Rough sleepers brought in from cold in city

Liverpool activated its severe weather emergency protocol for homeless people this week

Almost two dozen rough sleepers were brought in from freezing conditions on the first night of a city's emergency weather programme.

On Monday, snow fell in Liverpool and across Merseyside as temperatures dropped to freezing for the first time in 2024.

Rough sleeping increased in the city throughout 2024 when compared to the same period last year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The average number of people seen each night rough sleeping between April and September 2024 was 30, an increase on the average of 22 people seen per night over the same period in 2023.

Each year in preparation for winter, Liverpool City Council block books hotel rooms and provides "sit-up spaces" as part of its severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) response.

Kath Wallace, the council's commissioning director, said Liverpool operates a "more generous" trigger temperature than other parts of the country.

'Come indoors'

SWEP is activated when temperatures drop to two degrees on any single night, compared to zero degrees for three nights or more elsewhere nationally.

The protocol usually runs from December until March but was activated early by the sudden drop in temperatures earlier this week.

Over the last three winters, Liverpool has triggered SWEP on an average of seven occasions and 25 nights each winter.

During 2023-24, 124 people were placed using SWEP, compared to 78 the year before.

Ms Wallace said officials hoped the reinstatement of the winter night assessment hub would take place in December.

Last winter, during the 12 weeks it operated, 148 people used the service with 130 of those staying at least one night.

The hub has been provided to the council for free during the winter period, Ms Wallace confirmed as she revealed 22 people required support on Monday alone.

Additional bed and breakfast space has already been secured for those in need.

Ms Wallace said: "Everybody who is out has an invitation to come indoors. Unfortunately during that period not everyone will come indoors."