It’s hard to see how it could be much of a happy new year if you are one of the people forced to sleep rough on the streets of Cambridge. But with homeless numbers rising across the country, Cambridge Council are to invest more than £1m in a scheme to help people off the streets.
An official figure for the number of people sleeping on the streets nationally leapt by almost a quarter between 2010 and 2011 with another sharp rise expected this year as the depression bites for many.
But with Cambridge seeing a similar trend, they City is set to tackle the problem with a revamping of services to better carter for those on the streets with mental health or substance abuse issues.
The council have recently revamped the ‘Jimmy’s’ shelter into an assessment centre with a mission to do more than just a bed for a night, and to help move people away from life on the streets. And a similar move is being undertaken at the Victoria Road hostel.
This will see a high needs block and a unit, which can house 24 people where focus can be given on work, training and hopefully a return to mainstream housing.
The work, which is expected to take around nine months to complete, will begin early in the year and has been carefully planned to minimise disruption to this vital service.
