Cllr Alan Hall has joined housing campaigners, Shelter by writing to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on the tory Government to take “urgent action to protect people at risk of being on the streets as a result of the pandemic.”
This follows the tragic news that a homeless person sleeping rough at Bell Green, died. In a response to a formal Council Question at Lewisham Council’s meeting held on 25th November 2020, Cllr Alan Hall asked for a review of the case to learn any lessons and for the Coroner to be contacted, if necessary. He received an undertaking that this would be done.
Cllr Alan Hall’s Question is at 57 minutes
Shelter have said that a new lockdown means we need new protections. The Government needs to provided enough support to those who are homeless or threatened by homelessness as a result of the latest lockdown as a matter of urgency.
The full text of the letter is here:
Dear Prime Minister,
Since the announcement of a new national lockdown your government are yet to lay out all the protections needed that will help those threatened by homelessness.
Over the last year, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs, with a rapidly growing number of people also under threat of losing their homes.
Shelter advice services are hearing from more and more people in need of accommodation.
With more bitterly cold weather forecasted, we need you to take urgent action to protect people at risk of being on the streets as a result of the pandemic. We want you to:
• Publish clear guidance to dire councils to provide sage emergency accommodation to everyone at risk of the streets
• Provide financial support to renters to help pay off arrears built up due to COVID-19
• Scrap the benefit cap and review housing benefit rates to ensure people can pay the rent, and to prevent growing rent arrears and eviction
We need urgent action now to help those facing housing issues at this difficult time. Please do everything in your power to ensure everyone have a warm, dry and safe place to live during the pandemic.
Cllr Alan Hall
Join the campaign here