New tool to help councils gauge rough sleeping numbers

With every council required to tell Government how many people are sleeping rough on their streets by the 16th December, Homeless Link has developed a toolkit to help.

Called ‘Evaluating the extent of rough sleeping’, the guidance aims to help local authorities, in partnership with homelessness charities, count or estimate the number of people sleeping rough in their area.

The document, part of the new “Effective Action” guidance series, includes information on:
  • Establishing which approach will provide the most accurate figures - a count of rough sleepers or an estimate arrived at in partnership local agencies
  • How to consult and engage with local agencies that come into contact with rough sleepers
  • How to arrive at the most accurate estimate or carry out a count safely.
As well as guidance, the toolkit also includes checklist and forms to save local authority homelessness officers time.