Posted03.04.20
Lack of funding threatens homeless people given shelter by the GLA, post-pandemic
Over the weekend (30.03.20-31.03.20), the Greater London Authority (GLA) advanced its plans to house all rough sleepers in London in an unprecedented move to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Evolve is celebrating the operation, which was carried out by the GLA, St Mungo’s, Single Homeless Project, Thames Reach, Depaul and Look Ahead and other homelessness organisations, as news begins to circulate of its wide success. The joint collaboration between organisational experts, government advisers and the Greater London Authority prove that it is possible to address the first issue of homelessness; not having a shelter.
Evolve Housing + Support is now calling for urgent crisis critical funding to the homelessness support sector to ensure that it is still there to ‘break the cycle of homelessness’ after the crisis recedes. Charities across the UK are under serious threat of collapse after it was revealed that many are struggling to outlast the financial effects of coronavirus.
A survey carried out by the Institute of Fundraising, the NCVO and the Charity Finance Group, found that charities expected to see an average decline of 48% in fundraiser income and are currently seeing a rise in demand for their services of 43 per cent on average.
Evolve Housing + Support CEO Jeremy Gray said: “We are now in the unusual and very welcome position where rough sleepers across London have been offered temporary housing in hotels. We strongly support this initiative.
“We are now keen to understand the future direction of strategy once those hotels close. It is crucial that government takes the opportunity to permanently rehouse these former rough sleepers and ensure they can finally break the cycle of homelessness.”
