Efforts to tackle Bristol’s homelessness crisis stepped up with the launch of a £5.3M project

Bristol’s homelessness crisis is worsening, with 74 people forced to sleep out on the streets, according to the latest figures.

Efforts to tackle the problem and help rough sleepers get out of the cold were stepped up this week with the launch of a new £5.3m partnership, aimed at providing better and more consistent support services for those who need them.

This coordinated approach will see Bristol City Council, with partners from St Mungo’s, Second Step, The Salvation Army, Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA) and other agencies, work together as part of the Bristol Pathway.

It will focus on four pathways to recovery: men-only accommodation led by The Salvation Army, mixed accommodation led by Second Stop, women-only accommodation led by St Mungo’s and substance misuse Housing led by ARA.

Graham England, ARA chief executive, Sarah Minns, Second Step new business officer, Paul Smith cabinet member for homes and communities, Tom Rhodes, Bristol City Council commissioning editor, Mark Banfield, Salvation Army Contracts Manager and Helen Denyer, St Mungo’s regional head

Paul Smith, Bristol City Council’s cabinet lead for housing, said: “At a time when affordable housing in Bristol is very difficult to access, it is vital that services are better matched to people’s needs and that we are doing all we can to encourage independence for residents, enabling them to move more quickly into mainstream housing as their support needs are met.”

Each pathway is provided under a five year contract, with an option to extend for a further two years and the services are divided into levels of support, with referrals made into the accommodation appropriate to the needs of the individual.

The launch of the new contactless donation point at Bristol Energy

The launch of the project comes in the same week that St Mungo’s introduced a new contactless donation point at Bristol Energy, enabling people to use their bank cards to pay £2, which goes directly to the city’s night shelters in a drive to help rough sleepers off the streets.

“There is nothing else like this in Bristol and we believe we are the first in the UK to introduce these donation stations,” said David Ingerslev, project manager at St Mungo’s and Rough Sleeping Partnership lead.

“It is simple, immediate and will directly help people to be safer off the streets. It is free for people to stay at our night shelters, but we rely heavily on fundraising and volunteers.

“The stations are helping bring new support to the original #SOSBristol campaign. It is vital we connect with people rough sleeping and offer then a safer life away from the streets. It is dangerous for anyone to be sleeping rough, dangerous to their physical and mental health.

“We would continue to encourage people to make referrals via StreetLink.org.uk as this helps us reach people quickly and can help us ensure no one has a second night out on the streets of Bristol.”

First introduced this summer with contactless stations in Broadmead, the new approach to helping the homeless has proved a success, raising almost £3,000 in just over four months and gaining national interest.

Bristol Energy’s Vikki Rogers demonstrates how to work the new contactless point

Peter Haigh, managing director of Bristol Energy said: “Homelessness in Bristol has become a very visible issue, and people want to know what they can do to help. We hope to raise lots of money for what is a hugely important cause in our city.”

The night shelters are run by St Mungo’s, The Julian Trust, Caring in Bristol and Crisis Centre Ministries, who are all part of the Rough Sleeping Partnership, set up by Bristol City Council to tackle the problem of street homelessness in the city.

Read more: True extent of Bristol’s homelessness crisis revealed