Homeless hub planned for Wandsworth would provide beds for rough sleepers and help finding a home

A new centre could be built to offer accommodation at short notice to rough sleepers in a South London borough for the first time. Wandsworth Council has submitted plans to convert an office in Battersea into a rough sleeper hub to tackle street homelessness.

Council officers put together the plans after working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) on ways to bridge gaps in provision for rough sleepers in Wandsworth. The council submitted initial proposals in September but has now provided more details in an updated application.

A report submitted with the updated application said Wandsworth has 'never had any provision that rough sleepers can be placed in at short notice' which means they are placed in 'expensive temporary accommodation far from the borough and without access to locally-provided support services'. It added that efforts to 'bring people off the streets are significantly hampered by this lack of provision'.

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The report said the DLUHC has allocated grant funding for the proposed rough sleeper hub, which would bring together specialist services and provide rough sleepers with essentials such as food, clothes and transport. The hub would have nine bedrooms - with one bedroom for women and eight for men, based on CHAIN data from April 2020 indicating 122 out of 765 verified rough sleepers in Wandsworth were female. The other bedrooms could accommodate women if needed. It would also have offices, a kitchen and communal space.

The hub would be based on a short-stay assessment model - with a target 28-day stay for residents before moving on, although this would vary depending on their needs. Each resident would have a housing officer to explore suitable options and a support worker responsible for their welfare. Staff would aim to find long-term housing for residents to move on to, although they could also explore other alternative short-term options like temporary accommodation.

There would be staff at the hub 24 hours a day, with specialist rough sleeper workers from 7.30am to 7.30pm on weekdays and at least two trained staff members on evenings, nights and weekends. A maximum of 16 staff would be working at the hub at any one time.

The report added: "The beds available at the hub will reduce the need to place into temporary accommodation, which can be isolating and put individuals at risk of not being able to receive the level of support they need, and having key specialist and support services on site will encourage connection and engagement with services.

"Furthermore, people who are experiencing rough sleeping often depend on local support systems and will therefore not accept accommodation offers that will displace them. The proximity of the building to Clapham Junction, the borough's busiest rough sleeping hotspot, is also a positive as it maximises the likelihood of offers of accommodation being accepted, consequently increasing the chances of the council and partner agencies ending rough sleeping in Wandsworth. The hub will also provide support and access to beds to verified rough sleepers in Richmond." Wandsworth Council will decide on the plans in due course.

Are you being affected by housing issues in London? Email charlotte.lillywhite@reachplc.com.

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