HUNDREDS of people in the county are facing an unsettled Christmas period in temporary accommodation or on the streets.
Chief executive at Shelter, Polly Neate blamed the housing emergency on "chronic underinvestment" in social homes, with people unable to afford rising rents. Statistics from Shelter confirm about 507 people in the area are without a permanent home.
Polly said: "Homelessness is on nobody’s Christmas list, but 309,000 people will spend this time of year in a tiny hostel room or freezing in a doorway."
Wiltshire Council confirmed 137 households were in temporary accommodation in November and that £1m funding for its Single Homeless Accommodation Programme (SHAP) has just been secured. The money will provide 7 self-contained one bed flats and two three-bedroom properties.
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Cabinet member for housing, Councillor Phil Alford said: “Our dedicated teams are committed to ensuring our rough sleepers and homeless people are given opportunities for a warm place to stay and permanent housing.
“We have been successful in securing a range of government funding which will make a positive difference and add to our programme to provide pathways away from sleeping on the streets or sofa surfing to having permanent homes with support for those who need it to make choices that will help them live well.”
The government reported it is spending £2b on tackling homelessness and rough sleeping but specified councils must ensure it is temporary and suitable for families' needs.
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Salisbury-based charity Alabaré blamed the high cost of living and unaffordable rents in the extremely competitive private rental market.
Lead operations manager at Alabaré, Vanessa Bedford, said: We are working in close partnership with our local authorities and other partners to provide a home and support to over 300 people in our houses across the south, south-west and Wales who are either vulnerable, disadvantaged or have been homeless.
“In Wiltshire, our support includes dedicated homes for Armed Forces veterans who have found themselves homeless in their civilian lives. For many veterans Christmas can be a particularly difficult time, but we will be making sure they have a safe, warm roof over their head, and can mark Christmas in a way that they wish to.”
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