Luton's homelessness issue is being tackled, says council

New research by Shelter says one in every 206 people in England are homeless

The council of a town that has the highest homelessness rate outside of London says it has been "working hard" to tackle the problem.

A recent report by Shelter said one in 66 people in Luton were homeless, compared to one in 53 in the capital.

Luton Borough Council said since April it had reduced the number of households in temporary accommodation from 1,220 to 1,143.

But it added that homelessness was a "complex issue" to deal with.

Signposts outreach workers go out in Luton to help rough sleepers

In November, the authority was approached by 415 households looking for assistance.

"Not only is this an extremely difficult situation for those affected, but also demands significant input from council finances," a spokesman said.

Signposts, a charity working in Luton and Dunstable, said "strong partnerships" had been established between homelessness, mental health and recovery services to find people homes.

Sam Price, from the organisation, said rough sleeping in Luton had "increased significantly" in the last 10 years, from an estimated three people in 2011 to 43 in 2019.

Its outreach team works with Noah Enterprise, East London Foundation Trust and Resolutions to offer support, and asks people to report rough sleepers to Streetlink to make sure they receive help.

Noah Enterprise has been working for more than 30 years in Luton to provide "hope and support" for people

"Luton has always had a reputation for pulling together when times get tough, so it's great to see how homelessness and health services have partnered to support people sleeping rough," he said.

Housing First, run by Noah Enterprise, said it had got 18 people off the streets in three years.

One of those helped, Shannon, now lives in a flat and said her life had been turned around by the charity.

"It got me the house, they were really good. They got me off the street and off the drugs. If I had to survive this winter on the streets, I don't think I would have," she said.

Paul Prosser said the charity had encouraged people to learn new skills and build self-esteem

Paul Prosser, its head of welfare and services, said long-term solutions involved tailoring support for each individual.

"Anyone who is a single homeless person can end up in the supported accommodation system, a hostel," he said.

"It can work for a lot of people but for some they don't succeed, they can feel abandoned and then drawn back to the streets or kicked out.

"We put people directly into a flat and they're not abandoned. It's intensive support, but as much as the individual needs," he added.

During the Christmas period, the council and other organisations are encouraging residents to donate time, money or items to the Big Change Luton campaign, organised by CVS Bedfordshire. It helps more than 20 local services tackle homelessness in the town.

Tim Archbold, chief executive of Signposts and chair of the Luton Homeless Partnership, said: "We know Luton is an incredibly generous town and there is no denying how hard it is to walk past someone out on the street in the cold."