Decision details

ThThe amendment in the name of Councillor Farrier was put to the vote.  Votes were recorded as follows:

The amendment was declared lost.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Rozenberg was put to the vote. 

The amendment was declared carried.  The substantive motion was agreed.   

RESOLVED that:

Council notes that:

·       rough sleeping nationally has increased 169% since 2010.

·       7,484 rough sleepers in London were seen by outreach workers in 2017/18.

·       it is extremely dangerous to sleep outdoors in the UK in winter.

·       some homeless people die while sleeping on London streets.

Council thanks Homeless Action in Barnet (HAB) and the many volunteers and charitable and religious organisations working hard to help the homeless in Barnet.

Council welcomes improvements already made by our Labour Mayor of London which include:

·       87% of people helped by Mayoral services left the streets last year.

·       An 8% drop in the number of London’s rough sleepers last year, for the first time in a decade.

·       The Mayor’s new Plan of Action to tackle rough sleeping.

Council notes that the Council's draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy seeks to procure accommodation specifically for entrenched rough sleepers and for those with low to medium support needs, but that this has only just gone out to consultation and will not be formally agreed until April 2019.

Council resolves:

·       To call on the Mayor of London to set up and fund a homeless winter shelter in one building in Barnet throughout the winter as Severe Weather Emergency Provision for rough sleepers.

·       That this shelter should be well-equipped to support rough sleepers, and should be opened as soon as possible and close at the end of March.

·       To publicise streetlink.org.uk, which members of the public can contact to connect people sleeping rough with local services that can support them.