Milton Keynes Council has offered every rough sleeper in Milton Keynes somewhere safe to stay during the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 100 homeless people in MK accepted MKC’s help and have been staying in hotels or other accommodation with access to food and additional support services.
The council’s outreach team never gives up on anyone and is continuing to engage with rough sleepers, encouraging them to take up accommodation.
Along with its partners, the council will then provide additional support to help people through the often very complicated reasons they became homeless in the first place.
Anyone wishing to give money towards getting rough sleepers off the streets for good should to donate to the Milton Keynes Homelessness Partnership by tapping a donation point in CMK or visiting here
The council urges local people to think twice before giving money directly to people begging, as though meant kindly it can fund addiction, with potentially fatal consequences.
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MK Council is also proactively reaching out to those people who are at risk of becoming homeless and offering help to ensure they do not end up sleeping rough.
As lockdown restrictions start to ease and MK reopens for business, the council is seeking further guidance from government on what additional support will be made available to support former rough sleepers, so they’re not faced with another night on the streets.
Cabinet Member responsible for Homelessness, Councillor Hannah O’Neill said: “Ending rough sleeping in MK is one of our biggest priorities. We want people to know that there is support available and nobody in MK needs to be on the streets. We’ll keep working to engage everyone who is rough sleeping, so we can provide extra support.
“We’re at a critical juncture and working hard to provide additional help to prevent people becoming homeless. My thanks go out to council colleagues who are out every day, helping the most vulnerable in our communities during these challenging times.”
