THE coronavirus pandemic has been a 'once in a generation opportunity' in the fight against rough sleeping and homelessness in Newport.

That is according to Welsh homelessness charity The Wallich.

There are, according to figures from both The Wallich and Newport City Council (NCC), currently around 13 people sleeping rough on Newport's streets.

"This is very similar to the number of people on the streets this time last year, but dramatically lower than before the pandemic where saw an average of 30 people per day," said a spokesperson for the Wallich.

"We have seen a reduction in repeat homelessness because effective partnership working has been working positively for the people we support.

"Unfortunately, however, there is still a steady number of new individuals presenting as homeless.”

NCC said that the services available to rough sleepers through the council and partners are as follows:

  • The Wallich provides a breakfast run which includes a welfare check each week day;
  • Breakfast is provided on weekends by Eden Gate;
  • Throughout the day, an assertive outreach team works with those on the streets;
  • A team of dedicated support staff works to help people maintain their temporary accommodation;
  • Housing First has 25 places specifically for entrenched rough sleepers and these are currently filled.

"Working in partnership has been so important to successful work with people experiencing homelessness in Newport," said a Wallich spokesperson.

"The pandemic has been a once in a generation opportunity to dramatically reduce homelessness.”

The Wallich explained that, during the pandemic, issues such as priority needs testing and local connections were pushed aside in a drive to protect the homeless from Covid-19.

"The priority became to get everyone with a housing need inside," they said.

"The policy has been up for discussion for a good while by experts in the sector as a barrier to support."

There was also an increase in funding for hotels and B&Bs as emergency accommodation, which helped to get people off the streets.

The council’s housing team has taken on an additional 40 units of temporary accommodation (140 bed spaces) during the pandemic and now has more than 350 bed spaces, as well as block booking safe bed and breakfast accommodation.

"The momentum of the pandemic-inspired drive to respond to the homelessness emergency is moving in the right direction," said a Wallich spokesperson.

However, plans for 12 self-contained pods, intended to be used as temporary accommodation, were refused due to conservation concerns.

Five councillors voted to refuse the application, compared to four councillors voting to approve it.

The council’s conservation officer objected to the application and said: “The building’s form, proportion and finishes and its relationship with the street seem to be entirely at odds with the character of the area.”

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At present Newport City Council accommodates around 74 people each month who have been previously sleeping rough.

"As of the end of October, 385 households are living in temporary accommodation and we are consistently offering accommodation to around 20 people a month who have a history of sleeping rough," said an NCC spokesperson.

An issue being faced is that of moving people on from temporary housing into a more permanent home.

The Wallich rely on the private rented sector for help with this, but they say they welcome some of the initiatives in the Welsh Government Homelessness Action Plan.

The council say they are successfully moving on 19 households per month into social housing or the private rented sector.

Council staff are working with registered social landlords to increase the availability of accommodation and offering financial assistance to provide more private rented sector tenancies.

"During the winter, the council will continue to follow the Welsh Government guidelines by providing support and accommodation to those sleeping out," a spokesperson said.

"Partners, including police, third sector and the NHS, meet regularly to review the rough sleeping strategy."