Emergency weather shelters open for rough sleepers

There were an estimated 9,079 people sleeping rough in England over the month of September 2024, according to government figures

Authorities in Kent, Surrey and Sussex have activated Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (SWEP) to provide shelter for rough sleepers.

Each local council has its own criteria for deploying SWEP, but it generally comes into force when temperatures are set to fall below 0C or an ice and snow weather warning is issued.

The protocol provides rough sleepers with emergency shelter overnight. Councils may also be able to provide accommodation for a person's dog.

Anyone concerned for a person sleeping rough can notify their local outreach service via StreetLink. A team will then be sent to check on the person's welfare and offer them SWEP shelter.

"The SWEP solution and type of accommodation may differ from local authority area to area but will generally provide a safe and warm place for street-homeless people to stay overnight," said a spokesperson for Maidstone Borough Council.

According to the charity Homeless Link, there is no mandatory requirement for a council to provide emergency shelter during severe conditions but there is a "humanitarian obligation" on them to prevent deaths on the streets caused by winter weather.

Councils previously activated SWEP if temperatures were expected to drop below freezing for three nights in a row, in an attempt to define severe weather, but this has widely been swapped for a "common sense" approach, the charity said.

A person in need of SWEP accommodation should make contact with their local council or street outreach team.