Source: City of Portsmouth
A progress report to be discussed by Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet has set out the current funding situation for rough sleepers in the city and unveiled the new plans. [Rough Sleeping funding update.pdf]
The rough sleeping hub has operated out of a temporary space in Elm Grove for the last four years and the council is grateful for the support from businesses and residents in the area. Now the hub is set to move to 6 Queen Street, Portsea and is due to open on 1 April this year. The premise move will provide rough sleepers and the staff that work with them with a newly-renovated venue, whilst also creating the opportunity to provide help more quickly and in a more joined-up way.
The rough sleeping hub is a free service that anyone who is sleeping rough can access. It provides people with breakfast, hot drinks, shower and laundry facilities, access to the internet, locker facilities for people to store their belongings, and help with clothing. Around 15 to 20 people access the service on a typical day.
Staff help people to address their immediate needs, including help with benefits, registering with a GP, help with substance misuse problems, and help to find accommodation.
People using the hub can also access activities including educational sessions to help people improve their literacy and numeracy skills, and life-skills workshops.
The current hub was opened as a temporary solution during the Covid-19 pandemic and is based in a repurposed flat within a residential block and has limitations.
The new hub will provide more facilities, laid out in a better way, and will include more showers and lockers, better meeting spaces, and an enclosed, off-street, smoking area. The council carried out a full feasibility study on available buildings within the budget for the project, carefully considering factors including ease of access for people who are rough sleeping, proximity to other support services, and potential community impact.
Cllr Darren Sanders, Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness, said: “Not everyone who is homeless sleeps rough, but those who do are often experiencing a very difficult time in their lives. The council and our partners work very hard to make sure time spent sleeping rough is prevented, and where that is not possible, is for as short a period as possible. The new hub will help with this, providing people with much-needed privacy and dignity, as well as access to further help.
“We work to provide the best possible service for people experiencing homelessness with the funds that we are given from government, but we are never given enough to help as much as we need to. That’s why we allocated £203,000 in the council’s budget last year to fund the setting up of this new hub.”
The hub runs alongside the council’s rough sleeping pathway which provides over 100 beds across the city to prevent and shorten the incidences of rough sleeping. In the twelve-month period between July 2023 and June 2024, 301 people were provided with accommodation in the pathway as an alternative to rough sleeping. In the same twelve-month period, 155 people moved successfully from the pathway to suitable alternative housing. There were only 11 evictions from the pathway during those 12 months.
It is anticipated that the relocation of the rough sleeping hub will reduce the number of people accessing support in Elm Grove, which is a busy area with a high concentration of shops, pubs, restaurants, and other local businesses. The council also provides accommodation in Elm Grove that will remain.
The rough sleeping team has learnt a lot over the previous four years and the new premises have been designed to reduce issues and minimise disruption to the local area. The council will be working with local residents and businesses to ensure a smooth transition.
The average number of people sleeping rough each month in Portsmouth has fallen slightly for 2024/25 to 53, whilst across the country numbers continue to rise. Government policies such as early prison release have put increased pressure on rough sleeping services.
In December 2024 the government announced that one further year’s funding would be provided to local authorities for rough sleeping interventions. After March 2026 rough sleeping will be funded differently, and the government has said the council will be expected to “reduce demand for rough sleeping services, focus on those with most complex needs and least likely to access services, and establish a sustainable approach to community integration that prevents returns to rough sleeping and homelessness”. The council is working hard to understand how to further evolve and improve its services for rough sleepers, and has developed an action plan as part of its five year homelessness strategy. [Homelessness Strategy 2024]
Find out more about the rough sleeping hub Sleeping rough – Portsmouth City Council]
If you’re concerned about someone you think is sleeping rough, go to the StreetLink website and log the details. Local agencies can then try to connect the person with help available.