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Shelter responds to £3.2 million emergency support for rough sleepers during coronavirus outbreak

Posted 17 Mar 2020

Shelter responds to announcement of £3.2 million emergency support for rough sleepers during coronavirus outbreak. 

Polly Neate, chief executive at Shelter, said: "We understand how critical it is for people to be able to self-isolate, and how incredibly difficult this would be for anyone sleeping rough. So this emergency funding for councils to make extra accommodation available is extremely helpful and welcome. 

"It is the right thing to do when people sleeping rough already face very serious health risks and trauma. It is much harder to keep healthy if you are living on the street or relying on night buses and derelict buildings for refuge, which is why any efforts to ensure people’s lives are not put at extra risk should be prioritised.     

"This is why we are also urging the government to follow suit with additional funding and support for councils to help homeless families living in shared temporary accommodation. At present it is very hard for those families, if not impossible, for them to follow isolation guidance because they are sharing kitchens and bathrooms with strangers and often living in a single room.”