Issue - meetings

A member of the public informed Cabinet that a number of homeless individuals had told him that they had been refused access to the homeless hub in Gloucester.  He asked what the criteria for admission was and why people might not be offered accommodation.  The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods replied that records indicated only one person had been refused access and that was because they already had accommodation.  She confirmed that the hub was for people who were homeless as assessed by StreetLink and advised that details of specific cases should be taken up with the Countywide Homelessness Co-ordinator.

The member of the public advised Cabinet that a City Council officer had not offered information on the homeless hub to a person in need of assistance and sought assurance that the matter would be addressed. The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods expressed concern and emphasised the importance of people being able to access help.  She reassured Members that officers would address the matter.

The member of the public enquired how many people have been prosecuted annually between 2010 and 2018 for street begging.  The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods responded that although there had been 29 criminal behaviour orders issued these concerned all offences not just begging.  She stated that providing a detailed response would take time to retrieve given the different agencies and timescale involved but gave assurance that she would provide a written answer to the questioner.  The member of public asked what was known about the reasons behind people begging and what incentives were in place to prevent them reoffending.  The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods commented that most people begging suffered with addiction as well as other issues around mental health and general wellbeing.  She made it clear that engaging with and offering support to individuals was prioritised with enforcement seen only as a last resort.  The member of the public further asked if people paid fines while incarcerated and what support was available to those coming out of prison.  The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods stated that the Council worked hard to fully engage with the criminal justice system and ensure that individuals were engaged with all relevant services and agencies.  She commented that those people often had convictions for other offences but acknowledged that systems sometimes fail and asked that individual cases be raised so that they could be looked into.