While rough sleepers have been given shelter from the elements in a cold part of the year, the project also entailed moving people into sustainable accommodation. About 80 individuals benefited from this aspect of the initiative, according to recent reports.
The Salvation Army has played a role in delivering the service. If the volunteers do the work again next year, they could use poster printing in Coventry to help homeless people be aware of what there is on offer.
Nobby Clarke, the coordinator of the project, has told the Coventry Telegraph:
“It has been an intense period for us as last year the remit was to provide shelter and this year it was a greater challenge in that we wanted to help people to get moved on in to something more sustainable.”
The Lord Mayor has given Clarke – who has used his networking skills to get vulnerable people into accommodation – a citizenship award in the past. In addition, Clarke has raised money so the individuals in question have had cash for basics like essential bus fares.
The project coordinator has admitted that some people may doubt whether the issue of homelessness in Coventry has been addressed properly. He has suggested that the challenging behaviour of some rough sleepers has made it harder for his team to deliver.