Severe weather protocol kicks in across Hackney – with council opening emergency shelters for people sleeping rough

Temperatures have dropped below freezing this week. Photograph: Thames Reach

Council staff are working with homelessness charities to find beds for anyone sleeping rough in Hackney as temperatures drop below zero.

The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) swung into action across London this week because of the freezing conditions.

It means councils open emergency accommodation to protect people from the severe weather and work to prevent them from going back to the streets.

The government has issued a cold alert which will last until tonight.

SWEP was put in place for the first time in December and stayed in place for 12 days – the longest period since 2017. Charities and councils helped more than 600 people across London.

The protocol is increasingly being used in the summer months because of climate change, when homelessness prevention teams give out sunscreen and bottled water rather than blankets.

In the year to March 2022, there were 229 people seen sleeping rough in Hackney, according to the Combined Homeless and Information Network and government figures.

Across London, 854 people slept on the streets in 2022.

The previous year, 350 people were rough sleeping in Hackney at some point during the year – an increase on the 163 recorded in the year ending March 2019.

Hackney Council is urging residents who spot people sleeping outside to contact the government-funded StreetLink service on 0300 500 0914 or via the website or mobile app.

Mayor Philip Glanville also encouraged people to support Hackney Winter Night Shelter, “which will be even more needed over the coming weeks”.

The council is committed to the ‘In for Good’ principle, which means no-one will be asked to leave accommodation until a support plan is in place to end their rough sleeping, even when the weather improves.