Overnight accommodation not provided for Northampton's homeless tonight as temperatures remain freezing

Northampton Borough Council have not made the temporary homeless shelter operational for rough sleepers tonight during the bitter conditions.

It comes as parts of Northamptonshire was blanketed in thick frost this morning but until temperatures fall to zero, or sub-zero for three consecutive nights the overnight shelter will not open.

The MET Office forecasts in Northampton that although the weather tonight will hit 0 degrees, the temperature will actually 'feel like' -2 as the town heads into Tuesday morning.

Councillor Stephen Hibbert, Council Cabinet Member for housing and wellbeing, said today (Monday): “We don’t feel anyone should have to sleep rough and our outreach workers are out there every day engaging with people and encouraging them to access the services available.

“We will provide emergency overnight shelter when SWEP is activated, but if anyone is sleeping rough and is struggling to cope with the colder weather, we would urge them to speak with one of our outreach workers or drop into the Guildhall and see our Single Homelessness Advisor, and we will do all we can to help them.”

When the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is activated, a temporary shelter will then open for men and women who are sleeping rough in Northampton and have registered for the scheme.

The decision on when SWEP should be activated will be made jointly by the council, Northampton Hope Centre and NAASH who say they monitor the Met Office’s forecasts daily and take into account any weather (including extreme cold, wind and rain) that is likely to increase the risk of serious harm to people sleeping rough.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the location of the usual SWEP shelter has been changed from a dormitory-style setting to a building, in a central location, which allows guests to have separate rooms.