FIVE people sleep rough in Kirklees every night.
But that’s not the true extent of the homelessness situation locally.
Kirklees Council carries out an annual survey and at the last – on November 8 – they found five people sleeping on the streets.
A Kirklees spokeswoman said: “The council works closely with rough sleepers throughout the year to offer them help if they want it. On cold nights we put in place our Severe Weather Emergency Protocol to make sure everyone who is, or threatened with, sleeping rough is provided with a bed for the night.”
But Huddersfield has a generous heart and it’s at community level where the day-to-day support is, highlighted by the response to our story about Dave Kennedy, of the Huddersfield Change Project, offering hot soup and warm clothing to rough sleepers.
The Huddersfield Methodist Mission is the most well-known outlet for people needing support.
Its manager is Paul Bridges and he explained: “We have to understand the difference between the official figure, which measures rooflessness, and the number of people in accommodation that is inadequate, by that I mean the number of people sleeping on a friend’s sofa, in temporary accommodation that is unsuitable for their needs and so on.
“People sleeping rough is particularly emotive, but I think it’s only a small part of the true picture.”
The Mission assists up to 175 people every month and provides 300 support sessions.
They serve about 9,000 low-cost meals a year in the cafe, plus they run a winter cafe at 6pm from November to March providing 40 hot meals an evening.
Paul says there are practical ways the wider public can help. “We sell food vouchers which cost £3.50 or three for £10. People can buy a food voucher, keep it in their purse and if they see someone in need give it to them. It can be handed over discretely for a hot meal. If it’s someone we don’t know we’ll offer them support and start the process of assisting any difficulties they face.”
They help people with mental health problems, alcohol or drug abuse and more.
Paul explained: “Many people find it difficult to navigate their way around a system, it can be difficult for people with good resources, but almost everything is online so if you are sofa-surfing or homeless it’s difficult to access the help you need.
“We applaud anybody who wants to help, indeed we have amazing volunteers who run the cafe and assist. We feel that the best support services are those which address the practical need, such as the hunger and heat, and also address the underlying cause.
“Homelessness is beyond someone in a doorway, we know that from our experience. Those five people in the count are sadly not the extent of the problem.”
