News / Homeless
Tents pitched to highlight rough sleeping consultation
A huddle of tents has been erected under the trees on College Green to highlight the issue of homelessness in Bristol. The protest follows the launch of two consultations into rough sleeping encampments and vehicle dwelling.
Members of Bristol Housing Action Movement were busy pitching tents on Monday lunchtime.
The tents, which volunteers had collected from festivals around the region including last year’s Glastonbury Festival, saving them from landfill, are handed out to homeless people who need them in Bristol by the grassroots organisation.
is needed now More than ever
Protesters want to “bring the issue to the council’s door”
It is collections of tents like this that would be clamped down on in the council’s rough sleeping encampment proposal.
While rough sleepers are being rehoused and given temporary accommodation at St Mungo’s, Bristol Waste collectors and employees of Bristol’s parks would be instructed to remove waste and to store the property and possessions of anyone sleeping on council-owned land, which includes the city’s parks.
Anyone refusing to engage could be faced with legal action and eviction.
“There are issues with the proposals that we want to highlight,” group spokesperson Simon Jones told Bristol24/7.
“For example, we want to ask the council why, so far, homeless people have not been consulted on their views. They’re not talking to those who will be affected.
“Lots of homeless people say they don’t want to go into hostels because of the chronic drug dealing and people getting robbed and attacked, yet the policy proposes outsourcing the entire policy to St Mungo’s night shelter.”
Jones added: “We’re bringing this issue to the council’s door. There’s a homelessness crisis and increasing levels of poverty: it needs to be addressed but not in the way the council is doing it.”
Group spokesperson Simon Jones, left, with other members of the organisation
Paul Smith, the council’s cabinet member for housing has championed the proposal. He said: “We have got a growing issue in Bristol of people finding all sorts of ways of living, given the housing crisis.
“There is a concern that we have been dealing with these things on an ad hoc basis, so the purpose of this consultation is to go out to the public and find a consistent approach that respects everybody, including people sleeping rough, those in vehicles and people who live or work near these encampments.
“Sleeping on the streets or in a vehicle is not a safe, long term solution and our priority is to get people into suitable accommodation. We are currently consulting on draft policies for supporting and managing vehicle dwelling encampments and rough sleeping encampments to make sure we have the right approach. Our aim is to have a fair process that is able to support people but which allows us to take appropriate actions when they are needed.
“We’re having conversations with a wide range of people across the city to develop a fair and appropriate policy approach. I’d encourage anyone who wants to help with this, including Bristol Housing Action Movement, to take part in our current consultation.”
The consultations run for eight weeks, closing on August 26. View and complete the consultation for rough sleepers via bristol.citizenspace.com/communities/vehicle-dwelling-encampments. View and complete the consultation for rough sleepers via bristol.citizenspace.com/communities/rough-sleeping-encampments-consultation.
Drop in times for rough sleepers who would like to comment on the proposals take place at The Compass Centre on Wednesday July 18 from 2-5pm, Tuesday July 24 from 5-7pm and Monday July 30 from 12-3pm, and also at The Wild Goose Cafe on Thursday July 26 from 1.30-3.30pm.
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