COLCHESTER Council housing bosses have hit out at figures published by a national homeless charity which labelled Colchester as one of the country’s homeless hotspots. 

Statistics published by Shelter stated 751 people in Colchester are living in temporary accommodation.

But council housing boss Tina Bourne claims that figure is closer to 232.
She has, however, admitted many more people are sleeping rough in the town than Shelter’s figures suggest. 

The charity states there are nine rough sleepers in Colchester but Mrs Bourne said she believes that  figure is actually 20.

She said: “Like the Department for Communities and Local Government, we do not recognise Shelter’s homelessness figures for Colchester.

“Shelter’s own Housing National database shows 232 of households in the borough in temporary accommodation at quarter two 2016, which is significantly less than the 751 quoted.”

She added: “The actual numbers in temporary accommodation in the borough at the end of the second quarter is 245, with a further 59 awaiting temporary accommodation. 

“The figure of nine rough sleepers in the borough, also quoted by Shelter appears to be based on 2015 figures.

“The latest figure reported to the DCLG, based on an informed estimate, is that there are currently 20 rough sleepers in the borough.”

Vivienne Wiggins, chief executive of Beacon House, added: “The full picture we see in Colchester is there are probably about 200 people who would not be able to say they have a front door to a property they call their own and feel the security of tenure.”

That number is made up of rough sleepers, people in temporary accommodation or people sofa surfing. 

Mrs Wiggins added: “The count is so difficult because those people move in and out of all those situations on a daily basis. 

“I’m often nervous about about all the attention going on to rough sleepers rather than the single mum with three children living in a one-bed flat, which can be just as damaging.

“Homelessness is wider than the few people you see on the street.”

She added: “Regardless of numbers - which is something we try not to get involved in - at the end of the day we’re seeing daily need.

“On Monday we saw 53 people. Last week, we got four people into housing.

“Colchester is a growing area. We’ve just had a £30million investment in Fenwicks.

“You’re getting growth so you have to expect growth in all areas, including homelessness.

“If we have got a high street shop selling handbags for £450, as we do, then homeless people are going to assume Colchester is a pretty rich place and they’re going to come here.”

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COLCHESTER has been named by a housing charity as one of the country’s homeless hotspots.

According to Shelter, the homeless situation in the town is even worse than in Manchester.

Figures for the “top 50” hotspots show there are 751 people living in temporary accommodation in the town and nine people who are regularly sleeping rough in the borough.

It means one person per 246 Colchester residents is homeless.

Homeless workers say the town’s situation is actually much worse.

Pete Hope, who runs GO4 Enterprises, which provides food for homeless people and raises money for help the homeless, said up to 27 people are sleeping rough regularly in the town.

Shelter bosses have admitted their figures are “conservative” and do not include “hidden” homelessness, such as people staying with friends.

Mr Hope said: “When I saw the homeless figure I thought it was a joke. In my opinion, I believe 27 is the figure.

“To see us appear on the list is bad enough but it’s even worse that I believe we should be further up it.”

The borough sits at 49th on the list - one ahead of Manchester. Chelmsford is ranked at 48 and Basildon is ranked 38.

Mr Hope said he welcomed 21 certified rough sleepers to a “pay it forward” breakfast at GO4, in Trinity Church, last Monday.

He added: “When you shake a person’s hand, you know very well where they’ve spent the night.

“I make each person sign in before breakfast and I can tell you at this time of year, people are not going to spend the night in car park stairwells just to blag a free breakfast.

“I believe the figures are skewed because people are homeless but they sofa surf every so often, but when they leave the place they have stayed that night, they are back on the street.”

Mr Hope has also called for a task group to be set up, made up of a “broad spectrum of groups which are frequently encountering homeless people”.

Homeless people in Colchester sleep in the stairwells of St Mary’s Car Park, in Balkerne Hill, as well as the NCP Car Park, in Osborne Street. There is also a tent community on Hilly Fields.

The statistics, released to mark Shelter’s 50th anniversary, show more than a 250,000 people in England are homeless.

Most of the”top” 20 are London borouhts.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: “We all face the consequences when so many in our country grow up without a place to call home.

“It breaks up communities and wreaks havoc on family life.

“For the sake of future generations, we must pull together to end this crisis and refuse to rest until every child has a place to call home.”

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “We do not recognise these figures. The level of homelessness is less than half the 2003 peak.”

“However, we know that one person without a home is one too many.

“That is why the Government is investing over £500 million during the course of this parliament to tackle homelessness. This includes protecting £315 million for local authority homelessness prevention funding, and £149 million central government funding.”

The findings were calculated by Shelter after looking at figures from sources including government data and information from social services obtained following a freedom of information request.

'We recognise this is a big problem'

LESS than half of people working in Colchester can afford to buy even a one-bed flat, according to Colchester Council leader Paul Smith. 

Mr Smith also said the council has stopped 400 people from becoming homeless in the last year by either allocating an emergency discretionary housing payment, allocating emergency accommodation or giving out information on hostels.

He added: “We recognise this is a big problem in Colchester and have got to look at the situation we have got. We know there is a shortage of houses.

“The Government has put all its efforts into building homes for people to buy rather than a mix of some for sale and some to be rented.

“That means people who can just about afford to buy are being helped, but others are not.

“About 56 per cent of people in Colchester do not earn enough for a mortgage for even a one-bed flat - and that is a 7 per cent increase on last year.”

Mr Smith also singled out landlords who have stopped taking people who are on benefits and opting to focus on tenants who are in work.

As a result, the council has launched the rent deposit guarantee scheme, which sees prospective tenants given a deposit to secure housing by the council.

Other schemes are in place to help struggling tenants to obtain white goods in order to cook and clean in their new homes.

Children and adults were included in the calculations, which Shelter described as conservative.