Video: Andrew Cowper finds out how homelessness is being tackled in Notts
Nottingham’s homelessness problem is likely to get worse, according to a city planning and housing leader.
As of September this year, more than 350 people had slept rough in the city since January, according to homeless charity Framework.
And Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing at Nottingham City Council and Labour member Jane Urquhart thinks says the situation will only get worse as welfare cuts begin to take effect.
She said: “I think that some of the welfare cuts that are coming further down the line will make the situation worse.
“There are further restrictions to eligibility to housing benefits that are going to come on stream in the next few years.
“While more recently the Government said there won’t be any new welfare cuts, the cuts that have already been imposed have yet to take their full impact.”
One of Nottingham’s regular rough sleepers shared some of his experiences on the street with Notts TV.
John Ball said: “I’ve had people coming up to me asking for sexual favours.
“It’s scary because you don’t know if they’ve come back or not or follow you and that is really really scary.
“These are grown men, 40 or 50-year-olds, asking for it and offering payment.”
Framework’s outreach manager has said that the rising trend of the amount of rough sleepers is continuing.
Jason Marriott said: “We’ve seen a rise in rough sleeping levels since 2010, since austerity really.
“Nottingham isn’t immune to that where we’ve seen a rise in the amount of people rough sleeping as well.
“Over the last year, particularly since early summer, we’ve seen a real sharp rise; every single morning we’re responding to referrals of rough sleepers.
“We’re taking over 200 calls per day.”
The Government says it is putting £139 million into different homelessness charities and organisations.
Marcus Jones MP, local government minister, has also said the number of homeless young people has also fallen by 14 per cent in the last five years.
