approximately 800 people have put their name down on the housing list.
“And after the night shelter, we were able to house everybody believed to be homeless, bar one rough sleeper who wouldn’t accept council help.”
Cllr Kaiser explained that the borough council can provide three types of assistance to people in need of housing.
The first and most critical is for anyone with an immediate need for shelter. People who find themselves in this position — often due to domestic violence or a marriage breakdown — will be offered emergency, temporary accommodation.
And between April 2018 and March 2019, the council spent £255,359 providing this emergency accommodation — often in the form of B&Bs. They also have 36 temporary accommodation units, typically flats and the existing council-owned housing stock.
The second offer is for social housing, available at approximately 50% of the market rent value, and built by the council.
And the third offer is for affordable housing. Priced at approximately 80% of the market rent value, there were 365 affordable homes completed in 2018/19 across the borough.
“There is a huge misconception that everyone owns their own house,” added Cllr Kaiser. “That’s just not the case. And although more people in the borough might own their home compared to elsewhere in the country, many people rent.”
