Milton Keynes City Council is encouraging the public to share information about people experiencing rough sleeping to ensure they can get the right help.
Over the past month, the city council has stepped in to provide emergency overnight accommodation to nearly 30 people who would have otherwise faced the freezing nights outdoors.
With temperatures set to further plummet, members of the public are encouraged to alert the city council to anyone they see sleeping rough via Street Link. This notifies the city council and allows colleagues to visit the individual to offer accommodation and connect them to vital services.
The city centre accommodation offers 19 people at a time with a place to stay and is open every night of the year. Council colleagues and partners are onsite to provide essential support, and the space also includes shower and kitchen facilities.
The city council works all year round to support vulnerable people who are rough sleeping to help them secure a life off the streets for good. No one needs money to get into its shelter, which offers a safe space, facilities and ongoing support. While not everyone is ready to take the first step straight away, city council colleagues don’t give up on anyone.
“No one in Milton Keynes needs to be sleeping on the streets. There’s help available and we urge anyone who needs support to get in touch. The team have been working particularly hard over the last few weeks to ensure people are offered accommodation during these harsh winter nights.
“Accommodation is available all year and we urge people to get in touch with us if they see someone sleeping rough, so we can get them the support they need.”