Third year succeeds in campaign to provide shelter for rough sleepers

A third year’s campaign to provide emergency beds for the homeless has been successful.

Elisha Hindley-Cupper was disgruntled by Bristol’s growing rough sleeper problem and decided she was going to be pro-active. She started an online petition on 38 degrees back in November to urge Bristol City Council to utilise empty buildings in the area in order to provide temporary housing for the homeless, following a campaign of a similar nature in Manchester.

The most recent Bristol City Council figures suggest that 41 people are sleeping rough and 359 families are classified as homeless, but this is expected to have risen.

Bristol has a growing problem with rough sleepers and this is especially worrying during the winter months. Elisha wrote on the 38 degrees petition: “I cannot imagine sleeping rough in driving, biting winds, snow, ice and winter rain. It’s inhumane. It’s also inexcusable when we have so many empty buildings.”

City Council estimates 41 people are sleeping rough in the city

Almost 13,000 people have signed the online petition urging the council to take action on homelessness. It was announced, following meetings with Bristol City Council, that more work would be done to ensure action was taken to help the homeless. Well done to you so-called slacktivists.

The emergency accommodation will offer the homeless a bed for the night until a place becomes available in a hostel. A 15 bed residence that will provide service seven days a week has been opened and negotiations are still ongoing over other empty council-owned buildings. A number of other emergency beds are expected to be made available over the coming weeks.

This is partly on the basis that enough volunteers sign up to help with the cause. For more information on how you can get involved, you can email [email protected].