Rough sleeping remains low in Bedford Borough

New figures have revealed the number of people sleeping rough is rising substantially in surrounding areas but in Bedford Borough the figure has remained at two since 2021 - one of the lowest numbers in the region. Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire all recorded rises in rough sleeping numbers. Bedford Borough Council has been praised for its Homelessness Strategy that has just been extended for another year.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said "I want to thank the hard work of council officers and social workers who are helping our most vulnerable find places to stay. We have opened a number of temporary accommodation facilities in the last few years. Providing our residents with their own space with the appropriate support in place is an important first step to getting them back on track and helping them change their lives."

The 5-year Homelessness Strategy will be extended until 2024 because of the changing circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy will now be developed for 2024-2029.

Mayor Dave continued "What we now need are changes to national planning laws to make developers build a greater percentage of affordable houses in new developments. The government must not ignore this housing crisis any longer."