St Mungo’s outreach and emergency hub staff have supported almost 250 vulnerable people off the streets of London and from emergency hubs into individual hotel rooms in the capital over the past few days.
Following an announcement by the Greater London Authority (GLA) on Saturday, a monumental volume of work has been done on the ground with around 80 members of staff involved.
People were supported to hotels run by the Intercontinental Hotel chain with the support of black cab drivers via hailing apps FreeNow and Gett. The response has been funded by the GLA and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Petra Salva, St Mungo’s Director of Rough Sleeping Services, said:
“Over the past few days St Mungo’s teams worked round the clock to support 250 people who were living on the streets and staying at three No Second Night Out hubs into hotel accommodation in London.
“Thanks to the GLA and other partners, these vulnerable people are now in a place where they can self-isolate in safety while we work with them on next options, including permanent accommodation, support around health and employment.
“I would continue to urge people to contact StreetLink if they are concerned about someone sleeping rough, or to call 999 in a health emergency. You can support St Mungo’s work by visiting www.mungos.org/coronavirus”
Next St Mungo’s is aiming to move a further 50 people indoors and will be working on the next phase of this unprecedented operation over the coming week.
What can the public do?
• Visit www.mungos.org/coronavirus
• Contact the national referral service StreetLink online
• In a health emergency situation call 999.
• Follow St Mungo’s on social media for updates @stmungos
