Cherisse Dealtry, chief executive of Woking-based homelessness charity York Road Project, has welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plans to end rough sleeping, notably an ambitious new target that nobody is sleeping rough over Christmas.
“It is a bold and important goal, and one that those of us working across homelessness services, housing, health and social care fully support,” she said.
However, Cherisse emphasises that providing a bed for the night is not the only thing needed to stop people sleeping rough for good.
“At York Road Project we are committed to supporting people away from the streets, but accommodation capacity is under significant pressure and demand for help continues to grow.
“Success should not simply be measured by how many people are brought indoors for Christmas, but by how many remain safely housed, supported and rebuilding their lives long afterwards.
“Ultimately, ending rough sleeping means building a system that sees the whole person, responds to the complexity of their circumstances, and provides the housing and support needed to sustain lasting change.”
Across the Woking area in the last few years, York Road Project has supported a growing number of people with highly complex needs, including poor mental health, substance misuse, trauma and repeated accommodation breakdowns.
The charity’s 30 years of experience have led them to believe that a single, accommodation-focussed approach is unlikely to be enough.
“If we are serious about ending rough sleeping for good,” Cherisse added, “investment must focus on both housing solutions and people solutions. This means increasing accommodation capacity, delivering intensive wraparound support, developing a skilled workforce and strengthening multi-agency partnership working.
“We also know that people experiencing homelessness rarely face just one challenge. Mental health issues, substance misuse, housing instability, physical health problems and past trauma are often experienced together.
“The most effective responses are those that see the person as a whole and bring services together around their needs, rather than expecting individuals to navigate multiple systems, funding arrangements and referral pathways separately.”
Nonetheless, York Road Project point to the Everyone In initiative, developed at speed during the Covid-19 pandemic, as an example of how increased funding and the availability of accommodation can lead to impressive results for people sleeping rough.
“The success of Everyone In showed what can be achieved when there is a shared commitment, flexibility and sufficient accommodation available,” said Cherisse. “It proved that people can be brought in from the streets and supported.
“However, that response was only possible through access to hotels, conference centres and other emergency accommodation options that are no longer available at the same scale today.”
However, Cherisse has recently had to respond in the News & Mail to criticism of York Road Project’s work with the homeless, including an accusation that those it supports are “thugs” and “criminals”.
Explaining the changing climate, she said: “The main reason why we have heard more negative comments recently is that when homelessness becomes more visible people are less comfortable with it.
“Homelessness has become more visible on a national scale due to the Prime Minister’s comments. But additionally, in recent months there has been increased visibility of homelessness in Woking, with a very small number of individuals gathering in local spaces or sleeping in tents.”
“One person for every 275 Woking residents has knocked on our door in the last two years and asked for help avoiding homelessness. It’s not as rare as people might think.
“By opening conversations and increasing understanding, we can ensure that Woking remains a place where everybody feels welcome, valued and part of the community.”
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