THE number of rough sleepers in the town has been confirmed.

A report on homelessness will come before the protecting the most vulnerable policy committee at its meeting on Wednesday.

The purpose of the report is to advise the committee of the homelessness position across the town.

It includes an update on the types of provision and services to support homeless people.

The report highlights that the council has statutory duties to people who are homeless and at risk of becoming homeless.

“Current challenges facing the council to discharge its statutory duties include the reduction in available social housing, the high rents and other barriers required to access the private sector rental market, the lack of prevention tools, inadequate welfare benefits (Local Housing Allowance rate),” it says.

“The Homelessness Reduction Act increased the statutory duties owed by councils to homeless households and introduced a Duty to Refer requirement on all statutory and public bodies to make referrals for anyone they are aware of who is at risk of homelessness to the homelessness service.”

Furthermore, the report says, based on the latest information, from January 2024, the rough sleeper team have confirmed there are currently 30 known rough sleepers in the borough.

It says, of these, there are 26 rough sleepers with ‘local connection’ which includes four former asylum seekers and one person with ‘limited leave to remain’. It also states that there are two people with ‘no local connection’, and two people ‘not eligible for assistance – illegal immigrants’.

Furthermore, the report says Warrington ‘has supported 269 Guests from Ukraine’, many of whom have been successful in securing private tenancies once their hosting agreement has ended or relocated out of borough.

But it says that a small number 'have entered the homeless stream and been supported accordingly'.

The committee is recommended to note the report and 'schedule an update towards the end of the 2024/25 cycle'.