Talks in place to protect rough sleepers
- 15 Aug
Homelessness charities to join forces with refuse collectors to protect rough sleepers.
Streetlink, a government-backed advice line operated by umbrella body Homeless Link and charity Broadway, is in talks with waste management Biffa to encourage refuse collectors to check nobody is sleeping in bins before clearing them away.
This idea has been put forward following the deaths of three deaths of homeless people taking refuge in bins overnight. With many refuse collectors neglecting to check if anyone is inside the bins before clearing them, it is easy for the sleeper to be collected alongside the rubbish with the bins, which leads to tragic consequences.
It appears that many charities are beginning to hold talks with other companies in the refuse sector so that rough sleepers are protected.
The Streetlink and Biffa discussions have come only a week after South Tyneside Council's final Commission on homelessness report. This report showcased that homeless people were sleeping in skips overnight in South Shield in Tyne and Wear.
The scheme is however based on anecdotal evidence as no national figures have been collected about the scale of the problem.
Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1060834
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