At this week’s full council meeting, Cllr. Steven Bletsoe (Ind, Bridgend Central) asked how the council determines who counts as a rough sleeper or not? He also sought clarity on precisely how rough sleepers were recorded and monitored.
Cllr. Bletsoe thought the written answer he received ahead of the meeting contained inaccuracies.
In the written response, it was said that in April 2022 there were three rough sleepers recorded in Bridgend, when Welsh Government statistics published in June – using council-provided information – showed that by the end of April 2022 there were actually eight.
He had spoken to organisations that have worked with rough sleepers. From their experience, they believe rough-sleeping in Bridgend is under-reported. How can information gathering be improved to protect the “most vulnerable people in the county”?
Extra £2million invested in homelessness services
Council Leader, Cllr. Huw David (Lab, Pyle, Kenfig Hill & Cefn Cribwr) promised to seek further clarity over the figures.
He went on to say that BCBCl works closely with homelessness organisations and social landlords to understand the extent of the problem and there have been increases in the number of homeless people more generally in Bridgend over the last year.
An additional £2million was provided to deal with homelessness in the last budget. This not only covers accommodation but also support services and mediation – with family breakdown said to be one of the main causes of homelessness in Bridgend.
