Conservatives evict residents from emergency accommodation

Shock as Conservatives confirm they are planning to evict eight or more people from emergency accommodation for rough sleepers at the end of July.

Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Henry Vann, uncovered at the last Full Council meeting that the Council was planning to evict people because of a change in policy.  These are people who had been sleeping rough locally and had been given emergency accommodation. 

At the meeting Cllr Vann reminded everyone that the figure for the number of Rough Sleepers locally was 76 in 2017 and it was brought down to two in the latest figures because it was seen as a priority by the previous administration.  He said " ... only in the last 24 hours I have picked up - and I wanted to ask if it is true - that around 8 to 10 people are going to be evicted under a change of policy at the end of this month?"

The Conservative Portfolio Holder replied "I assume you are talking about the Mercure Contract. This is something we have looked into regarding our statutory duties and our legal powers to provide shelter to people ... it is something that has to be really, really carefully managed” – effectively confirming the news that the Conservatives have chosen to evict eight people.

Whilst the Conservative cited legal limits, this does not explain how the previous council was able to house people, but the Conservative have chosen not to.

Cllr Vann responded saying "That is not an answer that I would hope to hear ... there has been a change in policy that will see between eight and ten people evicted at the end of this month [...] I am deeply concerned and I would ask that if that is not the intention of the policy then don't change the policy and change it back and don't evict those people at the end of this month."

After the meeting Cllr Vann added "This decision has been made in secret, without proper scrutiny; it is not appropriate to hide behind legal excuses when the previous administration found ways to house those most vulnerable in our society – people who have been sleeping rough. The facts are that they have chosen to evict these people and they must reverse this decision or we’re going to see vulnerable residents back on the streets without support."