Council Leader, Cllr Anthony Okereke and Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness have signed the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping on behalf of the Royal Borough of Greenwich at Woolwich Town Hall.
The signing of the Charter builds upon one of the Council’s key missions of ensuring people have access to a safe and secure home that meets their needs. The Charter signing was also attended by Bill Tidnam, Chief Executive of Thames Reach, a charity working to end rough sleeping in London.
Royal Greenwich now joins a range of organisations including homelessness charities, businesses and local authorities, to agree to the six key principles to help end rough sleeping in London. These principles are accepting people, safety for everyone, being open-minded, prevention, partnerships and helping people thrive.
Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Council, said: “I am incredibly proud to be able to sign the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping with our Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, on behalf of Royal Greenwich. It is vitally important that we come together with partners and as a community to develop and deliver solutions to end rough sleeping for good and ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads.”
Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, commented: “Many people who sleep rough can face fear, loneliness and hunger and we are determined to do everything we can to end it here in Greenwich, which is why the Leader and I are delighted to have signed the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping.
“As a Council we are already at the forefront in London of providing emergency support to rough sleepers during severe cold weather spells and our Housing Inclusion Service works tirelessly to offer much-needed longer-term support — including permanent placements — to help many of them rebuild their lives and stay off the streets permanently.”
