4. Statement by the Minister for Housing and Regeneration: Tackling Rough Sleeping and Homelessness

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:20 pm on 6 February 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 4:20, 6 February 2018

I thank you very much for that. I am very, very pleased that the committee is taking a good look at this particular issue, and it is important, because, as we've probably seen through the statement, there are questions, and some of the questions we don't have the answers to yet. For example, that question as to why, even on the coldest of nights, there are empty bed spaces in some of our hostels and other provisions.

I was at a local surgery, one of my surgeries in Gower, on the weekend, and a lady came in and said that last year her church had provided 10 beds during a cold period for homeless people and they were full, but, this year, those 10 beds, not one person turned up for them, and, even though we understand that the scale of homelessness has grown and it’s been very cold, equally, there seems to be a mismatch in terms of people’s willingness now, I suppose, to engage with some of those services that are being provided. So, I think that the fact that the committee is looking at this particular issue, alongside others, will be very useful in terms of helping us map out the way forward.